"These results highlight the negative effects of poor diet quality with respect to recovery from hypersensitivity and susceptibility to chronic pain. A complete understanding of the impact of diet can aid in treatment and recovery dynamics in human clinical patients."  The conclusions of the study being discussed today.

A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Pain --- the official journal of the American Pain Society (Total Western Diet Alters Mechanical and Thermal Sensitivity and Prolongs Hypersensitivity Following Complete Freund's Adjuvant in Mice) --- has some interesting things to say about the relationship between a crappy diet and Chronic Pain.

After watching the amazing movie, Woodlawn, last evening with my family (a football movie that took place early 1970's Birmingham), I immediately picked up on the fact that this study came out of the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB).  Dr. Robert Sorge, a pain researcher in the IMPACT Lab (Immune Modulation of Pain and Addiction for Comprehensive Therapeutics), has a special emphasis in both CHRONIC PAIN and ADDICTION.   In this study, Sorge's team divided mice into two groups --- one consuming a "healthy" diet (the control), and the other consuming something called a Total Western Diet (the experimental group) --- think JUNK FOOD here.  

After 13 weeks, "Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging revealed a significant increase in fat mass with a concomitant decrease in lean mass in the TWD-fed mice. In addition, there were significant increases in levels of serum leptin [a marker for INSULIN RESISITANCE & DIABETES] and inflammatory cytokines [learn more about inflammatory cytokines HERE]."  None of this was surprising.  But this wasn't the end of the study --- it is here that the real research began.

Both groups of mice were then injected with something called Freund's Adjuvant --- a solution of inactivated Mycobacterium Tuberculosis emulsified in mineral oil (Adjuvants make vaccines work "better" by causing increased immune system responses --- the nearly-universal vaccine adjuvant is ALUMINUM).  The purpose of this solution is to create a heightened immune system response (remember that INFLAMMATION is a huge part of said response), thus leading to pain.    A popular online encyclopedia described Freund's Adjuvant thusly.

"Its use in humans is forbidden by regulatory authorities, due to its toxicity. Even for animal research there are currently guidelines associated with its use, due to its painful reaction and potential for tissue damage. Intradermal injections may cause skin ulceration and necrosis.  Intramuscular injections may lead to temporary or permanent muscle lesion, and intravenous injections may produce pulmonary lipid embolism."

What there the study's results?  "After chronic pain induction using complete Freund's Adjuvant, hypersensitivity was more pronounced and significantly prolonged in the TWD-fed mice. Therefore, prolonged exposure to poor diet quality resulted in altered acute nociceptive sensitivity, systemic inflammation, and persistent pain after inflammatory pain induction."

If you want to understand some of these terms a bit better (particularly HYPERSENSITIVITY), I suggest you read my very short post on THE THREE TYPES OF PAIN.  It's not really news that the SAD (Standard American Diet) or as these authors called it, the Total Western Diet, is bad news.  We know that an inflammatory diet leads to health problems (even though mainstream medicine ACTUALLY RIDICULES PEOPLE FOR EATING TO AVOID INFLAMMATION).  However, this study showed how a cruddy diet led to both Obesity and Chronic Pain,  "Obesity and chronic pain are often comorbid and their rates are increasing."  Why?  Both issues, obesity and chronic pain are considered to be "inflammatory" issues.

The pain journal Practical Pain Management weighed in by asking DR. DAVID SEAMAN, a chiropractor and functional neurologist as well as a Professor of Clinical Sciences at National University's Florida branch, about this relationship.   An article by Rosemary Black called Unhealthy Western Diet May be Linked to Pain quoted Dr. Seaman as saying (I am cherry-picking here)....

"A poor diet is one that is restricted in vegetation and heavily burdened by refined sugars, flours, and omega-6 oils that enhance inflammatory chemistry.  Pain is the result of inflammation, and inflammation occurs when a person consumes refined sugars, refined flour, and omega-6 oils. (Omega-6 oils come primarily from corn oil, soybean oil, safflower and sunfllower oil. Corn oil is found in everything from farm-raised fish to chickens to salad oil.)  This in turn can lead to pain for some and heart attacks in someone else."

