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3 Steps to Improve Brain Fog

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Doctors across the globe are seeing a noticeable uptick of patients concerned with memory problems, forgetfulness, and brain fog since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. If you are experiencing more frequent slips in memory, if you are more easily distracted, making more frequent mistakes at work, or feel like you are walking around with your head in a cloud, you’re certainly not alone.

For many people experiencing brain fog for the first time right now, the overload of pandemic-related stress and trauma from a very difficult year is more than likely to blame. Chronic stress and chronically disturbed sleep alone can cause inflammation in the brain which, over time, can damage neurons and affect cognitive functioning and memory.

But there is good news! Our brains are resilient, and when given the opportunity, the degenerative effects of chronic inflammation can be reduced – or even reversed – with certain lifestyle changes. There is light at the end of the tunnel, so, while we emerge from this pandemic let’s consider just a few basic strategies that will help improve your symptoms today.

3 ways to improve symptoms:

1) Get regular aerobic exercise:

Simply put, aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps your brain create new neurons and improve neural connections. A study by the University of Maryland School of Public Health, published in July 2013, showed that people who increased their heart rate with daily moderate exercise “improved their memory performance and showed enhanced neural efficiency while engaged in memory retrieval tasks.”

Regular exercise also down-regulates microglia in the brain. Try to incorporate just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical exercise – such as walking – for a significant impact on your brain health.

2) Eat smarter:

Not surprisingly, nutrition also plays an important role in brain health and there is an impressive amount of research confirming that essential fatty acids, like Omega-3’s, are very beneficial. If DHA levels are low (DHA is a form of Omega-3) the brain is more susceptible to degeneration. Omega-3 fatty acids also help scavenge free radicals (atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons) that attach inappropriately to tissue and damage it.

Since our bodies are unable to produce these fatty acids on their own, foods rich in Omega-3’s like salmon, shrimp, sardines, eggs, walnuts, and almonds, should make a regular appearance on our plates.

Fruits and vegetables, high in a type of antioxidant called flavonoid, also play a major role in brain health. Foods rich in flavonoids offer a number of neuroprotective properties, and can decrease rates of cognitive decline and potentially slow the progression of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Foods rich in flavonoids include tea (black, green, oolong), bananas, blueberries, and other colorful berries, onions, apples, citrus, Ginkgo biloba, parsley, red wine, and chocolate!

3) Don’t take your sleep for granted

Sleep deprivation, sleeping less than the amount of time your body needs for growth and repair, is the most common sleep disorder. Adults should have between seven and eight hours a night of restful sleep, yet CDC statistics show that as many as 35% of American adults are not sleeping enough, and this figure is likely to have increased since then.

During sleep, the body repairs itself by calming inflammation and maintaining hormone production. When these two processes – both important elements in brain health – are compromised it can negatively impact your memory, decision-making, the capacity to focus one’s attention, and the ability to complete complex creative activities, among other things.

Breathing techniques, meditation, and establishing a bedtime routine are 3 great ways to help you settle down and improve the length and quality of your sleep.

Moving Forward with Back Pain

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Has living with chronic low back pain affected your productivity, mobility, and overall ability to enjoy life?

In the United States, it’s estimated that nearly 16 million adults experience chronic back pain, making it one of the most costly health expenses annually and one of the most common complaints heard in doctors’ offices. Causes can include injury, disease (i.e. arthritis, cancer), obesity, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, even infection.

Patients with acute and sub-acute cases (pain that goes away within 3 months) may find that their pain improves over time without treatment of any kind. But not everyone has the ability to simply wait it out. In these cases, and when the pain becomes chronic, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends that non-invasive and non-drug therapies like exercise, acupuncture, massage, yoga, and other mind-body therapies should be the first line of treatment over surgery and narcotics, and we agree!

