Women’s Health

Young female athletes (average age 23 years) endure a considerable amount of low back pain (LBP). According to a recent study, “the 12-month prevalence of LBP was 39.0 %; in addition, lifetime and point prevalence (people who have pain right now) of LBP were 59.7 and 17.8 %, respectively.” When broken down by sport, basketball (47.9...
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There are two measurements that are considered “significant predictors of hypertension (high blood pressure): body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). But these predictors differ based on gender. According to the study “BMI played an important role in hypertension risk among males, but WC in females.” So if you are a guy, watch...
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A group of elderly women “participated in an elastic band exercise program lasting for 8 weeks, exercising for 40 minutes, four days a week with resting terms of 60 sec.” Leg muscle strength and leg muscle endurance both increased significantly as did balance measure by one-leg standing. Researchers concluded that “balance ability and muscle...
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Premenstrual Syndromes (PMS) includes a wide variety of symptoms that women experience between ovulation and their period. These can include mood swings, irritability, fatigue and depression. Approximately 75% of women have experienced PMS. A study was conducted to see if yoga exercises could help with PMS symptoms. After dividing subjects into groups, researchers found...
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Retaining muscle strength is very important for older adults. Loss of muscle strength can contribute to lack of mobility, falls and the inability to perform daily tasks. Researchers have found that “the supplementation of vitamin D alone in postmenopausal women provided significant protective factor against the occurrence of sarcopenia (loss of muscle size and...
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A Canadian study looked at the impact of annual mammograms for women 40+ to see if the practice of annual mammograms increased their chances of detecting and surviving breast cancer. After a 25-year follow up, researchers found that “annual mammography in women aged 40-59 does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of...
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A study entitled “Relationship between vitamin D deficiency and chronic low back pain in postmenopausal women” looked at how chronic low back pain may associated with vitamin D deficiency. Researchers found that for older women, “Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common in patients suffering from chronic LBP than in controls.” If you or...
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Chiari malformations are a birth defect where part of the brain extends into the spinal canal. People who have this typically experience headaches, dizziness, vision problems, muscle weakness and other issues. A case study of a 34-year-old woman diagnosed with Arnold-Chiari malformation looked at the potential effectiveness of “conservative care for her symptoms.” She...
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A new study examined the relationship between cesarean deliveries, exposure to antibiotics prior to birth and the potential for the baby to develop atopic dermatitis (AD) also known as eczema. The study found that “the combination of cesarean delivery and prenatal exposure to antibiotics associated significantly and positively with AD.” In fact, exposed prenatally...
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The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released new guidelines regarding routine pelvic examinations for “asymptomatic, nonpregnant, adult women.” Based upon the most recent research, the ACP notes that “evidence shows that the diagnostic accuracy of pelvic examination for detecting ovarian cancer or bacterial vaginosis is low.” The guidelines also warn that “many false-positive...
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