Tampa Bay Health Center

Arthritis. Obesity. Diabetes. Heart disease. Depression. Cancer.

Vitamin D could help prevent all these and more, some experts say. And it’s free. Most people can get it just by spending a little more time in the sun.

Known as the sunshine vitamin, it’s long been known that vitamin D can help build strong bones and teeth. But in recent years, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a growing number of health concerns.

“The benefits of vitamin D are varied and profound,” says Michael F. Holick, a leading vitamin D expert and author of “The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problems” (Hudson Street Press, $25.95).

“(Vitamin D) may be as vital to your heart and brain health as it is to bone health,” Holick says. “Increasing levels of vitamin D can treat, prevent, and even reverse a remarkable number of daily ailments.”

Holick cites a study that found women who took more than 400 IU (international units) of vitamin D reduced the risk of developing multiple sclerosis by 42 percent. A Canadian study found women with breast cancer were nearly twice as likely to see their cancer spread, and far more likely to die, if they were vitamin D deficient.

And a 2007 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that post-menopausal women who improved their calcium and vitamin D levels substantially reduced all cancer risk.

“Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, but its effects manifest in so many other conditions that people often focus on treating the symptoms instead of looking deeper in the cause,” Holick says.

Most people don’t get nearly enough D, which is produced through the skin by exposure to sunlight. With more people spending less time outdoors — and using sunscreen when they are outside — vitamin D deficiency is on the rise.

Three out of four Americans are deficient in vitamin D, up from one out of two 20 years ago, Holick says. About 40 percent to 60 percent of black adults are vitamin D deficient, he says.

In the black community, some experts are calling vitamin D deficiency a “hidden epidemic.”

“Black women who develop breast cancer are more likely to die from the disease than white women,” says Nagi B. Kumar, professor at the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center. “Survival rates are also worse among blacks for colon, prostate and ovarian cancers. Why do blacks have a worse prognosis? One of the things could be their (vitamin D) blood levels are lower than others.”

Kumar said several factors may explain why so many blacks are vitamin D deficient.

People get vitamin D primarily from the sun, through their diet and with over-the-counter supplements. The melanin in black skin acts as a natural sunscreen, which makes it difficult for the skin to make vitamin D. So the darker the skin, the less vitamin D you produce.

A black person requires three to five times more exposure to the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D as a white person, Kumar says.

Blacks also have a higher incidence of lactose intolerance, so they don’t use as much vitamin D fortified milk or other dairy products.

But with the risk of skin cancer, is it smart to get your D from more sun exposure?

Robert P. Heaney, professor of medicine at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., says no one knows for sure, but for those who aren’t at an increased risk for skin cancer, about 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure daily could help improve vitamin D deficiency.

“To put that into perspective, the human race didn’t go away before the invention of sunscreen,” Heaney says. Exposure to intense sunlight was mostly a year-round occurrence for our ancestors, he says.

Still, D isn’t a cure for everything that ails the human race. “It’s important. And our bodies need it to cope better,” Heaney says. “But I don’t want to promote it as a magic bullet.”

On its website, the American Academy of Dermatology discourages people from getting vitamin D from sun exposure or indoor tanning because ultraviolet radiation can lead to skin cancer. The site suggests getting D from a healthy diet, which includes fortified foods, beverages and/or vitamin supplements.

Heaney recommends speaking to a physician to see whether it’s necessary to take a supplement, and if it is, to determine the appropriate dose.

The only way to know whether you’re vitamin D sufficient is by having a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, also called a 25 (OH) D test.

Most people have never been tested and don’t know they have a deficiency, Kumar says. But that’s changing as more doctors jump on the vitamin D bandwagon.

Patients who suffer from aches and pains, which can be signs of Vitamin D deficiency, often feel better a few weeks after boosting their intake, Kumar says.

“It’s very easy to raise low levels of vitamin D,” he says. “If you have a deficiency, you can start to feel better in a matter of weeks.”

By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune

BARTOW – Neighbors of a proposed 258-acre exotic animal preserve had the chance to sound off today before an administrative judge.