Remember, chronic pain, including low back pain, is a symptom of inflammation. Without targeting the root cause of the inflammation and treating it, your pain symptoms will not improve. Mind-body therapies help calm the inflammatory process in the body, promote healing, and present little to no risk to the patient.

Here are 3 common misconceptions about treating back pain that can contribute to a slower recovery.

Myth 1: Exercise makes back pain even worse

Putting the brakes on exercise may seem like a good idea when you’re feeling pain symptoms, but research shows that the opposite is true.

Strengthening and stretching exercises combined with aerobic activity will improve back pain symptoms by increasing blood flow, improving range of motion and flexibility, and strengthening core muscles.

· Physical Therapy is a great place to start if you’re concerned about further injuring or straining your back. Physical therapists have outstanding manual skills with a comprehensive understanding of body mechanics. They can work with you to decrease pain, improve movement, and provide instruction on how to continue moving safely in your everyday life.

· Going for a walk is one of the easiest ways to stay active. Try taking a short walk every day to keep your heart pumping and blood flowing.

· The poses, controlled breathing, and meditation involved in the practice of yoga can not only improve symptoms of chronic low back pain but can lower instances of depression and use of medication. As reducing back pain requires improving core strength, yoga is great for increasing core stability and strength while increasing awareness of other areas that may need stretching and strengthening.

Watch: Sun Salutations A & B with Dr. Lisa Lilienfield

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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Myth 2: NSAIDs can’t hurt

Occasional use of NSAIDs can certainly be helpful if patients have seen little improvement with non-invasive treatments. But a big misconception about these OTC (over the counter) painkillers is that they’re completely safe and harmless. Regular use of NSAIDs can lead to problems with gut ulcers, liver damage, and kidney damage.

Ironically NSAIDs can even heighten one’s sensitivity to pain. People who take them more than once a week should discuss this with their physician.

Myth 3: Mind-body therapies are unscientific

Dismissing the benefits of mind-body therapies is, at the least, misguided. There is a mountain of evidence that supports the use of alternative therapies for pain management.

· Acupuncture: This 2000-year-old practice is thought to work by blocking pain messages to the brain with competing stimuli that cause an increase of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and the secretion of neurotransmitters, which affect one’s perception of pain.

Supporting research:

Read: Relieve Your Chronic Back Pain with Acupuncture

· Massage Therapy: A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that people who were treated with massage therapy, whether relaxation massage or structural massage (deep tissue massage), for their chronic back pain, saw benefits that lasted at least 6 months.

Additional research:

· Meditation: A study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that patients who had received only a little more than 60 minutes of meditation training were able to dramatically reduce their experience of pain. Patients experienced a reduction in “pain intensity” of about 40 percent and a reduction in “pain unpleasantness” of 57 percent. According to the lead author of the study, Fadel Zeidan, “Meditation produced a greater reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain ratings by about 25 percent.”

Additional research:

Bottom line

Whether you have an acute, sub-acute, or chronic case of low back pain, the first line of treatment should be a therapy that can help calm the body’s inflammatory process naturally and safely. While there is unquestionably a time and a place for surgery or narcotics, medical evidence indicates that conservative treatment of low-back pain is often as effective.

If low back pain is interfering with your quality of life, please give us a call to learn more about how we can help with these wonderful and science-based therapies that can benefit your mind, body, and soul.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

exercise_for_immune_health

7 Minutes a Day For Better Health

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Get moving and boost your immune system!

A N.Y. Times article cited a 2020 study out of Stanford where 36 subjects with various fitness levels exercised on a treadmill for 9-10 min and using the latest techniques showed almost 10,000 molecular changes during and after exercise.

With these new techniques, called “omics”, the researchers have isolated various molecules in our bloodstream that alter our biology. Metabolomics looks at molecules like appetite hormones and enzymes produced by the microbes in the gut; genomics looks at changes in gene expression; immunomics looks at the changes in the immune system; and, proteomics and lipidomics look at changes in proteins and fats. The list goes on. The author of the study quotes there is an “ orchestrated choreography of biologic processes” demonstrated to occur.

