There are many ways to detect cancer in the breast. One option that is gaining popularity is thermography.

Thermography is a process of photographing the heat, in the form of infrared radiation, produced by the body's surface. The most common use of thermography is for breast health screening but it is also a tool for assessing physiological changes associated with fibrocystic breast disease, mastitis, mammary dysplasia, and even cancer (or cancer risk). Cancer tissue is more metabolically active and can be seen in its early stages – up to 10 years before a tumor is visible on a mammogram. Because of this early detection of changes, thermography is an excellent tool for assessing overall breast health.
* Thermography is entirely safe since the camera is only receiving information from your body.
* Thermography does not involve the painful compression of breast tissue that may increase chances of cancer spreading.
* Thermography does not emit anything while a mammogram uses radiation to detect the internal anatomical structure of the breast. However, there is concern that low doses of this can cause breast cancer, which they are trying to prevent.
* Thermography causes no trauma to tissue. There is concern that the trauma from tissue compression can cause the spread of cancer cells.
* Thermography takes an image of the heat from the entire breast area. The majority of breast cancers are found in the upper outer quadrant of the breast. This area of the breast is often not scanned by mammography.
The purpose of our office is to help as many people as possible in their quest for natural health. If you or anyone you know is interested in information on where in the Des Moines area you can have a thermographic scan done, let us know at your next visit.

Who likes coffee??? I like coffee! Who likes to be healthy??? I love to be healthy! How can we combine the two? Ganoderma coffee! Come to our Ganoderma class on Thursday, October 16th, and learn all about it. We will be talking about the fantastic healing mushroom Ganoderma. It has been used in Chinese herbal supplements for thousands of years because it does so many AMAZING things for your health. The class is here at the office at 7pm. Space is limited and we are providing dinner so let Wendy know many you will bring with you.

Just getting started with a new exercise routine? Do you feel stiff and sore after your workout? Are injures holding you back? Join us for our doctor supervised workout class! Saturday, October 18th, at 10 am at Fitness World Ankeny. This gym is located directly behind our office. Dr. Moss will be showing you the proper ways to work out in order to rehabilitate and/or prevent injury to yourself. Class space is limited, make sure you sign up today! You can come by yourself or bring your work out partner. To register, call 964-9114 or talk to Wendy the next time you are in the office.

"He who fears something gives it power over him." - Moorish Proverb

MRI Offers No Medical Benefit For Most Breast Cancer Detection And Treatment
Volume 15 - Issue 95

For the past 5 or 6 years, Magnetic Image Resonance(MRI) testing for breast cancer has cost the American health care system billions of dollars. And while the proponents of expensive MRI testing–which costs roughly 10 times as much as mammography – claimed that MRIs were more effective at detecting breast cancer and helping guide surgery, a new study in the medical journal The Lancet reports that the opposite appears to be more the case. A team from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NewYork, reviewed research from the past decade to examine the belief that breast MRIs are effective at finding and treating breast cancer.

They found little to no evidence that breast MRIs benefit the vast majority of women, and even less evidence that breast MRIs are effective at helping direct breast-conserving surgery. Back in 2007, when the first big push for breast cancer MRI began, the New York Times reported on the known drawbacks of MRI. It was so sensitive, the newspaper said – so much more than mammography–that it complicated the resulting images with“all sorts of suspicious growths in the breast, leading to many repeat scans and biopsies for things that turn out to be benign.” The NY Times article went on to say that for “women who are likely to have hidden tumors,the prospect of such false-positive findings maybe acceptable. But the risk of needless biopsies and additional scans is not considered reasonable for women with just an average risk of breast cancer, and is the main reason MRI is not recommended for them.” And yet, in spite of this and many warnings from other quarters, including experienced radiologists, the practice took off like a rocket. Everyone wanted in on the latest high-tech idea. The main beneficiaries were the hardware manufacturers, the hospitals and imaging centers, countless radiologists and prescribing physicians, and tens of thousands of technical support staff. For most of the women patients – not so much.

The researchers also noted that while a breast MRI might identify tumors missed by mammograms and ultrasound in those women at greater risk of breast cancer, “little is known about whether or not this improved detection has any impacton survival.” Although MRIs have no known side effects in themselves, the same cannot be said of the contrasting agent Gadolinium. Gadolinium can produce pain or aburning sensation around the area where it was administered, as well as light headedness, headache, nausea and low blood pressure.

