I recently came across an article of most interest to me concerning heart attacks. In the article written by Thomas Cowan, M.D., he sites research that says that most heart attacks are likely caused by an imbalance in your central nervous system (CNS) and your autonomic (or unconscious) nervous system (ANS), which controls the function of our internal organs. He goes on to say that bypass surgery provides minimal benefit for most people, as sites that are over 90 percent blocked in almost all cases compensate for the blockage by developing collateral blood vessels. As outrageous as that may sound to some people (and most doctors who perform that procedure), he does site group studies where this was proven with angiograms. They observed that blocked arteries made their own new blood passage ways for the blood to flow to and from the heart (the power of the body!). The take away from this article was that electrical impulses from an improperly functioning nervous system has a major influence over heart function and can lead to heart attacks. Dr. Cowan also mentioned how important nutrition was in overall heart health. The newest research is finding that a diet filled with sugar (not fat) is the cause of heart disease. He goes on to suggest that a heart healthy diet is liberal with healthy fat sources but very low in sugar. These fats come from sources such as olive oil, omega 3 fats (fish, walnut), and even organic all natural butter. The bottom line of the article was to protect your nervous system by lowering stress levels and eating a heart healthy diet as mentioned above. Studies in other countries have shown that being in a loving, trusting relationship, having a good job and having contact with nature seems to nourish the nervous system and lower your risk of heart disease.

Thought for the Week: The above article was of most interest to me because as a chiropractor, my sole purpose is to remove imbalances in the nervous system. When a chiropractor adjusts your spine, particularly the upper back and upper neck, there is a direct connection from the nerves in those areas to the heart. The article was encouraging to me, as chiropractic research has always pointed to an improvement in bodily function by adjusting the spine and removing nerve interference in fixated spinal joints!

Chiropractic Thought of the Week: According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health, patients with neck pain who used a chiropractor were more than twice as likely to be pain-free in 12 weeks, compared to those who took medication.