Is Coffee Good For You?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

The good ole cup of Joe! Some can’t do without it, some just like a cup once in a while. Is it good for you or not? Is the caffeine bad? Let’s look at what some recent research has to say.

Most people have been told, and believe, that coffee is bad for you. I’ve heard it called, “sin in a cup.” But, as with many notions derived from lack of actual research, it isn’t true. Coffee actually shows some beneficial properties. The greatest benefit comes to those in middle age and beyond.

A 10 year study showed that people who drank four cups of coffee per day had a 64% decrease in their risk of dying of any cause. Among those over 45, every two cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of dying by 30%; no such association was seen in younger adults. This study did account for variables such as gender, lifestyle, overall diet and other demographic information, such as smoking, sugar consumption and other factors. In all cases, these factors didn’t impact the lowered death risk for coffee drinkers.

Medication Abuse?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Does it seem like more people take more medication than they used to?  In this world of quick fixes and pain control at all costs, many more people are taking prescription drugs. If you are an adult and do not take a regular prescription, you are now in the minority in America. It is not your imagination that more drugs are given than they have been in the past.

Between 1997 and 2016 the total number of prescriptions filled in the United States increased by 85%, yet the population only increased by 21%. A study recently found that about 8% of all prescriptions, or about $200 billion per year, are improper and/or unnecessary. 75% of doctor visits end in a prescription being given! 75% of Americans take at least one prescription regularly.

I'll sleep when I'm dead!

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

Have you ever heard that from a busy person? Research shows their wish may come true faster than they expect. Research also shows that while they are still alive, they will probably weigh more than those who get enough sleep.

Nearly 71% of US adults over 20 years old are overweight or obese. While exercise and diet are the leading players in this epidemic, one overlooked factor is sleep. With very little effort, by increasing the time you sleep, you can help control your weight.

Researchers in the UK have linked lack of sleep to increased BMI and waist circumference.

Sauna's for Health? Part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In the last article we examined many benefits of using a hot sauna for cardiovascular health, improving exercise stamina, pain relief and longevity. The most researched effect is detoxification of heavy metals, urea and environmental chemicals.

But, saunas do more than detoxify, they also have a huge effect on cellular mitochondria. These are the power plants found in every cell. They make ATP (energy) for the cells to do their jobs. ATP is necessary for every muscle contraction and relaxation, every biochemical process, all cellular regeneration and much more. They act as coordinators for programmed cell death, helping rid your body of damaged cells that can, at worst, turn to cancer.

Sauna's for Health? Part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

When was the last time you got into a hot sauna?  Probably on your last vacation right?  And why did you use it?  Just to relax more than likely!  Did you know there are excellent health benefits of regular hot sauna use?

You’ve likely heard of a Finnish sauna.  That’s because the Finns have been using saunas for over 2000 years. A full 99% of Fins take at least one sauna per week! Here in the USA we mainly see them as a luxury for use at the gym or on vacation. But many in Finland have them right in their homes and businesses.

Can a Chiropractor Help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Do you or someone you know have hand pain, numbness or tingling? Have you been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)? Do you think surgery is the only answer? I’m writing to give you a different perspective on this pervasive problem.

First we will start with some statistics on the second most common musculoskeletal surgery (back surgery is number one). There are more than 250,000 carpal tunnel surgeries performed every year in the United States, and growing. More than 8 million people are affected, and employers spend over $7.4 billion in workers comp costs yearly. Only 23% of all CTS surgery patients were able to return to their previous profession following surgery!

Artificial Sweeteners Good For You? Part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In this article on sweeteners, I will present a few acceptable alternatives to the chemical slurries commonly used. There are six sweeteners to consider: stevia, stevia based alternative, xylitol, dextrose or pure glucose, and lastly, sugar and honey in moderation.

We’ll start with my favorite of the bunch, stevia. Stevia belongs in the herb and shrub genus in the sunflower family. It comes from the Central and South Americas. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, no fat, carbs or sugars. It has a negligible effect on blood glucose, so diabetics and low carb dieters can use it without worry.

Artificial Sweeteners Good For You? Part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

How many of you think you are doing yourself a favor by reducing calorie intake with artificial, no calorie sweeteners? You know the pink, blue, yellow, and now green packets. Advertisers entice people to use artificial sweeteners as a means to lose weight. Did you know it doesn’t really help at all? Would you believe it actually makes you fatter? Studies show that artificial sweeteners have adverse consequences, including tricking the body into desiring MORE calories. Plus, the long list of side effects connected to them just doesn’t make sense for your health. This week, we’ll look at the ones you should avoid, and in the next article we will cover what you can safely use as alternate sweeteners.