Several said Safari Wild, under development by former Lowry Park Zoo boss Lex Salisbury and business partner, veterinarian Stephen Whermann, would be out of place in rural northern Polk County.

Kenneth Sherrouse, who lives about 2 1/2 miles away, likened it to a theme park.

“They’re dependent on the tourists who visit Central Florida by the millions. My opinion is they sought this location because of tourist traffic from Disney and the Tampa attractions,” Sherrouse said on the final day of the administrative hearing.

Attorneys for Salisbury and Whermann contend that Safari Wild will be a good fit for the area where livestock is a common sight. They envision up to 500 tourists a day at Safari Wild, which will be refuge to such animals as zebras and monkeys.

The state Department of Community Affairs contends that Polk improperly gave permission for the animal preserve. Attorneys for the developers say Safari Wild should be considered agriculture, a permitted use for the area.

Other witnesses on today included Lois Murphy, who lives about two miles away, who contended Safari Wild is “first and foremost tourism” and doesn’t belong there.

But veterinarian John McLemore, a colleague of Whermann, defended the park.”I have visited the facility, and it is not a zoo. It is not, I was very impressed with what they’ve done as far as land preservation, the natural environment for the animals so I think it’s a unique project. I think the educational possibilities are wonderful for this project,” he said.

“I think that the main emphasis here should be on how they’ve preserved the land and the education opportunities for the children of Florida,” he said.

Other witnesses also supported the park.

The judge who presided over the administrative hearing will ultimately decide.

His decision in the case is still several weeks away.

By JENNIFER LEIGH | News Channel 8

It was one of the most organized prescription drug rings in recent memory for Sheriff Richard Nugent and his vice unit.

The perpetrators reproduced numerous fake scripts to acquire pain medications by the thousands, he said.

Hernando County Sheriff’s detectives first learned during their investigation the suspects used the name of a physician and rehabilitation specialist in Tampa and used different patient names.

The dealers hit a snag because they chose a doctor who rarely signs oxycodone prescriptions, Nugent said.

Red flags were raised in February and by Friday, most of the 31-person crew, including the ringleader, were arrested.

Nugent called the ongoing prescription drug issues in Hernando County and elsewhere across the Tampa region “an epidemic.”

“It’s really ravaging this part of the state,” he said during a media conference Friday morning.

He stood with six undercover deputies donned in black suits and masks. In front of them were tables covered with bags of pills, loose cash, fake prescriptions, handguns and computer hardware. All of it was collected during the investigation, which was coined “Operation Oxy-Blues.” It lasted four months.

The head of the drug operation was Troy Bracewell, who Nugent said “has an extensive criminal history.”

He has been out of prison for a year, the sheriff said.

His second-in-command, Brian Copenhaver, remains at large.

Detectives spoke to him over the phone recently and asked to meet with him.

Knowing an arrest was imminent, Copenhaver fell off the map, said Lt. Tom Garcia, supervisor of the Hernando County Sheriff’s narcotics unit.

“We actually made contact with him,” Garcia said of the last couple phone calls his department made before he fled.

“He told us, ‘I know you’re looking for me. Good luck,’” Garcia said.

Copenhaver was last seen in West Pasco County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Eight out of the 31 suspects have outstanding warrants. Nineteen remain behind bars. Four have been released on bail.

Most were charged with trafficking or conspiracy to traffic oxycodone. Several more were charged with possession of various drugs.

Bracewell, if convicted, faces a life sentence based on the felonies he’s violated and the size of his network, Nugent said.

He has been charged with continuing a criminal enterprise, which according to state law requires an organizer to have three felony charges and at least five subjects under his control.

A search warrant was conducted April 16 at his home at 7043 Corliss Road in Brooksville.

Among the items recovered were two laptop computers and a printer, all of which were used to make the fake scripts, deputies said.

Also collected were several scripts, 191 pills (oxycodone, methadone, methamphetamine, Fioricet and clonazepam) and more than $10,700 in cash.

The case took a major turn in April when a confidential informant purchased pills from someone in the organization, according to the sheriff’s office.

The suspects used the name of Dr. Naomi A. Abel, of the University of South Florida Health, on some of the scripts.

