Students and adults in the workforce alike with attention deficit disorder have trouble staying on task.  Focus is often disrupted by anything from someone clearing their throat to the person walking into the room late.  Along comes an interesting device by Lifescribe, the Echo Smart Pen (see the video below).

The Echo Smart pen allows audio recording while keeping track of notes that the student is taking.  It’s a great way to review materials after a lecture or that important board meeting.  While I wouldn’t suggest this for children in grammar school because of the price; it may be the perfect gift for more responsible high school and college kids.

I’ve used this during intense neurology lectures and found it invaluable when the instructor is moving at a quick clip through intense material.

Another neat little trick is to blend this technology with mind mapping software which allows you to solidify concepts and retain information better.  Mind mapping helps you wrap your mind around difficult concepts by placing thoughts/ideas together in groups.  Seeing how these ideas interrelate can not only help retention but also see the bigger picture.  iThoughts and Mindnode both get high ratings online.  I personally use Mindnote (free version) for the Mac.  In my opinion you don’t need to spend the extra money for the paid version.

 

That’s the title of the newspaper article I saw in my local paper this morning by Erika Wurst.  No offense to those who use these rocker bottomed shoes but I feel vindicated!

Why?  Because this idea of a shoe that could give you an extra advantage of increased weight loss, tone thighs and the perfect butt seemed suspicious to me from the start.  There were also claims of helping abdominal strength and back pain.

Personally, I saw the exact opposite.  More back difficulties in my patients after using these shoes was more the norm.  In my opinion these shoes place more stress and strain on the lower back and pelvis area because of the abnormal gait pattern created by the rounded sole.  This additional stress didn’t translate to more weight loss but rather limited activity because of pain.  Most of my patient eventually gave these shoes up.

Apparently the Federal Trade Commission FTC agrees that the claims made by Skechers USA, Inc. were outrageous to the tune of costing the company $45 million.  Its “Shape-ups shoes didn’t live up to the weight loss or any other claims.

If you purchased these shoes you are eligible for a refund.  Feel free to make a claim by going to www.skecherssettlement.com.  No proof of purchase is required for claims under $200.

Bottom line:  Go exercise – walk, run, bike, play.  There is no magic advantage in the shape of the shoe.  Losing weight and getting healthy is simply a matter of getting out and moving your body on a regular basis.

This is a specific type of magnesium that crosses the blood brain barrier and increases the density of nerves responsible for memory processing.  Magnesium is an important component of how we lay down and recall memories.  It is our chemical filing system that locks in those important thoughts for later recall.

Low magnesium levels in the brain can negatively affect energy production in nerve cells as well.  Proper nerve function, energy production and stability of the areas like the hippocampus and dentate nucleus are vital for long-term healthy cognitive and memory function.

We now carry Magnesium-l-threonate in combination with other memory promoting antioxidant cofactors as part of our specially compounded supplement stock.

Ask us about how you can significantly improve your memory and cognitive function in as little as two weeks.

Additional things you can do to eat your way to a better memory:

One cup of blueberries a day can protect your brain and memory!  Studies show blueberries can minimize the natural aging process in the brain.  Why not try a cup of naturally sweet frozen blueberries with a cup of coconut milk for a cold summer snack?

Green tea has acts like an immune jump start and has anti-inflammatory actions to protect the brain and other tissues.  1-2 cups/day is the optimal level.  Enjoy!

Try coconut oil for instant brain energy!  1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil/day provides your body with MCT (medium chain triglycerides).  Although MCT are oils they are processed quickly into energy without altering blood sugar levels.  Instant brain food!

I found this article published by a chiropractic neurologist and thought it was worth publishing here.  It explains why we use EWOT (exercise with oxygen therapy) in our practice as part of a pain relief and nerve healing protocols.

Potential Role of Oxygen Therapy in Comprehensive Pain Management

George W Kukurin DC DACAN, Chiropractic Neurologist

Introduction:  Supplemental oxygen  is an integral part of medical therapy.  Although it is associated most commonly with diseases of the respiratory and or cardiovascular systems, there is emerging evidence that oxygen may also play  an important role in the management of chronic painful syndromes.   For the purposes of pain control, oxygen therapy can be divided into hyperbaric and normobaric techniques.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy consists of providing 100% oxygen under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure [1]:  “hyper” greater than or more than and “baric” of or pertaining to weight, especially that of the atmosphere.  Thus the term hype-baric oxygen therapy.  In contrast to providing oxygen at levels above atmospheric pressure,  Normobaric oxygen therapy entails providing oxygen at pressures  approximately equivalent to atmospheric pressure. [2]  Normobaric oxygen therapy can further be administered with exercise, this is known as exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT). [3]

Various types of oxygen therapy have been reported to reduce pain in patients suffering from acute and chronic pain syndromes, [4] migraine and cluster headaches, [2, 5] fibromyalgia, [6] femoral head necrosis [7],  complex regional pain syndrome, [8] failed back surgery syndrome [9]  and other painful conditions. Despite the widespread reports in the scientific literature of the effectiveness of oxygen therapy for pain relief, the exact mechanisms of this oxygen-induced pain suppression is not fully understood. However, basic science studies strongly suggest that oxygen therapy suppresses pain, [10-17]

