February is Heart Month – Take Care of Yours!

Heart disease is still the #1 cause of death for men and women, with 25% of all deaths due to heart disease. As a chiropractor, I get to see people in all stages of life and with all kinds of health, but heart disease is something that affects us all. Many factors in our lives can cause early onset heart disease. For those who have heart disease in their family, lifestyle is even more important. It’s important to make lifestyle changes in order to prevent heart disease no matter how old or young you are. However, you do not want to wait until you are high risk because by then it may be too late to undo any damage you have already done to your heart.



One of the major contributors to heart disease is diet and the foods we eat. You may be aware of the recent controversy surrounding the risk factors associated with fat and cholesterol in our diets and that is a topic for another discussion. What is becoming more clear in the research is that trans-fats and sugar are much worse culprits for contributing to heart disease.  Trans-fats generally are the fats that are normally liquid at room temperature but are chemically changed to be solids, like margarine and shortening and are typically found in packaged sweets and baked goods. Although eating that type of diet doesn’t usually cause problems until we are older, by then it is very difficult to change our eating habits. After you have eaten greasy, high fat and sugary foods for many years, the adjustment to healthier eating can be difficult. A good rule of thumb is to focus on whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains and quality proteins from a variety of sources.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is another cause of heart disease. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of early onset heart disease, and cardiologists tie this into the sedentary lifestyle that many lead today. There is a need to increase the heart rate in order to stay healthy and sadly, for some, exercise is limited to pushing buttons on the remote control. If you have aches and pains that prevent you from exercising regularly, let the chiropractic physicians at The Joint Cottonwood Heights help relieve your pain so you can get out and get moving.

The problem of obesity in Utah is on the rise, and as a result heart disease is on the rise as well. Nutritionists believe the problem lies in the fast food industry with the problem beginning in childhood. With two income families a necessity today, fewer children are eating healthy meals at home. The good part is that quick meals can be healthy meals if by choosing carefully. Remember, the choices you make early in life will affect you later in life.

~ Dr. Brad Hendricks

Improving your immune system with chiropractic in Salt Lake City

Colder weather and more time spent indoors make staying healthy a real challenge this time of year. Millions of people face getting sidelined or made miserable by the common cold or the flu. Taking steps for prevention could make life a lot more pleasant in the wintertime. Building your body’s immune system with diet, exercise, and chiropractic treatments to help prevention is a good place to start.

Some people’s typical eating patterns are high in sugar and processed carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, unhealthy fats, and are lacking in fruits and vegetables. These eating habits fail to supply the body with adequate nutrition to truly support immunity. Numerous studies have found that natural vitamins and minerals found in whole foods improve immune function. Excellent food sources of immune boosting nutrients include vibrant green, red and orange vegetables, delicious nuts and seeds, fresh seafood, whole eggs, and poultry. Fresh herbs, such as basil, vegetables, like garlic and scallions add robust flavor to recipes and also add their own infection-fighting properties.

Most people don't realize that the vast majority of the immune system is found in your guts. An imbalance of the friendly bacteria (Probiotics) found in the gut is one of the leading causes of lowered immunity. That is why I recommend supplementing with a good Probiotic that contains several strains of billions of friendly bacteria to re-inoculate your system. Check with your local health food store for a good quality brand. There are many quality probiotic supplements available now in Utah.

Regular aerobic physical activity, about 30 minutes a day, has been shown to improve immune function and decrease the incidence of common viral infections. Most people decrease their physical activity, as the weather turns cold. Your sleep is an active time during which your body restores itself. Sleep deprivation in animals increases susceptibility to viral and bacterial infection, and, in humans, insomnia reduces activity of natural killer cells, your main defense against viral infection. The natural sleep requirement of adults varies from as little as six to as much as ten hours per day, with most people needing seven to nine hours, preferably without interruption.

Chiropractic care has also shown to be effective in boosting your immunity. One of the most important studies showing the positive effect chiropractic care can have on the immune system and general health was performed by Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University. Dr. Pero measured the immune systems of people under chiropractic care as compared to those in the general population and those with cancer and other serious diseases. In his initial three-year study of 107 individuals who had been under chiropractic care for five years or more, the chiropractic patients were found to have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care, and 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer and other serious diseases. The immune system superiority of those under chiropractic care did not diminish with age.

Dr. Pero stated:

“When applied in a clinical framework, I have never seen a group other than this chiropractic group to experience a 200% increase over the normal patients. This is why it is so dramatically important. We have never seen such a positive improvement in a group…”

Pero R. "Medical Researcher Excited By CBSRF Project Results." The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989; 32

This is why the doctors and staff at The Joint Cottonwood recommend regular, preventative chiropractic adjustments. If you typically struggle with frequent illnesses, make an appointment at The Joint in Salt Lake City and let us work together to see if we can boost your immunity and resistance to disease.

- Dr. Hendricks

How Prevalent is Back Pain in Your Kids?

There have been many studies that indicate that most adults (80%) will have back pain at some point in their life, but not much has been studied in kids, until recently.

The severity and course of back pain is poorly understood in adolescents. A study was designed to determine the prevalence and two-year incidence, as well as the course, frequency, and intensity of pain in the neck, mid back, and low back (spinal pain). The study was reported in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in May 2014.

The researchers studied 1,300 5th and 6th graders aged 11-13 in Denmark and followed them for two years.  They found a baseline of spinal pain prevalence of 86%.  What was interesting is that the frequency of pain was strongly associated to the intensity of pain.  That is, that those who reported relatively infrequent back pain also reported that the pain was not too intense; whereas those who reported more frequent back pain also reported that it was more severe.