Although Practical Pain Management has been progressively coming around the these conclusions for several years, why doesn't the average treating physician grasp the conclusions of this study ---- that "A complete understanding of the impact of diet can aid in treatment and recovery dynamics in human clinical patients."?  In other words, why is there such a CHASM between the medical research community and treating physicians?  Mostly it's due to MONEY.  And a LACK OF CONCERN for their patients (how could you come to any other conclusion?).  And sometimes a LACK OF TIME.   What does this mean to you --- the suffering patient?  It means that if you are not willing to step outside of the box, you will continue to be saturated with "THE BIG FIVE". The thing that probably ticks me off the most is that the American Heart Association recently took a huge step backwards with this point when they issued their new guidelines on dietary fat (HERE).

If you are really interested in breaking free from Chronic Pain caused by things like FIBROMYALGIA, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, and CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES, it's not too late to make this the year you turn things around and begin taking your life back.   To start, take a few minutes to begin learning how to create your own personalized EXIT STRATEGY.

The picture on the left (from Wikimedia) carried the caption, "Power-assisted liposuction is the technique being performed in this image. The cannula is inserted to about 80% of its full length."  From the picture on the right you you get a better idea of the length of a cannula.   Does a foot-long cannula that's vigorously probed and bobbed into subcutaneous tissue (particularly FASCIA) have the potential to cause problems?  That is the topic of today's post.

A little over a year ago, a site for plastic surgeons (Plastic Surgery dot org) proudly stated that, "The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that 15.6 million cosmetic procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States in 2014, an increase of 3 percent since 2013."  Surgery dot org's March 20, 2014 article Statistics, Surveys, and Trends stated that, "This year, liposuction replaced breast augmentation as the most frequently performed surgical procedure with a 16% increase (363,912 procedures performed) and more than one billion spent on the procedure nationwide."  With the popularity of television shows like Nip / Tuck, there's no argument that plastic surgery --- once only for the rich and famous --- is being increasingly sought by rank and file citizens.

Liposcution involves using a hollow instrument (the cannula) to "vacuum" out fatty tissue from under the skin.  Although most of the side effects of this procedure are temporary and relatively minor (swelling, pain, bruising, etc), the internet is rife with plastic surgery nightmares.  Listen to what a popular online encyclopedia had in a bullet point on a list of potential side effects for liposuction.  "Sometimes the cannula movement can cause friction burns to skin or nerves.  Sometimes the cannula can damage tissue beneath the skin, which may show up as a spotted appearance on the skin surface."  If you want to get the low-down on liposuction, don't simply look at the ads that parade themselves as "information," put out by plastic surgeons.  Instead, cruise on over to the message boards and plastic surgery support groups.  You'll quickly realize that IN SIMILAR FASHION TO OTHER MEDICAL PROCEDURES, side effects of plastic surgery (liposuction included) are dramatically under-reported.

I have actually seen a fair number of people messed up by elective plastic surgery (the most common being from breast implants, which tend to leak, causing FIBROMYALGIA and AUTOIMMUNE REACTIONS).  Jenny is a small, petite woman (not OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT in the least) who had what she described as a "paunch" (the result of several children) that she wanted gone. 

Her belly has several small scars made by the holes that were created to insert the cannula (there were four in a straight line across -- just like the pic above).  A couple inches underneath her right front rib cage was a fairly large lump.  Although this lump was not itself SCAR TISSUE or DENSIFICATION, the tissue just below it was (about the size of her palm).  Because PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME is often OFTEN LINKED to HIP FLEXOR PROBLEMS, I continued working downward. 

She had some fairly intense Scar Tissue arising from the area of the quad, IT BAND, and adductor magnus.  She also had a great deal of Scar Tissue on her buttock and UPPER HAMSTRING --- right up to midline.  The initial treatment took approximately 1.5 hours and was followed immediately by COLD LASER.  

Jenny went back to her motel to STRETCH and heal for a few days (I sent her out with some LIGAPLEX as well), with instructions to stay in touch.  I told her that I would examine her in a few days and see if another treatment was warranted (if the first treatment does not help at all, it is far less likely that further treatment will help).    I took a look at her yesterday and told her that I would treat her on Monday morning since the BRUISING needs to be gone (or nearly so) before I could do another treatment.