Why is this research important?

Recently we find that we are spending more time at home. We find ourselves sitting in front of the computer more than ever. Sitting too much weakens our immune system, increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, depression and decreases bone density. We need to learn to be more creative about how we move our bodies.

We are all concerned about how robust our immune system is against potential illnesses.

One of the best immune boosters is exercise and this recent study out of Stanford, published in the journal Cell, showed even less than 10 min of exercise produces changes in thousands of molecules which affect inflammation, DNA and tissue repair, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, metabolism, immunity, and appetite.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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With less access to gyms, we need to be creative about making sure we incorporate exercise into our daily routine.

Hiking, biking, running, and many online classes including yoga are available. In addition, a total body workout is ideal to keep all of our muscles strong and stimulate bone density.

If time is short, one way is to do a 7-8 min workout using body weight and minimal props. Combining this with yoga improves bone density, strengthens our immune system, and stimulates proteins that reverse aging. So get out of your chair and move!

And there’s more to keep in mind…

  • Post-menopausal women have an increased risk of osteoporosis. Exercise is a key factor to improve bone density. Make sure you get a DEXA scan and review options for treating osteopenia and osteoporosis.
  • Evaluating gut health not only can boost your immune system but also can improve brain health. We have several tests to look at digestive health and a dietitian to help you navigate food choices.
  • Balancing your hormones (i.e. thyroid and sex hormones) can improve your metabolism. We have advanced testing to look at these hormones including cortisol to evaluate adrenal function.
  • NAD infusions can reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), improve cognition and fatigue, reduce pain, and improve sleep.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Maximizing Sleep During COVID-19

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Life’s demands before COVID-19, like keeping up with work, relationships, health, and finances, were already enough to negatively impact sleep for millions. Today, we are learning to deal with new stresses including how to live in isolation, along with the constant worry and uncertainty of the future. Despite our best efforts to remain focused on the mundane and simple pleasures of life – if for nothing else but to keep our sanity – our thoughts are diverted by fears. Getting to sleep and staying asleep seems impossible.

But preventing and recovering from the COVID-19 virus requires our immune system to be as strong as possible. Sleep is a crucial factor that cannot be overlooked.

If you are having trouble sleeping, here are some actionable steps that may help you wind down and get a good night’s rest.

1. Stick with a routine.

Although our lives turned upside down in just a matter of days, keeping a routine, particularly a nighttime routine, is important to regulate your body’s internal clock. Aim for a bedtime that will allow 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

2. Turn it off.

We all want to stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, but a continuous barrage of negative news can have a profound effect on sleep, mental health, and immune system. Avoid watching the news before turning in for the night.

3. Avoid caffeinated beverages after 3 pm.

4. Get regular physical exercise.

Regular exercise will help tire you out and reduce stress levels. If you can safely exercise outside while keeping within today’s social distancing guidelines set by the CDC, try to do so every day. If that’s not possible, look to the web for home workout appropriate to your fitness level.

5. Avoid artificial light at night.

Light from the computer screen at night may interfere with melatonin production.

6. Meditate*.

Quieting the mind with a regular meditation routine can help shed the day’s worries and fears.

7. Breathe deeply*.

Research has shown that breathing exercises can change the body’s response to stress and improve sleep quality.

8. Talk to your doctor about sleep supplements.

Sleep aids can help individuals who have difficulty falling asleep but may come with side effects. It’s also very important to note that the FDA does not regulate the supplement industry with the result that some products may have labeling inaccuracies. For these reasons, be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any type of sleep aid. Click here for a list of supplements to help regulate sleep, naturally.

9. Try herbal teas.

Herbal teas are a very gentle way to reduce stress and anxiety that also promotes sleep. They have been used across the globe for centuries, and are very accessible to all of us. Click here for a list of herbal teas recommended for sleep.

