Month: November 2025

A new study found that processing speed regarding inhibitory control (the ability to suppress automatic or impulsive responses) and working memory improved in a group of participants after moderate-intensity resistance exercises compared to a group that was resting and watching a video during that time. Blood lactate levels and systolic blood pressure also increased after exercises. The paper was published in Psychophysiology.

Resistance exercises are physical activities that make muscles work against an external force, such as weights, resistance bands, or one’s own body weight. They are designed to increase muscle strength by challenging the muscles to contract against this resistance. Common forms include weightlifting, push-ups, squats, and exercises using machines in a gym.

https://www.psypost.org/single-session-of-weightlifting-improves-executive-function-and-processing-speed/

**Dr. Peter Rogers (Radiologist) — His Views on Back Pain**

**Who he is**
Peter Rogers, MD, is a radiologist trained in interventional radiology and neuroradiology. He has worked extensively with spinal imaging and spinal injection clinics, and he has written several audiobooks on back-pain mechanisms and treatment.

**His central idea: back pain is often ischemic**
Rogers believes that the most common root cause of back pain is *ischemia*—insufficient blood flow to the spine, especially the discs. He argues that standard models over-focus on “pain generators” such as a specific disc herniation, instead of looking at the overall vascular health of the spine.

**Atherosclerosis as a driver of degeneration**
He suggests that plaque buildup in the abdominal aorta can reduce blood flow to lumbar arteries. Over years, this reduced perfusion may cause multilevel disc degeneration, making discs weaker and more likely to bulge or herniate.

**Degenerative cascade**
From this ischemia, he explains:

* discs lose strength and height
* bone spurs and stenosis can develop
* associated findings like Schmorl’s nodes or ligament ossification can appear

**Lifestyle and treatment principles he emphasizes**

* **Walking**: promotes gentle compression/decompression, helping nutrient exchange in discs.
* **Diet**: prefers a plant-based diet to reduce atherosclerosis and improve blood flow.
* **Less sitting**: prolonged sitting may worsen ischemia and trigger pain when one stands again.

**His diagnostic philosophy**
Rogers emphasizes stepping back and considering whole-spine and whole-body contributors—especially vascular—rather than only reading isolated MRI abnormalities.

**Context and limitations**

* His model is not the mainstream explanation for most back pain. Evidence is interesting but not yet supported by large clinical trials.
* Many of his explanations appear in audiobooks and practitioner-oriented material rather than peer-reviewed journals.
* Broader clinical guidelines warn that early imaging does not always improve outcomes and that many MRI findings do not correlate with pain.
* His lifestyle advice (walking, less sitting, plant-based diet) is generally low-risk, but its effect on spine ischemia specifically is still a developing idea.

**Balanced take**
Rogers offers a useful perspective: focusing on vascular health may explain certain patterns of degeneration and pain that don’t fit traditional mechanical models. Still, his approach is best used as a complementary framework alongside standard clinical evaluation.