Is Dark Chocolate Good for You?

Author's note: no chocolate bars were harmed in the writing of this article.

Recent reports in prestigious scientific journals have been viewed by chocophiles (lovers of chocolate) as the best health and nutrition news they've heard in years. According to the research, dark chocolate may actually be good for you. One study showed that test subjects who ate dark chocolate daily saw a significant drop in their blood pressure (5 points systolic and 2 points diastolic), while subjects who ate similar amounts of milk chocolate or white chocolate did not.

While this sounds like magic, it really isn't. Chocolate is, after all, derived from plants (cocoa beans), and thus shares one of the nutritional benefits of other dark vegetables - flavonoids. Dark chocolate contains high amounts of catechins (8 times the amount in strawberries), a branch of the flavonoid family that has been proven to be an effective antioxidant. Antioxidants help to fight the effects of aging by reducing the number of free radicals that increase oxidation and thus contribute to the development of many damaging conditions, including heart disease. Catechins also have the benefit of stimulating the production of endorphins (which provide a feeling of pleasure) and serotonin (which acts as a natural anti-depressant). Other studies indicate that dark chocolate can improve blood flow to the brain, thus lessening the possibility of stroke.

So the idea that dark chocolate can actually be good for you is true, within reasonable limits. The benefit to health from eating dark chocolate is listed in most of these studies as "moderate," and must be balanced by the knowledge that chocolate is still full of calories. The sugar and fat present in chocolate mean that one 100-gram bar contains over 500 calories. If you're on a limited-calorie diet, eating a whole bar is going to either blow your diet or require you to not eat other foods to balance out your increased caloric intake.

Fortunately, large quantities are not required to benefit from flavonoid-rich dark chocolate. In studies where the subjects ate a small-to-moderate amount of dark chocolate, benefits were still seen. For example, in one of the studies that showed significant reductions of blood pressure as a result of adding dark chocolate to their diet, the subjects were limited to 30 chocolate calories a day. That's a portion about the size of one Hershey's Kiss.

So although the benefits of eating dark chocolate appear to be real, and are good news both to the health conscious and to us chocophiles, remember that a little goes a long way, and too much will still make you fat. No matter how tempting it may be, don't replace other foods in your balanced diet with dark chocolate; just add small amounts to that diet and remember that moderation is key.

Additional good news, is that more sources of cocoa's and chocolate's beneficial flavonoids will likely be coming available in the form of supplements or foods that do not necessarily contain the higher amounts of fats and sugars.

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Benefits of Combining Chiropractic and Massage Therapy

Chiropractors work with spinal structures, correcting biomechanical abnormalities to speed healing of nerve, joint and muscular problems that arise from the misaligned bones and hindered spinal joint function. But the spine is also surrounded and connected to soft tissue - muscles and tendons that control the movement and flexibility of the spine, that may either cause or exacerbate the structural problems. Tight, weak, or over-stretched muscles and ligaments can prolong spinal problems and postpone healing. Massage therapy can be useful in relieving these kinds of soft tissue problems.

In the simplest terms, chiropractors work with bones and joints, and massage therapists work with muscles. But as treatment modalities, they are both compatible and complementary. Massage is often recommended along with chiropractic treatment, either before an adjustment or afterwards, as part of a longer treatment regimen. This combination of treatments often produces more effective results, and faster healing in the patient. One of the reasons for this is that both chiropractic and massage share a similar holistic goal - helping you to achieve a state of total well-being, not simply relief from immediate symptoms.

Massage is often recommended as a preparation for a chiropractic adjustment because it relieves the muscle tension that may be pulling joints out of alignment and makes it easier to move them back into place. Massage is also relaxing, and a relaxed body is easier for the chiropractor to work with. In addition, as the chiropractor corrects the structural problems that are causing pain or limiting your mobility, massage can complement the healing process by stretching and relaxing muscles that have been aggravated by these structural problems, making it easier for you to stretch and exercise, and thus more quickly achieve a state of normal well-being.