What what the mechanism that caused Jenny's mess?  Was her liposuction procedure the culprit?   Although I have no real way of knowing, my best guess is that even though she exhibited no symptoms of Piriformis Syndrome, she had some risk factors predisposing her toward this problem.   The procedure likely destabilized the area, quite possibly by traumatizing it more than she could tolerate --- see the link below.

Before you drop a fat wad of hard-earned cash to have plastic surgery, I would suggest you think of Jenny.  Then head over to YouTube and watch some liposuction videos.  In this "NORMAL" LIPOSUCTION PROCEDURE (this video is actually an "advertisement" for a specific plastic surgeon), notice how the cannula is jabbed in and out over and over and over again in a manner that would not be doing it justice to describe as 'forceful'.  I can't help but recall the words of MY BROTHER; an MD, who was relaying the story of a friend who had died during an elective surgery.  "There's no such thing as a 'routine' surgery.  All surgery is more dangerous than people realize.  Unless you really need to have it done, run far and run fast."

How much am I really going to be able to help Jenny?  I'm not sure, but will try to do an update in a few weeks.  For the record, she had no liposcution done on her back-side or her sides.  Everything was done to her lower abdomen.

Back in the Dark Ages, people believed that decaying flesh caused maggots.  After all, turn over any dead animal with you foot, and what did you see?   Despite our scientific advances, beliefs haven't changed much.  We still have a medical profession that ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVES germs are the sole cause of infectious disease --- while the VERY DRUGS they prescribe to kill said germs destroy our collective immune systems.  And while there are any number of other examples, the current example of STATIN DRUGS might just take the cake.

Although mainstream medicine has been increasingly squawking about HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS for decades, there is opposition --- a steadily growing group of renegades within the profession that thinks the hype over High Cholesterol is mostly a bunch of poppycock CREATED TO MAKE MONEY.  This was brought to the forefront with Dr. Golomb's ground-breaking 2008 study (Statin Adverse Effects: A Review of the Literature and Evidence for a Mitochondrial Mechanism).  According to the University of California in San Diego, "The UCSD Statin Study group, headed by Beatrice A. Golomb, MD, PhD, has actively been researching statin medications and their risk-benefit balance, including possible side effects".  After REVIEWING NEARLY 900 STUDIES on the topic, her group concluded that....

"Converging evidence supports a mitochondrial foundation for muscle adverse events associated with statins, and both theoretical and empirical considerations suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction may also underlie many non-muscle statin adverse events. Evidence from randomized controlled trials and studies of other designs indicates existence of additional statin-associated adverse events, such as cognitive loss, neuropathy, pancreatic and hepatic dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction.  Physician awareness of statin adverse events is reportedly low even for the events most widely reported by patient.  Statins are a linchpin of current approaches to cardiovascular protection: however, adverse events of statins are neither vanishingly rare nor of trivial impact."

Golomb's researchers are not a lone voice in the wilderness.  If you have the academic credentials, you could join a group called THINCS (The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics).  Led by UFFE RAVNSKOV MD / Ph.D, the members of this organization believe that animal fats and cholesterol are not the primary culprits in heart disease and high cholesterol ---- something I myself have written about any number of times (HERE is one of them).    Their website has a huge list of studies and articles to this effect.  But there's more.

We have been browbeat with the idea that Stain Drugs can be our savior --- if we can just get enough people on them.  For example, it's not science fiction that in similar fashion to CHLORINE & FLUORIDE, there is a movement within the medical community attempting to get Statins infused into our water supply (HERE).   Stop for a moment.  What if I told you something so shocking that you would probably dismiss it outright?  What if it were discovered that not only are Statin drugs not helping us in terms of heart disease and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis), but are actually making the problem(s) worse?  Would you believe me or would you write it off as another rant?

It might be easy to write me off, but it's much tougher to write off a study published by a group of seven cardiology researchers in the February, 2015 issue of Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology (Statins Stimulate Atherosclerosis and Heart Failure: Pharmacological Mechanisms).    Read the title of the study again, and pay attention to their conclusions.