First, to prove my point above, a study by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, presented this report at an American Diabetes Association meeting. Diet sodas are not a “guilt free” treat at all. After following 474 diet soda drinkers for 10 years, they found that their waists grew 70% more than those who drank non-diet sodas. For those who drank 2 or more diet sodas a day, their waists increased, on average, over 500%. Waist size indicates the amount of fat at your organs, which is strongly linked to type II diabetes.

Laser Therapy Helps Pain!

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Have you heard about the latest advance in pain relief?  It is called Class IV high power cold laser therapy.  Let’s take a look at the history of light therapy, what laser therapy is, what physiologic changes occur, what conditions benefit from its use and its safety and effectiveness.

Laser is an acronym.  It stands for Light Amplified by Stimulated Light Emission of Radiation.  It was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1916, invented by Theodore Maiman in 1960.  In 1967 Endre Mester discovered the bio stimulatory properties of laser light.

Who Uses Chiropractic?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

For several years now the chiropractic college I graduated from has done a Gallup Survey of Americans.  This survey is intended to reveal American adults’ experiences with pain and their perceptions/opinions of pharmaceutical treatment versus conservative treatment of their pain.

                This year the survey findings reveal the severity of the epidemic of pain in Americans, particularly the neck and low back, and the opportunity chiropractors have to offer a clear alternative to the opioids and pain pills.

                This survey was conducted in February and March of 2017 and surveyed some 6,305 U.S. adults age 18 and older.  There are four major takeaways found:

Do Prescriptions Really Expire?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Have you ever wondered if that old prescription sitting in your refrigerator is still any good?  You see the expiration date is well past, but it was expensive and you may need it again, right?

If the expiration date has come and gone, is it safe to keep? And for how long? Will it hurt you if you take it “out of date?”

Let’s start with how medication expiration dates came about. There were no expiration dates on medications until 1979. The FDA started requiring dates to “ensure effectiveness.” The generally accepted minimum standard for potency is a concentration of 90% or better.

The term “expiration date” is a real misnomer. The drug companies actually decide the date a drug “expires.” And by “expires”, they mean the date at which they will no longer guarantee its’ effectiveness. They test the drugs initially on one batch of drugs using humidity, temperature, photolysis and oxidation as stressors on the drug. The FDA reviews the data and sets the date. However, the drug makers do not have to do any further testing to establish if the drugs are useable past the date they set.

Dangers of Vaping

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

We’ve all been exposed to the e-cigarette wave sweeping the country over the last half decade. E-cigs now have a larger population using them than smokeless tobacco as of 2015.

Smokeless tobacco has been around for hundreds of years, yet only about 3.5% of Americans use it. 

E-cigs have been around about 10+ years and already about 10% of US adults and 13% of high school students use it. A National Institute of Drug Abuse survey found that 9% of 8^th graders, 16% of 10^th graders and 17% of seniors had used e-cigs in the last month.

Salt and High Blood Pressure, part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Following up on the last article on blood pressure and a low sodium diet, we will look at what types of salt you should be eating, how much you can take in and other ways of reducing blood pressure.

There are several types of salt we could use, but only a few should be consumed. Always avoid processed white salt, it is the worst one to eat because it has no balance of other necessary minerals such a magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iodine.

Salt and High Blood Pressure, part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Is salt really bad for your blood pressure? There is a new book by Dr. James DiNicolantonio called, “The Salt Fix: Why the Experts got it All Wrong – And How Eating More Might Save Your Life.”

He found that patients who were on a low salt diet were having many new symptoms like muscle fatigue, cramps, spasms and heart palpitations. They were ordered not to add salt to food because they have high blood pressure, yet were having all these new symptoms…those of salt deficiency.

Historically, salt has been widely used the world over. It was the primary way to preserve food prior to refrigeration. The rampant increase in high blood pressure didn’t start until the early 1900’s. The rise in hypertension, obesity and diabetes parallels a reduction in salt intake. Salt intake has significantly decreased since the 1930’s, yet all these chronic diseases have gone up.

Why Choose Maintenance Chiropractic Care?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

When I sit down with a new patient for the first time, one of the questions I ask is if they have ever been to a chiropractor before. I’d guess about half of them have not. My next question is usually, “Why not?” The most common answer is, “I’ve never needed one before.” For me, that translates into, “The pain I’ve been having off and on for years won’t go away this time!”

