Health and Wellness 2009

With New Year's Eve behind us and another holiday season of eating, drinking and being merry deposited to our waist lines; we can all begin the annual tradition of making New Year's resolutions and promises to live a happier and healthier 2009. Of course if this year is like any of the New Years past, most of us will procrastinate and make excuses and resolve to "start the diet on Monday!" The second Monday of 2009 has just passed us by, how many have taken that first step to a healthier and happier lifestyle?

WebMD listed their Health Predictions for 2009; one prediction of note is a trend toward "Positive Eating":

Dieting: Goodbye Fad Diets, Hello 'Positive Eating' in 2009?

"The desire for fast, easy weight loss will always be a lure [but] with all the economy changes there is a growing trend to value -- and that value in the food arena is the aspect of how to get more from my food choices," says Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, LD, FADA, the director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis and a past president of the American Dietetic Association.

"I do believe the nutrient-rich or positive diet message is growing," she says. Positive eating refers to adding vegetables, nuts, berries and other healthy foods to your diet as opposed to cutting carbs or taking other draconian measures to lose weight.

In 2009, consumers will also be choosing more locally-grown foods, she predicts. "Feeling in control of our world is leading people to choose more local foods."

"While we have a long way to go it seems more restaurants are looking at portions," Diekman says. Now public health advocates and dietitians can aim their bow and arrow at sodium. "Sodium is the next big nutrient focus. Consumers don't know how much they need, but they are interested in knowing how much is in what they eat."

There's more: expect to see more tasty foods for those with food allergies on store shelves in 2009. "More and more manufacturers are figuring out how to keep taste and drop the allergen," she says

"Positive Eating" is an exciting approach to traditional "dieting" because you are in fact not dieting at all! You are merely choosing nutrient dense options to implement a balanced whole food menu and avoid the temptation of severe calorie restriction, fad/crash dieting and trendy weight loss pills/supplements.

Who new that a global recession was going to be the cure for our obesity epidemic! All joking aside, if 2009 it the year many Americans turn their dieting resolutions into long term "positive eating" lifestyle changes, then our country will have taken a giant first step toward a happier, healthier lifestyle for 2009 and beyond.

When is an MRI indicated for patient's with low back pain?

Many of our low back pain patients will request that we order an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). We often spend a bit of time explaining why an MRI is not necessarily necessary to treat a low back condition. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend this advanced (and expensive; over $1000.00) imaging in the following instances:

1. When there is a reasonable risk for cancer or infection
2. When a patient is developing progressive neurological impairment (loss of strength, loss of sensation or pain along the course of a nerve)
3. When we are considering "needles or knives". That is, when we are considering referring a patient for a spinal injection or surgery.

The following are not necessarily an indication for an MRI:

1. Chronic low back pain
2. Sciatic pain that is (a) not worsening, or (b) is getting better