"In contrast to the current belief that cholesterol reduction with statins decreases atherosclerosis, we present a perspective that statins may be causative in coronary artery calcification and can function as mitochondrial toxins that impair muscle function in the heart and blood vessels through the depletion of coenzyme Q10 and ‘heme A’, and thereby ATP generation. Statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2, the cofactor for matrix Gla-protein activation, which in turn protects arteries from calcification.

Statins inhibit the biosynthesis of selenium containing proteins, one of which is glutathione peroxidase serving to suppress peroxidative stress. An impairment of selenoprotein biosynthesis may be a factor in congestive heart failure, reminiscent of the dilated cardiomyopathies seen with selenium deficiency. Thus, the epidemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis that plagues the modern world may paradoxically be aggravated by the pervasive use of statin drugs. We propose that current statin treatment guidelines be critically reevaluated."

Gulp!  Although I have been beating this same drum for over two decades (HERE is the main reason why), I did not expect to see the day when doctors actually admitted that the drugs they are prescribing for high cholesterol and heart disease are causing the very problems they are prescribing them for in the first place --- an almost identical scenario to what we've seen with OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS.  And while a rapidly increasing number of researchers are coming to THE CONCLUSION that dietary cholesterol or saturated fat is not a health risk, our nation's treating physicians are slow to catch on.  For instance, despite the recent revelation by our government that the cholesterol in your food has almost no bearing on the amount of cholesterol in your blood, we get a steady stream of this sort of thing from mainstream medicine --- and unfortunately, our government. 

The government's new 'Dietary Guidelines' --- guidelines that still; despite the dietary debacle of the past three decades, continue to beat the drum for, "grains (at least half being whole grains), fat-free and low-fat dairy, soy...."  On average we...  are right on target for grains; and those under 13 years old consume only about 1/2 the amount of dairy recommended....  are very very low on fish-derived protein; and also high on solid fat consumption."  The only fish that has any health benefit is wild, cold-water fish (HERE).  And as to the solid fats (Saturated Fats), click on the previous link.

In the January 11th issue of the British Medical Journal's Evidence-Based Medicine Blog, Dr. Geoffrey Modest discussed these recommendations by saying, "Several very large observational studies have not found that eating foods high in cholesterol is much of a cardiovascular risk factor. Also, as a perspective, only a small minority of circulating cholesterol (about 20%) is from diet, most is from genes…."  But are these two sentences really true?

The first sentence is completely true.  However, the idea that we can blame our Cholesterol woes ON OUR GENES and not our diets is totally and ridiculously false.  Wait a minute.  How can this idea be false, when I agree with Dr. Modest's assertion that dietary cholesterol does not cause high blood levels of cholesterol?  The problem is not the cholesterol we are consuming; it's our NATIONAL ADDICTION TO SUGAR AND JUNK CARBS!  Although the government is telling us that our grain consumption is just about perfect, many of us know better (HERE is the ridiculous diet they continue to recommend).  Grain is what you fatten farm animals with.  And this doesn't even begin to touch on the issue of grains as they relate to FOOD SENSITIVITIES.  It's no wonder that America is in the throes of an epidemic of Cardiometabolic Syndrome.

Although you may have never heard the term, Cardiometabolic Syndrome (sometimes referred to simply as Metabolic Syndrome or its old name, Syndrome X), it is yet another of the 'epidemics' currently raging in America.   In order to be "officially" diagnosed with Cardiometabolic Syndrome, you must have three of the following.

• HYPERTENSION:  Hypertension is another name for HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.  A study from the 2005 issue of Lancet (Global Burden of Hypertension....) said that over 26% of the world's adult population had Hypertension as of Y2K.  The CDC puts the percentage of American adults currently dealing with Hypertension at almost 30% (70 million).

• HIGH TRIGLYCERIDES:  This means you have too much fat in your blood.  According to CDC statistics, somewhere between one in four and one in three Americans has High Triglycerides.  What causes fat in the blood?  I've shown you already that it is junk carbs and not dietary fat.