Needing a chiropractor should be on 100% of everyone’s list of necessary doctors. Not just for getting rid of pains but for maintenance of joint function to prevent future problems. Do you not change the oil in your car? Rotate the tires? Wash it once in a while? Why do you do this? It’s called preventive maintenance, right? Spend a little bit of time and money now to protect your huge investment for years to come. Isn’t your health worthy of investment? How can you eat right, exercise, avoid bad health habits, yet not consider maintaining the vital function of the spine and nervous system?

Vitamin K2: Essential Nutrient for Health

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Over the last few years I’ve written many articles on the importance of vitamin D. It is absolutely essential to have optimum vitamin D levels.

But, lately I have been reading about another vitamin that seems to be on par with vitamin D in necessity for preventing disease. Traditional medicine seems completely uninterested in actually preventing disease from occurring. They are solely focused on testing, procedures and prescribing drugs for existing disease. They want a diagnosis instead of taking care of people who may not have a disease, yet are not healthy and well.

This week we will focus on vitamin K2 and its two main functions of cardiovascular health and bone restoration. Many times when vitamin K is mentioned it is part of a conversation about blood thinning medication. There are two types of vitamin K, they are K1 and K2.

Chiropractic and Foot Wellness

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

When people think of chiropractic care, they would say we work with the spine, understandably. Chiropractors have an extraordinary amount of research proving our conservative approach to spinal problems are effective, safe, and cost a lot less than medical treatment.

Most people can tell you the major conditions we are known to treat: headaches, neck pain, and low back pain. Treatments for herniated discs, arm pain, sciatic pain, and rib/thoracic pain are just a few of the less well known conditions we treat effectively every day. We have very effective treatment for the symptoms of headache, neck pain, and dizziness associated with post-concussion neck and head trauma.

But, have you ever heard that chiropractors can treat almost any joint in the body? Shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and toes can all become malpositioned and need adjusted. I’m going to focus on the foot and ankle in this article.

Flupocalypse Part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Following up on the last article about the flu vaccine, we are going to analyze a brand new study which concludes that those who get a flu shot are actually the people spreading the flu the most.

This bombshell article was published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study is titled “Infectious virus in exhaled breath of symptomatic seasonal influenza cases from a college community.” It was peer reviewed and approved for publication on December 15, 2017.

Flupocalypse Part 1

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

In the last article we considered the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine. In this year of media dubbed “Flupocalypse”, the hysteria is again simply mindless propaganda. It is predictable.

The headlines tell us hospitals are a “war zone”, a “crisis” is here, and there is “fear” in the air. These words aren’t used without purpose, they are meant to scare the masses enough to accept and seek out treatment that is totally unproven and, in reality, is proven not to be effective.

Flu Review

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know a frequent topic is vaccinations of any kind, but especially the treatment for influenza, aka the flu.

Unfortunately, many people actually believe recommendations from our governments Center for Disease Control (CDC).  They supposedly help people make important health decisions. For many years they have advocated that virtually every man, women and child be vaccinated yearly for the flu.

As recently as last year the CDC recommended that “either vaccine is appropriate (the shot or the nasal spray) for people age 2 through 49.” But, in a complete reversal of itself from last year, the CDC advisory committee now says that the nasal spray vaccine, known as FluMist, NOT be used. How can it be that one year it works and the next year doesn’t?

Charcoal for Health

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

We are going to cover charcoal in this article. Charcoal is used as a heat source for grilling foods and used in creating metals. But that isn’t the kind I’m writing about. Did you know charcoal can have medicinal value? Egyptian records from 1500 BC show they used activated charcoal to absorb odors from infected wounds.

There is a difference between charcoal for grills, and activated charcoal for medicine. Activated charcoal is still the same burned wood, coconut shell or peat, but it has also been treated with oxygen. The medicinal charcoal is very porous and nonpolar, allowing it to bind toxins and odors from gasses or liquids that are 1000 times its weight. It is tasteless and odorless, yet still very black.

Is a Multivitamin Right for You?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Here we are at the start of a new year already. The New Year’s resolutions will be made….again. 

Getting healthier is one of the top goals for many people. Some say they will eat better, exercise more or quit eating certain foods. Many people add vitamin supplements to their diet as a part of improving health.

When looking for supplements, people want an easy and cheap way to help themselves get better nutrition. Unfortunately, neither of those can be priorities when selecting supplements.