Tedd Koren DC shares his views on health in the following blog. Tedd Koren DC is founder of Koren Publications and Koren Specific Technique (KST)
Friendship is crucial for one's health
Friendship. As important as good nutrition and exercise are close friends and relatives. More studies show that those with a large number of friends, relatives and other social ties live a longer, healthier life. Harvard researchers investigated the effect of social ties, death and heart disease, in a 10-year follow-up study of nearly 30,000 men. Those who were more socially isolated were nearly 20% more likely to die from any cause and 53% more likely to die from a heart-related cause than those who reported the highest number of social ties. Those with a moderately low number of social connections had a more than twofold greater risk of death from accidents and suicides than did their peers with the most social ties.
Overall, married men reportedly had a lower risk of death from any cause and a greater than twofold reduced risk of death from accidents and suicides than their unmarried peers. In addition, men who attended at least one religious service per year and those who spent at least 11 hours per week participating in some type of social group also seemed to be protected against all causes of death. Social isolation is a ‘risk factor’ for ill health that deserves as much attention as other risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other ailments.
Eng PM, Rimm EB, Fitzmaurice G, Kawachi I. Social ties and change in social ties in relation to subsequent total and cause-specific mortality and coronary heart disease incidence in men. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2002;155:700-709.
Dr. Tedd Koren
Dr. Koren, originally from Brooklyn, NY, lives in Montgomery County, PA. A graduate of the U of Miami and Sherman College of Chiropractic, he writes, lectures and teaches in the US, Europe and Australia as well as takes care of patients and fights for healthcare freedom. Dr. Koren and his wife Beth have two children.
Humans are inherently social beings with intense need for meaningful relationships. It is refreshing to see that aspect of health and well being demonstrated in the literature.
I believe an additional trait in the longevity studies was the ability to handle stress. Certainly social support is one aspect of stress management. Another is the flexibility and adaptability of the nervous system. When a person is subluxated and in a sympathetic domanent pattern the ability to handle stress is limited. Chiropractic care is paramount in attaining and maintaining flexible and adaptable physiology. When a person is in “flight/fight” physiology his/her thinking and decision making is compromised. By “resetting” the nervous system and physiology the damaging, and aging, effect of cortisol and the enhanced ability to act rather than react to life situations allows for a healthier life. KST is an incredible tool to release the stress patterns in the body-mind.
I guess the conclusion of this comment is that everyone ought to be checked and have friends and family under care as well so everyone can live a happy, healthy and long life!
HI Tedd,
Thanks for sharing your passion and making chiropractic the number one health care profession on the planet!!
Regards
Adam Arnold DC