We hope the tips above will make a difference in your sleep routine. We are all going through the hardest of times, but remember, you are not alone. Most importantly, please call your healthcare provider right away if you feel overwhelmed and are in need of help.

 

*If you are a patient of The Kaplan Center, our psychotherapist, Jodi Brayton, is currently offering these services via cloud visit/telemedicine appointments. Please call today for more information: 703-532-4892.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

 

SPECIAL REPORT
Understanding Post-Covid Syndrome

Understanding Post-Covid Syndrome

The Science of Breathing (Pranayama) and Its Positive Effects on Health

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Stress is an inevitable part of life and will always be there, but the overwhelming amount of bad news is causing anxiety levels to skyrocket. How we respond to it is a key factor in maintaining good health.

In this article, I plan to explore healthy ways to live with stress, by focusing on breathing techniques called Pranayama that can help to change our negative response to stress.

What is Allostatic Load?

We have physiological responses to stress that are important for survival. It is only when these responses become chronic that we suffer what is termed allostatic load, leading to an increase in diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Consider the following process:

  1. When crises or urgent situations occur, the amygdala, a structure in the brain with an influential role in fear and aggression at the sense of danger, fires to alert the brain to do something;
  2. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated; breathing picks up, the heart beats faster, blood rushes away from organs like the digestive tract into the muscles, and we “fight or take flight;”
  3. If the sense of danger persists then structures in the middle part of the brain (called the Limbic System) such as the hypothalamus & pituitary stimulate the adrenals to pour out cortisol and adrenaline (HPA Axis).

If this system is fired up repeatedly, over time this allostatic load will take a toll on the body.

Today’s stressors are far different than those of the past, even the very recent past. We are living in confusion about what we can and cannot do, the fear of losing our jobs, our health, and the health of a loved one – this on top of the more subtle stressors of everyday life. The result is a heightened and prolonged state of anxiety that needs to be addressed in some way other than constant worry and sleeplessness. We need to explore ways to mitigate the effects of the amygdala and HPA axis, which is involved in the neurobiology of mood disorders and functional illnesses.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) consists of the sympathetic nervous system (sometimes referred to as the “fight or flight system”) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which returns us to a relaxed resting state. The PNS is under the control of the vagus nerve. Nerve fibers from the central nervous system go to the organs in the abdomen, thorax, throat area, and to the heart; and fibers from the organs go back into the central nervous system to convey what is going on internally. Nerve fibers send branches into the limbic system of the brain that stimulate or inhibit the stress response. All these structures control internal perceptions, threats, and affective states.

The most advanced part of the vagus nerve is the myelinated vagus, found only in mammals. The myelinated vagus enhances the calming PNS, which slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and repairs, restores, and promotes feelings of safety. The variability of the heart rate is a reflection of PNS activity and can be measured as an indication that the vagus nerve is firing, leading to a calming, resting, restorative state.

Breathing & Respiration

Breathing involves the movement of air in and out of the lungs, and respiration involves a gas exchange between the lungs and the blood. As the diaphragm and the chest muscles contract on inspiration, the diaphragm moves down, the ribs expand and oxygen moves into the lungs. On expiration, the diaphragm and chest muscles relax and carbon dioxide moves out of the body, into the atmosphere.

For the most part, control of the breath is automatic and involuntary. The respiratory center in the brain stem is responsible for breath rate control, and there are receptors in the aorta that detect changes in the blood to regulate the respiratory rate. For example, with exercise, carbon dioxide levels go up, and the receptors in the aorta stimulate the respiratory center to increase the respiratory rate, decrease carbon dioxide and increase oxygenation. However, if breathing is shallow and fast, as is common in the stress response, hyperventilation occurs, which lowers carbon dioxide too much, leading to dizziness, unease, and anxiety.