• CENTRAL OBESITY:   In case you were not aware, BELLY FAT is a risk factor for every health problem you could name in the next five minutes.  And on top of that, an estimated 7 to 10% of our population is MEDICALLY OBESE, NORMAL WEIGHT (MONW aka "Skinny Fat").  Likewise, if your BMI is over 30, or your waist is over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, you are OBESE.  According to CDC statistics, nearly 7 out of 10 Americans are overweight or obese.

• HIGH FASTING BLOOD SUGAR OR ABNORMAL A1C TEST:  This is largely due to LIVING THE HIGH CARB LIFESTYLE.  Both are heavily associated with both early puberty and PCOS. However, it is critical to remember that DIABETES is not so much a blood sugar problem as it is a problem of unbridled Inflammation.  The CDC says that nearly 10% of the American population (over 29 million) have Diabetes.  The number with INSULIN RESISTANCE (pre-Diabetes) is thought to be nearly double this.  My guess is that this last statistic is grossly underestimated.   Interestingly enough, one of the main risk factors for developing Dysglycemia seems to taking medication --- virtually ANY OF THEM.

• CHOLESTEROL RATIO ISSUES:  Although today's doctors are certainly concerned with Total Cholesterol levels over 200, you will earn a diagnosis of Cardiometabloic Syndrome if your HDL ("good" cholesterol) is too low, and your LDL ("bad" cholesterol) is too high.  According to the CDC's 2015 article, High Cholesterol Facts, 73.5 million adults (31.7%) have this problem.

• PROTEIN (ALBUMIN) IN THE URINE:  Your kidneys should be filtering protein out of the urine.  Kidney damage is a hallmark of Diabetes.  If you are not filtering protein, it's a good indication you have some sort of blood sugar dysregulation going on.  In fact, WebMD's article on the subject states, "Albuminuria is most often caused by kidney damage from diabetes".

• INCREASED CRP (C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVELS:  Although this test is fairly generalized, it is indicative of SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION.  Because Inflammation is the root of virtually every health problem under the sun, it would behoove you to click the link and spend three minutes to understand it.

When your doctor EXAMINES YOU and realizes that you have at least three of the above bullet points, you will be "officially" diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome.  Rest assured that you will be put on Statin Drugs.  I won't lie to you; these drugs lower cholesterol like crazy.  But interestingly enough, they only lower your chances of heart attacks, strokes, and death, slightly --- MANY STUDIES say not at all.

Back to the dead-animals-causing-maggots example from the beginning of this post.  We all know the maggots came from flies, not from the decaying meat itself.  We need to think of cholesterol in similar fashion.  Unless you truly have a genetic cholesterol issue (relatively rare, although this is what EVERYONE IS TOLD), cholesterol is not your problem.  Cholesterol just happens to be the material that your body uses to patch the damage to your blood vessels caused by INFLAMMATION.   It's also why TOM BRADY is largely correct as to the diet eaten by he and his family.

Unfortunately, I get them all the time; people asking (usually on the message boards over at my DESTROY CHRONIC PAIN site) if I can help them with joint or tendon pain they got after taking Cipro (Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin) or any other of the slew of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics.  Here is one person who has been "FLOXED" (Michelle) responding to another.  It is under the comments section of my "FASCIAL ADHESIONS" page, and was received yesterday. 

I too took cipro for a week and was so sick the whites of my eyes became inflamed and it was excruciating to blink. I have tendon issues and fascia stiffness as well as neuropathy in both legs from the calves down.  I'm so sorry to hear about your outcome.  After reading your comment it makes sense to me why I can't run anymore and I'm in so much pain all the time.  I also had two tendons --- the pereoneals --- worked on and I still can't walk 1/4 of a mile without limping and exhausting myself with pain or fatigue.  My Achilles' tendon has contracted and won't bend my ankle up and more than 90 degrees.  This lack of dorsiflexion inhibits my ability to walk.   Even after gastric recession [a surgery] it just won't budge. My prayers go out to you.

Thank you Dr. Russell for you informative posts.