This pain relieving property of oxygen therapy is likely explained by the modulation of a chemical called nitric oxide in the brain and other neural tissues.   [10, 15, 17]  Furthermore, oxygen therapy in addition to relieving various painful symptoms may also promote  tissue healing [18] and even nerve repair and  regeneration of nerves. [14, 16, 18]

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy requires that the patient be placed in a chamber and treated for 60 minutes or more. [10]  Costs and the lack of availability of oxygen chambers limit the practicality of the widespread use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in common painful syndromes.  Unlike hyperbaric oxygen therapy, normobaric or EWOT oxygen techniques require less oxygen, no oxygen chamber  and last only from 15-30 minutes .[3]  These qualities of normobaric and EWOT oxygen induced pain relief are much more practical and affordable.

Summary:  Oxygen therapy appears to be a promising approach to treating both acute and chronic painful syndromes. Research suggests that the pain suppressing properties of oxygen therapy are mediated through nitric oxide modulation in the brain and or spinal cord.  Fifteen to thirty minutes of oxygen combined with exercise appears to be an effective oxygen therapy protocol.  Oxygen therapy may also have the added benefit of promoting wound healing and nerve regenerations and repair.

References

1.             Zoranovic, U., et al., [Comparative analysis of lower extremities tissue perfusion by the use of perfusion scintigraphy method after hyperbaric oxygenation and lumbar sympathectomy]. Vojnosanit Pregl, 2009. 66(7): p. 563-9.

2.             Schnabel, A., et al., [Hyper- or normobaric oxygen therapy to treat migraine and cluster headache pain. Cochrane review]. Schmerz, 2008. 22(2): p. 129-32, 134-6.

3.             von Ardenne, M., Oxygen Multistep Therapy: Physiological and Technical Foundations. 1990: George Thieme Verlag. 402.

4.             Yildiz, S., G. Uzun, and M.Z. Kiralp, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in chronic pain management. Curr Pain Headache Rep, 2006. 10(2): p. 95-100.

5.             New therapies may ease headache symptoms. A two-drug combo and two kinds of oxygen therapy show promise for relieving migraine and cluster headache pain. Duke Med Health News, 2008. 14(10): p. 7-8.

6.             Yildiz, S., et al., A new treatment modality for fibromyalgia syndrome: hyperbaric oxygen therapy. J Int Med Res, 2004. 32(3): p. 263-7.

7.             Bennett, M., Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improved both pain scores and range of motion in patients with early idiopathic femoral head necrosis (Ficat stage II). Diving Hyperb Med. 41(2): p. 105.

8.             Kiralp, M.Z., et al., Effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome. J Int Med Res, 2004. 32(3): p. 258-62.

9.             Byval’tsev, V.A., et al., [Amplification of therapeutic effect after inclusion of hyperbaric oxygenation into complex conservative management of patients with recurrent pain syndrome following microdiskectomy]. Zh Vopr Neirokhir Im N N Burdenko, 2008(4): p. 30-5; discussion 35-6.

10.           Zelinski, L.M., et al., A prolonged nitric oxide-dependent, opioid-mediated antinociceptive effect of hyperbaric oxygen in mice. J Pain, 2009. 10(2): p. 167-72.

11.           Ohgami, Y., et al., Nitric oxide in hyperbaric oxygen-induced acute antinociception in mice. Neuroreport, 2009. 20(15): p. 1325-9.

12.           Wilson, H.D., et al., Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is comparable to acetylsalicylic acid treatment in an animal model of arthritis. J Pain, 2007. 8(12): p. 924-30.

13.           Wilson, H.D., J.R. Wilson, and P.N. Fuchs, Hyperbaric oxygen treatment decreases inflammation and mechanical hypersensitivity in an animal model of inflammatory pain. Brain Res, 2006. 1098(1): p. 126-8.

14.           Thompson, C.D., et al., Hyperbaric oxygen treatment decreases pain in two nerve injury models. Neurosci Res. 66(3): p. 279-83.

15.           Quock, L.P., et al., The acute antinociceptive effect of HBO is mediated by a NO-cyclic GMP-PKG-KATP channel pathway in mice. Brain Res. 1368: p. 102-7.

16.           Li, F., et al., Hyperbaric oxygenation therapy alleviates chronic constrictive injury-induced neuropathic pain and reduces tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. Anesth Analg. 113(3): p. 626-33.

17.           Chung, E., et al., Hyperbaric oxygen treatment induces a 2-phase antinociceptive response of unusually long duration in mice. J Pain. 11(9): p. 847-53.

18.           Kuffler, D.P., The role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in enhancing the rate of wound healing with a focus on axon regeneration. P R Health Sci J. 30(1): p. 35-42.