A Decrease in Muscle Strength in Aging Men, leads to an Increase Risk of Slips and Fall Incidents.

Posted on July 15, 2016 by askdrjames

Dr. Ayse Zengin, PhD, Medical Research Council, Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge completed a study in the UK, looking at the relationship between muscle strength as men age and their risk of fracture and fall.men-950915_1920

Here are some highlights of the study:

  • A total of 301 men over the age of 40 years were involved in this study.
  • Lower limbs muscle force and power were measured by having the participants to perform a jumping mechanography, which involves a single two-legged jump on a ground reaction- force platform.
  • Why study men? While there are many studies done on bone and muscle strength in women,. there are relatively fewer studies of bone health in older men.
  • The Consequences of a Fracture in Men are Worse than in Women. Even though men have fewer fractures than women, they have increased mortality following a fracture.
  • As men grow older, their muscle strength drops, and this can serve as a significant predictor of bone fractures.
  • Muscle power is strongly associated with fall risk. An increased risk of falls is associated with decline in muscle power (a factor that reflects how fast someone can produce force)
  • Muscle Force and Power. Not Muscle Mass Alone. There is a far more rapid decline in muscle strength than muscle mass as men age. Younger and older men can have the same muscle mass, but older men cannot perform functional tests.

In another study conducted, in Australia

  • Mortality increases after hip fractures in women and more so in men. Little is known. 

These studies suggest that physical training involving strength and power in the lower limbs, may help to improve bone strength and decrease the risk of falling. Training should always involve some types of balancing as well.

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Pelvic Floor Exercise for Men

Posted on June 4, 2016 by askdrjames

We often hear women doing pelvic floor exercise or Kegel exercise after giving birth. Men can also benefit from kegel exercise.

What are the benefits?

  • increase flood flow and nerve supply to pelvic region
  • prevention and treatment of urinary stress incontinence
  • improve sexual response and function

Here is a quick guide to Kegel Exercise for Men.

 

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Young Athletes. Play smart, play safe, and play hard!

Posted on April 18, 2016 by askdrjames

The journey from backyard playing to a high level competitive arena for young athletes can be fun and rewarding. There will also be many challenges in between. Early morning practices, driving to T…

Source: Young Athletes. Play smart, play safe, and play hard!

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Osteoarthritis Doesn’t Mean the End of Your Workouts

Posted on February 10, 2016 by askdrjames

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Many people stop working out with weights when they have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), usually because they experience pain. But don’t let that be you! Often your form and technique can be adjusted, and there are many exercises that you can perform that will not only be pain-free but help you to improve your strength and mobility.

Strengthening the muscles around the affected joint helps to keep the bones in their proper position. When the joint moves better, there is less stress. The endurance of the muscles needs to be increased as well, as Dr Cruz [link] mentioned earlier. The longer the muscles can withstand fatigue, the longer the joint is stable!

Let’s focus for now on the knee, since it is so commonly affected.

Technique: We always strive to keep the joint in alignment when working out. For example, your knee should always be in line with your…

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Spinal Osteoarthritis

Posted on January 13, 2016 by askdrjames

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Doc, I was told that I have arthritis in my neck and lower back. Is it genetic or is it just aging?

This is a very common question I hear nearly daily. Some people may have a genetic disposition to Osteoarthirits (OA). Nevertheless, since we can’t change our genes or age, let’s focus on what we can change.

OA is most common in weight bearing joints, such as knees, hips and the spine. OA is also seen frequently in the shoulders and hands, with overuse and repetitive movements. It is common in the first toe (bunion) as well.

With OA in the knees, we may see swelling in the knees. With OA in the hands, we may see nodules in the fingers. OA in the spine may show with poor posture, such as forward head posture and poor sitting posture habits. Some people with OA in the spine may have…

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Changes in Diet affect the Brain

Posted on January 10, 2016 by askdrjames

Dietary changes that reduce the incidence of, and prevent, mental health disorders are a cost-effective and efficacious means of improving mental health, urges a position statement that sets out a series of recommendations that will advance nutritional medicine in psychiatry.

burger and fries

photo by Brandon Morgan

The statement, released by the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR), emphasizes that there is tested, basic scientific, and clinical evidence to show that diet both influences risk for, and outcomes of mental health disorders. Moreover, a number of nutrients are linked to brain health.

Felice N. Jacka, PhD, associate professor, Division of Nutritional Psychiatry Research, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, and president of the ISNPR, played a central role in the development of the consensus statement.