Many chiropractors work hand-in-hand with massage therapists because their treatment modalities are so complementary. Patients who sought relief from massage therapists for pain, but find that it persists, may often be helped by receiving chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic patients often find that their treatment proceeds faster and with less discomfort when the soft tissue has been relaxed with massage. Recovery - especially from conditions that cause pain - is normally faster and more complete when multiple components of that pain are addressed simultaneously, the chiropractor working to resolve the structural problems and the massage therapist working to resolve the soft tissue problems. Chiropractors and massage therapists who work together collaborate to find the proper combination of chiropractic adjustments and massage to get you back to a feeling of health and well-being as quickly as possible.

Both chiropractic and massage therapy are holistic treatment modalities because they share a common goal of treating the whole body, helping you to achieve this state of well-being without drugs or surgery. Both focus on trying to resolve the underlying cause of your pain or discomfort rather than treating isolated symptoms. When they are used in combination, a synergy occurs that is often far more effective than either approach on its own.

Ironically, what seems like common sense to most of us, is not supported in good faith by insurance companies. For instance, they consider chiropractic manipulation and massage therapy to be redundant services when both are applied to the same region of the body as part of the treatment, and will deny reimbursement. So in order to try to recieve due consideration of the service, the massage therapy must be documented in a manner such that the work is recognized as being of seperate value. Since most muscles that attach in the neck also extend and attach to the shoulder region, and similarly most muscles in the low back also extend and attach to the hips, the service can be documented as targeting those regions as opposed to the spinal region where the adjustment was applied. When the billing procedures jump through these hoops there may be coverage.

Chiropractic for Neck Pain

Neck pain is a very common problem, as the cervical spine (the top part of the spine that supports our heavy head) is the most flexible part of the spinal column, with an ability to bend in multiple directions, which also makes it more vulnerable to injury. There are many causes of neck pain, which can be either acute or chronic.

Acute neck pain is most often due to an accident or injury where the neck is suddenly whipped back and forth, causing whiplash. The sudden motion injures the ligaments and tissues that support the neck. Car accidents (especially being hit from the rear) are the most common cause of whiplash, however, whiplash can also be due to injury from such things as an intense rollercoaster ride, skiing accident or falling off a bicycle.

Chronic neck pain can be the result of earlier acute injuries that were left untreated, or chronic stress and poor posture, deconditioning and other sources, which can lead to chronic spinal degeneration. With time it's more common to acquire degenerative diseases such as cervical spondylosis, which is excessive wear and tear on the cartilage and bones in certain areas of the cervical spine. The elasticity and thickness of the cartilage cushioning the vertebrae can begin to break down, resulting in spinal stenosis, which can put pressure on the nerves. This can lead to chronic pain, tingling or numbness in the affected area. Neck pain can also be due to our modern more sedentary lifestyle, in which poor posture, a weak abdomen and obesity contribute to putting the spine out of balance. The spine's supporting muscles work harder to try to keep the spine straight, leading to increased muscle tension and fatigue, and eventually neck pain.

A wide variety of studies have shown chiropractic care superior in treating most forms of neck pain. One study, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that chiropractic treatment reduced neck pain more than medications such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen or even narcotics. After 12 weeks, the largest majority of the test group receiving chiropractic treatment reported a pain reduction of at least 75%, whereas only a minority of the medication-only group had the same response. Furthermore, the medication-only group did not achieve lasting relief or correction. Another study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found significant improvement in chronic neck pain from spinal manipulation, with improvements continuing post-treatment. The same level of effect was not found with PT or massage therapy.

A chiropractic neck adjustment (cervical manipulation) can significantly improve range of motion in your neck, allowing you to move your head around pain-free. It also helps to relax your neck muscles, reducing tension and stiffness. Most importantly, over time the irritation to the spinal nerves will be relieved allowing normal balanced function to return, even providing relief for other symptoms such as shoulder pain, headaches, ear-aches, and sinus problems.

A qualified chiropractor can do a physical and neurological exam to determine the nature of your neck pain. They may also order additional tests, such as an x-ray, CAT scan or MRI to show possible fractures, bone spurs, bulging discs or herniations. They will then consult with you on a course of treatment that, in addition to in-office treatments, may include specialized exercises you can do yourself at home.

At our clinic the chiropractors work with a variety of other forms of providers to offer comprehensive solutions to the patients neeeds. We have medical doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and nurse practitioners available to provide whatever services are best for each patient.