She was contacted in February by local authorities when one of the scripts was found. She said she didn’t have a patient by the name used on the prescription, which turned out to be fake, according to the sheriff’s office.

She also told detectives she rarely prescribes oxycodone, the drug purchased from a local pharmacy in her name, authorities said.

Abel declined to comment when contacted over the phone Friday.

More doctors also were used by the suspects, all of whom were victims in the case and were never involved in the criminal enterprise, Nugent said.

The average selling price per pill was between $7 and $10. In all, more than 2,100 pills were obtained illegally. Suspects also were in the process of acquiring another 1,030 pills before authorities shut them down, records showed.

All of the suspects were drug users themselves, so there wasn’t much leftover cash, Nugent said.

“This was the biggest in (terms of) organization,” Garcia said, comparing Bracewell’s enterprise to others he has worked. “This group was definitely more organized.”

Hernando County is part of a region that has seen the greatest spike in prescription drug deaths in the state, the sheriff said.

Three people recently have been convicted in Hernando of distributing prescription drugs to victims who have died from overdoses. One of them was a father who showed his son how to crush them into powder and snort them, Nugent said.

“If it causes a person’s death, we’ve gone after those folks and have been successful with every person we’ve gone after,” said the sheriff.

He said in 2006, there were 29 local residents who fatally overdosed on prescription medicine.

So far this year, the county is on pace for 50 deaths, Nugent said.

From 2006 through early 2009, more people died of overdoses compared to traffic fatalities, according to the sheriff’s office.

“With the advent of laser printers … it’s so easy now to create realistic scripts,” said Nugent during the media conference. “It looks legit to (pharmacists).

“They learn, just like anyone else,” he said of drug criminals. “It’s a learned behavior.”

By TONY HOLT | Hernando Today

TAMPA – More than 100 street-level prescription drug buyers and sellers have been arrested and more are being sought in an undercover investigation dubbed Operation Side Effects, authorities said today.

Undercover drug deals were struck near pain clinics, in parking lots and on the streets. Hillsborough County sheriff’s detectives continue serving warrants in the weeks-long investigation.

The sheriff’s office said investigators expect to net 135 arrests as part of the operation and have seized more than 5,000 pills of oxycodone, Xanax and other narcotic prescriptions.

Authorities say they also are targeting out-of-state buyers who purchase prescription drugs illegally here for $10 to $15 a pill and then sell them for up to $30 each back home. The pills cost about $1 each in pharmacies.

In the first six months of 2009, oxycodone caused more deaths in Florida than any other drug, according to the state Medical Examiner. During that time, more than three times as many overdose deaths were caused by oxycodone than by the total caused by cocaine or heroin in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

The problem is particularly acute in the Tampa area, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which says the eight counties that make up the Tampa coverage area account for 25 percent of the prescription drug deaths statewide but less than 18 percent of the population.

The sheriff’s office said deputies continue to arrest buyers who visit the 73 registered pain clinics in unincorporated Hillsborough to obtain pills for illegal purposes. They also are probing the underground network of prescription writing fraud.

On Monday, the owner of Neurology and Pain Center clinics pleaded guilty in Tampa federal court to prescription drug trafficking. The chain of clinics was targeted by another undercover sheriff’s investigation. Several doctors have also been prosecuted, including the medical director of Neurology and Pain Center.

The sheriff’s office said it is working with the Hillsborough County Commission to create an ordinance further regulating pain clinics.

By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

As you mature and become older, appearances start to change on the outside of your body. It is important to note that the same thing is happening on the inside of your body, and one of the most important things to be aware of are the dramatic changes occurring in the spine. Your spine allows for most of your movement, and changes within this can decrease and inhibit your body’s normal movement and overall function. As we get older, changes occur in the spine including spinal disc dehydration, loss of joint mobility, muscle weakness, instability, and overall bony changes. These degenerative changes (arthritis) often lead to pain symptoms, which in turn leads to less activity. You become less able to withstand normal daily stresses, become more susceptible to injury, and heal slower from injuries that have occurred. This is where chiropractic comes in hand. Chiropractic treatment and procedures take into consideration the nature of the aging spine and the many abnormalities present to provide a strategically effective, safe and noninvasive treatment plan. Through the use of gentle adjustments and rehabilitative methods, spinal pain is reduced, spinal stresses are decreased, flexibility and mobility are improved, and degeneration is minimized.