Some people are also allergic to it; the irreaction is much more severe. The worst effect of Gadolinium is on those with kidney problems. They can develop a illness called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis(NSF). NSF is a rare, but painful and serious condition that causes scarring of the connective tissue in the eyes, internal organs, joints and skin. Eliminating needless MRIs would not only lower the cost of healthcare, it would also limit exposure to Gadolinium.

Chiropractic is an approach to health care that uses spinal adjustments to relieve pain.

It is sometimes used for headaches or for pain in the arms and legs, but most often for back or neck pain. Chiropractors take a natural approach to promoting health through lifestyle changes, nutrition, and exercise. Many chiropractors have extra training in physical rehabilitation and specific exercise therapy. Some also use nutritional analysis, herbal therapy, and acupuncture.

The goal of chiropractic treatment is to increase movement in the joints and relax the muscles which allows the body to function and heal from the inside out. Dr. Moss uses many tools to assess what patients need through clinical examination, diagnostic testing, and laboratory testing to determine when chiropractic treatment is appropriate or when it is not appropriate. The purpose of our office is to help as many people as possible in their quest for natural health. If you know someone who needs our help, please talk with a staff member at your first opportunity.

Throughout the month of September, we are celebrating CHIROPRACTIC'S 119th BIRTHDAY!!! Beginning September 1st and continuing through the end of the month, all of our patients are eligible to earn entry tickets for a chance to win awesome prizes, with the grand prize being A LAPTOP! You can earn tickets by doing things like, coming to your appointment, purchasing your supplements, referring a new patient, and many more. The celebration is going out with a bang with a party on Tuesday, September 30th, from 3-6:30 pm. We will draw names at 6:30 for the winners. You do not have to be present to win, but it's more fun to be there when you win!

"Look well to the spine for the cause of disease." - Hippocrates

TWO STUDIES FURTHER VALIDATE SAFETY AND VALUE OF CERVICAL ADJUSTMENTS
Volume 11 - Issue 123

Two recently completed surveys bring more good news for the Chiropractic community. One had to do with the overall safety of Chiropractic adjustments to the neck region. The second showed the very positive effects of cervical adjustments in reducing high blood pressure. The results of both studies were published in October 2007.

The first study took place in England with results reported in the scientific medical journal Spine. This national survey took a look at the outcomes of 19,722 Chiropractic patients who had received some form of neck adjustment. The researchers reviewed a total of 50,276 neck adjustments to see if there were any serious side effects from Chiropractic care. They defined serious effects to be those that resulted in the need to be referred to a hospital, or any that caused a worsening of symptoms immediately after treatment, or any that resulted in persistent or significant disability or incapacity.

The researchers arrived at very positive results. “There were no reports of serious adverse events,” they said. Overall, they found cervical neck adjustments to be a safe procedure in the UK when administered by trained and registered Chiropractors.

In the U.S., a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research showed that Chiropractic adjustments had a profound effect on reducing Stage 1 hyper- tension. (Stage 1 is the first level of elevated blood pressure that causes health concerns.) The goal of the research was to determine if non-surgical procedures to properly align the Atlas (top) vertebra in the neck produced changes in blood pressure and heart rate.

This study compared two groups of subjects who had a history of Stage 1 hypertension with no apparent cause or disease creating this condition. One group of patients received Chiropractic adjustment and the other received “sham intervention” similar to an authentic procedure.

Both groups were examined before and after the procedures, with blood pressure read showed that both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were significantly reduced for the group who received an actual adjustment to their Atlas vertebra. “This pilot study shows that correction of misalignment of the Atlas vertebra lowers and sustains reductions in blood pressure for at least 8 weeks in people with Stage 1 hypertension.”

Across the United States, the flu (influenza) season starts around the end of September.

With cold weather soon knocking on doors, many are concerned about falling victim to colds and flu. Flu vaccine, the most effective way to prevent the flu according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, remains a controversial subject for many reasons. First, most flu vaccines still contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. Second, because of the unpredictability of upcoming flu strains, the available vaccine often doesn’t match the strain of flu that hits the population. Third and most importantly, even if the vaccine correctly matches the circulating flu strain, its effectiveness is not that high.