There are aspects of breathing that we control in a voluntary and conscious manner via the cortex of the brain. Speaking, singing, and playing wind instruments are good examples. Also, stress and emotional stimuli may induce accommodation of breathing as mentioned previously.

Pranayama

Pranayama (yogic breathing) involves the voluntary control of the breath, and is practiced widely in yoga and meditation, but is something that anyone can do. Slow Pranayama appears to shift the autonomic nervous system from the fight or flight sympathetic to the calming parasympathetic state and has been shown to positively affect immune function, hypertension, asthma, and stress-induced psychological disorders. Examples of Pranayama include:

  • Ujayi breath – Used during yoga poses, inhaling and exhaling through the nose while creating a slight constriction in the throat;
  • 3 part breath (Dirga) – Inhaling and expanding the belly, then the lower rib cage, then upper rib cage;
  • Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) – Exhaling then inhaling starting with the left side then exhaling and inhaling on the right;
  • Bellows Breath (Bhastrika) – Quick thrusts of the belly in on exhalation, which really works the diaphragm. The emphasis on the diaphragmatic breath is important because most people over-utilize chest muscles and don’t get adequate breath, thereby creating shallow breath and inadequate oxygenation.

Medical benefits of Pranayama

There are several studies that show the medical benefits of Pranayama. One study showed improvement in pulmonary function tests in patients with asthma and emphysema after practicing yoga and Pranayama for 45 min a day over the course of two months. Several studies have supported Bhastrika Pranayama in enhancing “parasympathetic tone.” Another study showed the benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing in increasing parasympathetic tone by measuring heart rate variability and expiration-inhalation ratios. A pilot study with chemotherapy patients showed improvement in mood and sleep after Pranayama, and numerous other studies support the benefits of Pranayama in depression and anxiety.

In sum, Pranayama is accessible to all and can be used with meditation, or on its own, to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is something we all could use more of, leading us toward greater health and a sense of well-being.

References

C. Collins, “Yoga: Intuition, preventive medicine, and treatment,” Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing (1998): 27 (5) 563-568.

A. Dhruva, C. Miaskowski, D. Abrams, M. Acree, B. Cooper, S. Goodman, and F.M. Hecht, “Yoga breathing for cancer chemotherapy-associated symptoms and quality of life: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.” Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine (May 2012); 18(5):473-9. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0555. Epub 2012 Apr 23.

J. Gallego, E. Nsegbe, and E. Durand, “Learning in respiratory control,” Behavior Modification (2001): 25 (4) 495-512.T. Pramanik, H. Sharma, S. Mishra, A. Mishra, R. Prajapati, and S. Singh, “Immediate Effect of slow pace bastrika pranayama on blood pressure and heart rate.” Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine (March 2009).

A. Guz, “Brain, breathing and breathlessness,” Respiration Physiology (1997): 109, 197-204.P. Sangupta “Health Impacts Of Yoga & Pranayama; a State of the Art Review,” International Journal of Preventative Medicine (July 2012) Vol. 3 Issue 7, p444.

R. Jerath, J.W. Edry, V.A. Barnes, and V. Jerath, “Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system,” Medical Hypothesis (2006): 67, 566-571.

G.K. Pal, S. Velkumary, and Madanmohan, “Effect of short-term practice of breathing exercises on autonomic functions in normal human volunteers,” Indian Journal of Medical Research (2004): 120, 115-121.

T. Ritz and W.T. Roth, “Behavioral intervention in asthma,” Behavior Modification (2003): 27 (5), 710-730.

R. Soni, K. Munish, K. Singh, and S. Singh, “Study of the effect of yoga training on diffusion capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A controlled trial,”International Journal of Yoga (July 2012): 5(2):123-7. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.98230.

R. Sovik, “The science of breathing – The yogic view,” Progress in Brain Research (2000): 122 (Chapter 34), 491-505.

J. Willmore and D. Costill, Physiology of Sport and Exercise, 3rd ed. (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2004)

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2