Dr. Adam Rosoff is a Clearwater Chiropractor practicing out of Suncoast Total Healthcare. As a Chiropractor, Dr. Rosoff treats the Nervous System. Your Central Nervous System is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord is protected within the spinal canal by your vertebral column. Out of each level in the vertebral column come your spinal nerves, which in turn, control each part of the body. Spinal nerves in your neck area will control your upper body, and spinal nerves in your lower back area will control your lower body. Nerves coming 0ut of the thoracic or mid back area will control your mid body including organs and surrounding areas.

Restriction or dysfunction in the vertebral column may result in dysfunction in the nerves and vessels at that level, which in turn will result in problems in the areas that those nerves control.

For example: If there is a problem in the lower vertebral area, irritation to those nerves can cause pain and/or various symptoms in the lower extremities.

Dr. Rosoff treats vertebral dysfunction through specific chiropractic treatments to allow for your Nervous System to work properly. It is very important to make sure your Nervous System is functioning properly because long-standing dysfunction can lead to future and often irreversible conditions.

Most medications only treat the symptom. Chiropractic treats the Source. Don’t just cover up a symptom; get to the root of the problem.

Contact Dr. Rosoff for more information on how to get your Nervous System functioning properly.

Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to biomechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have a variety of causes.

Here are some of the most typical causes of neck pain:

-Injury and Accidents: A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.

-Growing Older: Degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease directly affect the spine.

-Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that affect joint motion.
-Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain, as well as numbness, when these nerves are unable to function normally.
-Degenerative disc disease can cause reduction in the elasticity and height of intervertebral discs. Over time, a disc may bulge or herniate, causing tingling, numbness, and pain that runs into the arm.

-Daily Life: Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance, causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms.

Chiropractic Care of Neck Pain
During your visit, your doctor of chiropractic will perform exams to locate the source of your pain and will ask you questions about your current symptoms and remedies you may have already tried. For example:

When did the pain start?
What have you done for your neck pain?
Does the pain radiate or travel to other parts of your body?
Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?

Your doctor of chiropractic will also do physical and neurological exams. In the physical exam, your doctor will observe your posture, range of motion, and physical condition, noting movement that causes pain. Your doctor will feel your spine, note its curvature and alignment, and feel for muscle spasm. A check of your shoulder area is also in order. During the neurological exam, your doctor will test your reflexes, muscle strength, other nerve changes, and pain spread.

In some instances, your chiropractor might order tests to help diagnose your condition. An x-ray can show narrowed disc space, fractures, bone spurs, or arthritis. A computerized axial tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) or a magnetic resonance imaging test (an MRI) can show bulging discs and herniations. If nerve damage is suspected, your doctor may order a special test called electromyography (an EMG) to measure how quickly your nerves respond.

Chiropractors are conservative care doctors; their scope of practice does not include the use of drugs or surgery. If your chiropractor diagnoses a condition outside of this conservative scope, such as a neck fracture or an indication of an organic disease, he or she will refer you to the appropriate medical physician or specialist. He or she may also ask for permission to inform your family physician of the care you are receiving to ensure that your chiropractic care and medical care are properly coordinated.

Neck Adjustments
A neck adjustment (also known as a cervical manipulation) is a precise procedure applied to the joints of the neck, usually by hand. A neck adjustment works to improve the mobility of the spine and to restore range of motion; it can also increase movement of the adjoining muscles. Patients typically notice an improved ability to turn and tilt the head, and a reduction of pain, soreness, and stiffness.

Of course, your chiropractor will develop a program of care that may combine more than one type of treatment, depending on your personal needs. In addition to manipulation, the treatment plan may include mobilization, massage or rehabilitative exercises, or something else.

*Research Supporting Chiropractic Care
One of the most recent reviews of scientific literature found evidence that patients with chronic neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported significant improvement following chiropractic spinal manipulation.