A recent systematic review has assessed the efficacy and effectiveness of the flu vaccine in the U.S. elderly and found that, “The overall effectiveness of vaccines against influenza-like illness was 23 percent when vaccine matching was good, and not significantly different from no vaccination when matching was poor or unknown.” With flu vaccine effectiveness unclear, many are looking into natural ammunition against winter viruses. There is significant research on the connection between the nervous system and the immune system, specifically through the adrenal glands, the hormones, and chemicals that relay messages from the nervous system to the cells of the immune system.

Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxations, thereby assisting proper communication in the nervous system. By improving your brain and body connection, you are giving your body the best advantage against a cold or flu virus. So the next time you are feeling not so good make an appointment with Wendy so you can get adjusted and to help your immune system kick out the crud!

Our next home healthcare class will be held on Tuesday, September 9th, at 6:30pm. We will be talking about trigger points and how they affect your life, reduce your stress, and how to treat them at home and work with a little help from a friend and family member. We know that many people are interested in joining the class, and seats are limited. Let us know as soon as possible that you will be attending and how many you will be bring with you. It is here at the office and we will be providing dinner so that you have one less thing to worry about. We will save you a seat!

Do you like coffee, hot chocolate or tea? Would you like to know more about Ganoderma mushroom and what it can do for you and your family? We have the perfect informative class for you! On August 7th and the 21st we will be talking about Organo Gold, sampling the products and talking about the benefits of this fantastic product. We will be providing dinner for you and seating is limited. If you are interested in joining us please let us know at your next visit or give Wendy a call.

Do you remember what September is? CHIROPRACTIC 119 BIRTHDAY MONTH!! We will be celebrating all month so watch for details. There will be prizes you can enter to win - even a laptop computer! With a party at the end of the month, who wouldn't be excited?! Watch for more details!

“Health is not valued till sickness comes.” - Thomas Fuller

GET A JUMP ON COLD, FLU SEASONS WITH IMMUNE SYSTEM ENHANCING ADJUSTMENTS
Volume 11 - Issue 136

One of the many benefits of Chiropractic care is that it can provide excellent benefits toward fighting against and warding off the flu. Spinal adjustments provided by chiropractors have an excellent track record in increasing the immune function of the body and helping it to stay healthy – especially during cold and flu season. The reason for this success is because Chiropractic works to increase the function of the immune system. It does so by correcting spinal abnormalities known as subluxations (minor dislocations of the vertebra). These subluxations are known to cause interference with the proper function of the nervous system by placing undue pressure on the nerves themselves.

As the nervous system controls all bodily functions, including those of the immune system, Chiropractic adjustments go a long way toward contributing to overall health and wellness. The interaction between the nervous and immune systems has been shown to be positively affected by Chiropractic adjustment. “Through research, we know that Chiropractic has beneficial effects on immunoglobulins (a naturally occurring antibody), Blymphocytes (these are the white blood cells), pulmonary (of the lungs) function and other immune system processes,” said Dr. Matthew McCoy, who serves as the editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. One such study tested the response of white blood cells as important infection fighters.

When Chiropractic manipulation was applied to the middle of the back, it was found that white blood cells were present in significantly higher number than prior to the adjustment. What this study demonstrated was that the adjustment provided an “enhanced respiratory burst” that helped immune cells to destroy invading viruses and bacteria. In so doing, they provided greater resistance toward the invasion of the flu virus. Another large study examined the overall improvement of people who had experienced Chiropractic care. A wide variety of benefits ensued, showing between 7 and 28 percent improvements to people suffering from spinal discomfort, fatigue, incidence of colds and flu, headaches, allergies and physical pains.

Specifically of interest to cold and flu sufferers is that a 15% reduction in colds and flu was achieved by this group of 2,818 individuals who received regular Chiropractic care. In addition to providing needed adjustments, chiropractors are concerned with the total well-being of the individual and educate their patients toward positive health and lifestyle practices. Getting ample rest, drinking adequate water, exercising regularly, choosing a proper diet and correctly using multivitamins and minerals are essential to staying resistant to colds and flu.