But it’s everywhere…  “The situation we find ourselves in around the world is one wherein unhealthy food products are ubiquitous. They’re heavily marketed, they’re socially acceptable and normalized, and we believe that they’re highly addictive,” she told Medscape Medical News.

“The changes to our diet globally have resulted in a tsunami of ill health, and an unhealthy diet is…understood to be the greatest cause of early mortality.

Mental Health Treatment “Suboptimal” In developing the statement, published in the 2015 October issue of World Psychiatry, the ISNPR says that although the outcomes achieved by current treatments of mental disorders are “suboptimal,” little attention is paid to prevention. As such, diet and nutrition are modifiable targets for the prevention of mental disorders and play a key role in the promotion of mental health.

A number of nutrients, it says, have a “clear link” to brain health, including omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, choline, iron, zinc, magnesium, S-adenosyl methionine, vitamin D, and amino acids, and that dietary consumption could be supplemented by the prescription of nutraceuticals.

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Get BACK into Fitness this Fall

Posted on October 25, 2015 by askdrjames

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Let’s face it, you have had back pain in your life as an active person, or you know someone who has. And fall is that time of year that we get back into our fitness routines but have life tugging at us as well. Back pain is one of the most common injuries and major complaints. There are many reasons why you can have back pain, let’s focus on lower back pain.

First, think about your lifestyle that surrounds your workouts. Do you drive to your workouts right after getting out of bed or after a long day of sitting at work? Do you then drive home without doing a proper cool down? These are common realities of many people who work out in fitness clubs, local running groups, or yoga studios. Remember, your body needs time to warm up, maybe 5-10 minutes of cardiovascular work and then some light…

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Whiplash and Sport Injury

Posted on October 10, 2015 by askdrjames
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Fall means Football!

Posted on October 1, 2015 by askdrjames

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With every new season there is a popular sport that fans wait for in anticipation. Spring and summer bring tennis, soccer, golf and Blue Jays baseball. Winter is for hockey. But in the fall…..fall brings football!

I have to admit I am not a huge football fan-but have a healthy respect for the strategic game and the players that seem to have ball magnets for hands. Football players are giants of men and are passionate about the game.  As a sports fan, I enjoy a well played game, the skill of the players, and when the under-dog wins.

As a sport doc I am also very aware of the news coming from Boston about NFL players and the changes in their brains. Football players who died at a young age, with a history of personality and mood changes following multiple concussions have brains that show signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy…

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Omega-3 Prevents Long-term Psychosis

Posted on September 29, 2015 by askdrjames

A new study shows that adolescents and young adults considered to be at high risk for developing psychosis, show significant reductions in their progression to psychotic disorder 7 years after a 12-week treatment of omega-3 PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs). This study was led by G. Paul Amminger, MD, of the University of Melbourne, Australia and was published online August 11 in Nature Communications.

This is the first study to show that omega-3 prevented transition to full-threshold psychotic disorder and led to sustained symptomatic and functional improvements in young people with an at-risk mental state for 7 years.

adolescentAbout the research: For this double-blind study of 81 patients, the average age was 16.5. The daily supplementation consists of either 700 mg of EPA and 480 mg of DHA (treatment group) or placebo capsules. Relatively similar results were obtained over various time periods from additional analyses of continuing studies.

Interest in the role of omega-3 in preventing psychosis has been driven by its known role in reducing systemic inflammation, which has been linked to mental illness. Furthermore, deficiencies in omega-3 PUFAs have been observed in schizophrenia.

Since there is still no “gold standard” of care for patients with attenuated symptoms of psychosis, Omega-3 is a fantastic option without the side effects and without stigmatizing patients who are taking prescribed antipsychotics medication.

High lights

  • Nutrition is of critical importance when serious mental illness is addressed.
  • The rate of cannabis abuse in the long-term follow-up was 0 in the Omega-3 group vs (11.4%) in the placebo group.
  • the timing of the treatment may be critical ― during adolescence and before conversion to psychosis, when the neurodevelopment in brain regions relevant to schizophrenia occurs.
  • 70% of those in the Omega-3 group were employed full time.
  • There were almost 50% fewer patients being prescribed antipsychotic medication in the Omega-3 group than in the placebo group.

If we want to start helping people holistically, we must recognize that nutrition, including supplementation, is a vital factor in maintaining mental health, including depression and autism. The benefit is beyond relieving the symptoms. It will change the focus of research and change not only the way we treat patients, but also the way we think about health and disease.  Nat Commun. Published online August 11, 2015. Full text

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