As part of the literature review, published in the March/April 2007 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the researchers reviewed nine previously published trials and found “high-quality evidence” that patients with chronic neck pain showed significant pain-level improvements following spinal manipulation. No trial group was reported as having remained unchanged, and all groups showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment.

Info from www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=2430

PROPER ERGONOMICS WHEN USING THE COMPUTER

Using the Mouse or Input Device:

The further you reach to hold and use the mouse, the more strain you place on your neck. There are alternative techniques and equipment that may improve your mouse skills.Change your position to keep your elbows relaxed at your sides with the mouse directly in front of you, not to the side.For precision tasks, move mouse from the wrist, not the fingers. For tasks not requiring as much precision, try to move the whole arm to avoid overuse. Make sure the mouse fits your hand. If it is too small, squeezing the mouse may cause hand cramping. This also places strain on your wrist and may cause pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel.Remove watches or bracelets that interfere with movement.If you keep resting on your wrist, consider putting a thin gel pad under it for support.Adjust your cursor speed. If it too fast, you will grip the mouse tighter to gain control. If it is too slow, you will repeatedly grasp and pick up the mouse to reposition it.Try and refrain from keeping your wrist in flexion for long periods.

Take Advantage of New Technology:

Using a keyboard that has a detached number pad or one positioned on the left can help keep your elbows relaxed. If you need to do significant typing, simply slide the chair to center it in front of the keyboard.For those whose computer work requires them to draw, graphics tables can help. These call for a more natural and relaxed position of the hand, wrist, and forearm. They also encourage healthier whole-arm movement and reduce contact pressure on the sensitive carpal tunnel. Once you are used to them, they offer increased control and precision. Choose the smallest tablet that lets you comfortably do your job.A second trackball or mouse on the left of the keyboard allows you to give your right arm a break. Use the secondary device for e-mail, navigating documents and the internet, and other non-precision tasks.

Adjust Your Monitor:

Center the screen in front of you.If you use two monitors and use each screen equally, place them so you are seated where they meet in the middle, so you look to the left and to the right equally.If you use one monitor more than the other, place the primary monitor centered in front of you and the secondary monitor directly next to it, slightly angled toward you.The screen should be about an arm’s length away.Place the top line of the glass of the monitor at eye level. If you use bifocals, lower the screen slightly until your head is level and you are not looking upward.To reduce eye strain, adjust the brightness and contrast controls, as well as the ambient room light, to make them equal.Avoid glare. Place the monitor perpendicular to windows or draw the blinds. A glare filter can also help.

Be Aware of Sitting Properly:

Take the time to adjust the chair to fit you.The ideal chair for these types of jobs places you in an upright posture and encourages full-arm movement. A pear-shaped back design provides spinal support while freeing your shoulder blade and arm to move properly.If you have neck or shoulder discomfort, raise the armrest to support your forearm without pushing the shoulder toward your ear.

If you continue to have any difficulty, contact Dr. Rosoff and consider having an evaluation.

Chiropractic care has been rated the number 1 successful treatment for back pain (CBS news). Understanding the cause of the problem and proper biomechanics of the body is crucial when treating back pain. Vertebral misalignments along with muscular imbalance and instability can be corrected and maintained with proper treatment, relieving back pain and all associated symptoms.

Dr. Rosoff understands this first hand by suffering a debilitating back injury himself. Playing tennis at a competitive level, and eventually at a collegiate level, Dr. Rosoff experienced a severe low back injury, leaving him unable to compete anymore. He originally was told he would need surgery and would be done playing tennis for good, but he was determined to find another solution. He was introduced to chiropractic medicine and the rest is history. After successful treatment and rehabilitation, he avoided surgery and is able to once again play the sport he loves most. The injury and successful treatment led him to focus fully on becoming a chiropractic physician himself, knowing that his experience will one day help others in need of care. Today, Dr. Rosoff shares his passion of tennis with chiropractic, and is fully devoted to helping others achieve a pain-free healthy lifestyle through prevention and correction of injury.

You don’t have to live with back pain. Get the proper treatment today, and end your pain once and for all.