Prairie Health & Wellness Newsletter — October 2024, Edition 10
Dr. Chrissi
Dr. Chrissi Redding, DC is now open for scheduling chiropractic visits in Wichita & Hutchinson!
Checkout our newest PHW Podcast with Joleen Zivnuska, APRN, MSN on Breast Health!
HerScan Early Detection Saves Lives
COMING TO: Prairie Health & Wellness, 12115 E 21st St N, Wichita, KS 67206. November 4 & 5, 2024
Prairie Health and Wellness is excited to be a host site for HerScan, a mobile Breast Ultrasound Screening company that provides much needed access to breast ultrasound testing using state-of-the-art ultrasound technology used by highly experienced RDMS Sonographers & Board Certified Radiologists. We believe it is important for women with dense breasts (nearly 50% of women age 40 and older who get mammograms have dense breast tissue) to have access to ultrasound imaging, as research has shown mammography alone can miss cancers in women with dense breast tissue. Ultrasound technology has been shown to increase detection from approximately 48% to 97% in dense breasts.
Supplement Highlight: Fembalance MD
Fembalance is a Prairie Health & Wellness favorite. This formula was specially formulated by a few of our providers to help support women's hormones. It contains vitamins, minerals, and herbs that support hormone function and metabolism. This may be helpful for women in any of the hormonal stages of life. Fembalance can help regulate cycles and reduce symptoms of PMS, improve ovulation for women wanting to support their fertility and support hormone metabolism for women in perimenopause/menopause, especially if they are on hormone replacement therapy.
You're Invited!
Please join us at our next Provider Lecture to hear Dr. Marvin & Dr. Williams speak about Nutrition 101.
THURSDAY, OCT 24TH @ 6PM | @ MOVEMENT BY PHW | OPEN TO MEMBERS & THE PUBLIC
Functional Movement Screen
Functional Movement Screen - this is a new resource available to all members once per year. Think of it like your “Member Labs of Movement”. This is an assessment used to evaluate some of the basic movement patterns we need to form more complex movement patterns. We want to use this test to identify weakness areas so you can have specific areas of improvement to work on in your movement routine. Now available in our Hutchinson location!
Pillar of the Month: Stress
“Restore a well balanced nervous system by prioritizing self-care, managing stressors, and owning your stress-response.”
A Word from Joleen Zivnuska, APRN, MSN
With October being well known for “Breast Cancer Awareness”, it would only be appropriate that we cover this important topic. But instead of only focusing on screening options, let's do our due diligence and go deep on not only how to screen for breast cancer, but how to prevent it and support breast health overall.
Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the United States every year, and about 2.3 million women worldwide. We are seeing an epidemic of cancer in the US, with breast cancer now being diagnosed as early as the teenage years (yikes!), along with the expected middle-aged and elderly. Recent studies show that only about 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy. That means that 88% have some form of chronic disease like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. This is disastrous!!!
Cancer can be fed by things like iron, sugar, insulin, and hormones, but it is NOT what causes them. Often, the biggest driver behind cancer can be when the Pillars of Health are out of balance or there is unresolved trauma stored in the body. Genetic markers that tell us we are potentially more prone to cancer account for only 5-10% of cancers. When it comes to cancer, your zip code (aka your environment) is much more important than your genetic code. There are so many ways we can truly prevent breast cancer. It goes much deeper than just “getting a mammogram!”
Since breast tissue is hormone sensitive, we can support breast health with our diet, choosing real, whole foods with anti-inflammatory properties, and foods like cruciferous vegetables that support hormone metabolism. Though not a popular opinion, avoiding or limiting caffeine helps reduce the common cysts that women have in breast tissue (fibrocystic breasts). By getting sufficient sleep and managing our stress we can support normal cortisol levels, as unhealthy cortisol levels are a common culprit behind hormone imbalances. Regular exercise, especially weight training, also helps balance hormones. Along with supporting detoxification, we can learn to avoid hormone-disrupting chemicals that can influence our breast tissue.
When it comes to screening exams, ideally we can detect breast cancer early with self breast exams at home or with clinical exams at your regularly scheduled physical or well-woman exam. In my experience, finding an abnormality on a clinical breast exam can help lead to an earlier diagnosis. There are a few options to consider when it comes to screening through imaging. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends starting mammograms at age 40 and every other year till 74. This is for women of average risk of breast cancer. The unfortunate reality is that mammograms miss 30% of cancers in women who have dense breast tissue, and a surprisingly high percentage of women do! There are also valid concerns regarding breast compression and radiation of healthy breast tissue as well as false positives which often lead to unnecessary biopsies and other treatments. Other options, such as breast MRI, often use gadolinium dye as a contrast agent, which is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body. Thermography is another screening option which measures body temperature. Studies show it can miss breast cancers, but it can often pick up on the key sign of inflammation - heat, and that can lead to further investigation. Another option, though not widely available, is a breast sonogram. While it can be relatively easy to order a breast sonogram for diagnostic purposes (to assess a suspected problem area), unfortunately, facilities in our area will require a diagnostic mammogram to go with it. In November we will be hosting HerScan, a company that offers cash-pay screening breast sonograms for women. This is a great option for women with dense breast tissue to get a screening sonogram. We are hopeful with a little more time, better imaging options will become available.
So let's truly honor “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” by giving breast health (and our total health) the respect it deserves! Support the Pillars of Health first and foremost, and discuss the best screening options with your healthcare provider.
Checkout our Hormone Supportive Meals Cookbook!
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