After two years, the researchers found that the pain was likely to progress from one to more locations, from less frequent to more frequent, and from less intense to more intense.

There are a number of possible causes for back pain in children, teens and young adults. One thing that may lead to back pain is the regular use of a backpack that is too heavy or worn improperly. Many Salt Lake City students are overwhelmed by the weight of their textbooks and other school supplies that they must carry each day. It is also commonly popular to wear backpacks slung over one shoulder, with the straps adjusted too low, or in other ways that can contribute to developing back pain. Other risk factors may include poor posture, athletic injuries, or too much time spent hunched over a computer, phone, or tablet.

Given these results, it is important to have your pre-teen and teenagers checked.  Whether your kids are sedentary or more active and athletic, they may be prone to neck and back pain.  At The Joint Cottonwood Heights, we offer free spinal screening for your kids, bring them in and let us help them improve their overall health.

What is the Big Deal about Chiropractic?

In my 25 years of practicing Chiropractic, I have notice much controversy both within and without
the chiropractic profession. There have been many attempts to define what exactly chiropractic is
and what it isn't. These opinions range on the spectrum from chiropractors being outright
“Quacks” all the way to being “Pseudo­MDs” and everything in between. There are those who
view chiropractors as the ideal Holistic Practitioners who should use any and all treatments and
therapies that can have a positive effect on health, and those who believe that chiropractors should
only treat to correct subluxations (defined as minor mal­positions of the bones of the spine) so that
the body can heal itself.

Over the years my own opinions have been somewhat tempered. I actually see the value in
multiple different definitions of chiropractic. The bottom line is that chiropractors are very well
educated with many hours of study in the basic sciences like anatomy, physiology, neurology,
microbiology, biochemistry, pathology, embryology, etc., with an emphasis on spinal neuro-
biology. Chiropractors are required to pass rigorous national and state board exams in order to
become licensed to practice in the U.S. Once licensed, chiropractors can, within reason, choose to
practice with any number of specialties, whether it be a general practice or a focus on nutrition,
sports medicine, rehabilitation or a subluxation based practice.

In my current practice with The Joint, I have chosen to focus on improving the health of the body and spine and reducing back pain and neck pain using straight forward chiropractic adjustments. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion) the joints of the body, especially the spine, need to move. There is a specific range of motion that is normal for each joint in your body and when that normal motion is disrupted by injury or stress or poor nutrition or a sedentary lifestyle, then your body's function diminishes and you are more prone to develop degenerative arthritis or other chronic health problems such as back pain or neck pain. So if you cannot bend over and touch your toes, or if you cannot turn your head to look over your shoulder without turning your whole body, then you may consider regular, preventive and maintenance chiropractic care to reduce or eliminate back pain and neck pain. The improvement in your quality of life and levels of energy can be significant if you regularly care for your spine by improving your mobility.

Most of us wouldn't consider it wise to stop brushing and flossing our teeth for fear that we would
end up with rotten teeth, and I believe that we should have that same fear of developing a stiff and
degenerated spine if we don't take care of it properly with regular chiropractic adjustments. Let the
experienced doctors at The Joint Salt Lake City or our Chiropractors in Cottonwood Heights assist you with regular spinal maintenance. ­ Make an appointment today!

Chiropractors in Cottonwood Heights Help Athletes Stay on Top

 Many people have realized the positive benefits of regular chiropractic treatments at The Joint in Cottonwood Heights for the various aches and pains that accompany everyday life, but you may not realize how chiropractic can improve overall athletic abilities and capabilities in relatively pain-free elite athletes.

There have been several studies looking at how chiropractic adjustments effect the performance of athletes and I'd like to share a couple of these with you.

A recent study out of Sweden looked at the hip extension ability and running velocity of young male runners. This research study divided a group of young men into a control group (no treatment) and a chiropractic treatment group. They measured the hip extension and stride length before and after chiropractic adjustments. Those of you who are runners can appreciate the importance of a full leg extension and how that affects your run times. The athletes treated by chiropractors in this study did have a significantly increased hip extension and stride length post-treatment compared to the control group, and they did end up with a small decrease in their run times compared to the control group.

Another study looked at athletic performance and physiological measures in baseball players following upper cervical chiropractic care. This was an interesting study in that it did not look directly at baseball skills but

looked at general athletic performance using the vertical jump, broad jump specified, standing broad jump and muscle strength. It also measured physiological changes to blood pressure, pulse rate, microcirculation (capillary counts) and treadmill stress testing. Twenty-one university baseball players were assigned randomly to either a control group or a chiropractic adjustment group. Each subject was required to complete three sessions of athletic ability and physiological testing. The results showed significant improvement at 14 weeks in muscle strength and long jump distance in the group receiving adjustments along with a significant improvement in capillary counts. Further evaluation revealed that the group receiving chiropractic care showed decreases in resting blood pressure and pulse rate as well as pulse rate following treadmill activity.

The last study that I want to report was done at Virginia Tech University where the researchers studied 115 football players in 2 consecutive football seasons. A total of 1976 manipulative treatments were provided pre-competition, and the results showed that there was positive improvement in performance among both offensive and defensive Va. Tech football players.

The takeaway from reviewing these studies is that whether you are in pain and want to get healthy or if you want to stay healthy and improve your performance (which is not limited to athletes but also includes housewives, construction workers, businessmen, nurses, etc.) chiropractic treatment is an excellent way to get you healthy.

Let the chiropractors and staff at The Joint Cottonwood Heights help you achieve your optimal health and well being.

~Dr. Brad Hendricks