I am truly crushed when I get these emails.  The problem is, I get them all the time.  I have no idea what the mechanism is for the tissue destruction, or how to help these people.  My TISSUE REMODELING does not work on these people, and the problem is not simply "INFLAMMATION".  The world wide web is littered with sites, individuals, and message boards, dealing with this issue.  If you are interested in learning more, simply thumb through my posts on ANTIBIOTICS and look for Fluoroquinolones (or just click on the "Floxed" link at the top of the page).

"I recently set the world record for consecutive free throws --- 43,548 in a row.   You might doubt me, but I really think that I can make at least that many three pointers in a row as well."  Dr. Russell Schierling

"Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs.  A 2004 UK review showed a noticeable discrepancy between published and unpublished trials and increased suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents.  A recent review of clinical study reports showed that essential information on patient relevant outcomes was often missing in the published articles.  Research undertaken by our centre [Cochrane] using nine clinical study reports on duloxetine [Cymbalta] found that data on major harms was missing from journal articles and in summary trial reports....  We suggest minimal use of antidepressants in children, adolescents, and young adults, as the serious harms seem to be greater, and as their effect seems to be below what is clinically relevant.  Alternative treatments such as exercise or psychotherapy may have some benefit and could be considered, although psychotherapy trials also suffer from publication bias."   Cherry picked from the brand new BMJ study being discussed today.

YESTERDAY I told you of the government's plan to evaluate every American citizen for Depression.  Not only should you be worried if you are a fan of the Second Amendment, but the myriad of PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS (SSRI's) are borderline freaky.  This is born out in a new study (Suicidality and Aggression During Antidepressant Treatment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Based on Clinical Study Reports) from this month's issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).   Allow me to shift gears for a second.

On April 28 of 1996 --- just a few weeks after Amy and I were married --- Ted St. Martin earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records by sinking 5,221 free throws in a row, over a span of nearly seven and a half hours.  On the surface, you might be impressed.  Don't be.  He's got nothing on me.  On any given day I could go out and make ten thousand, twenty thousand, or even thirty thousand consecutive throws.  Truth is, I never miss.  Ever.  In fact, I shoot free throws so well, I make Rick Barry look like the Pontiff in high heels.  What's my secret?  How did I get to be so good at free throws?  Easy.  In my world, misses don't count.  I only tally makes.

For a very long time, BIG PHARMA has been doing the same thing.  Only what they are doing is far more sinister because unlike me who's doing nothing more than blowing a bunch of hot air, they're actually killing people --- MOSTLY CHILDREN.  How are they doing this?  THEY ONLY TALLY THEIR MAKES (they only publish studies favorable to their products).  I did an entire series on this epidemic of what have come to be known in the industry as INVISIBLE AND ABANDONED STUDIES.  Listen to what Megan Thielking of the medical daily, STAT Morning Rounds had to say just this morning.

"The side effects of antidepressants might be seriously underestimated.  Youths have a doubled risk of aggression and suicide when they’re on one of the five most commonly prescribed antidepressants, according to a new meta-analysis of 68 studies. But even that may be a low estimate, as published trial reports often don’t contain full information on the harms of antidepressants, like case reports of suicide attempts.  One big example: 90 percent of suicide attempts by patients were missing in summary trial reports from Eli Lilly. To fix the problem, companies would have to cough up those case reports. 'All the data needs to be made publicly available,' said author Tarang Sharma of Denmark’s Nordic Cochrane Center."

Guess what happens when all the data on antidepressant medications becomes "publicly available"?  We see that these drugs --- just like I showed you yesterday --- are little better (many would argue no better) than placebo.  Not surprising, since they don't address THE UNDERLYING CAUSE of Depression.   If you want to get down to the brass tacks of conquering your Depression, at least READ THIS ARTICLE.

Not only is the medical community recommending screening pregnant women and new mothers for Depression, they are actually saying that all American adults need to be screened.   An organization called The US Preventive Task Force just published new recommendations in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association saying that they have, "reviewed the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in adult populations 18 years and older; the accuracy of depression screening instruments; and the benefits and harms of depression treatment in these populations.  Screening should be implemented with adequate systems in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate follow-up."

The article from JAMA contained the words "EVIDENCE" over and over again.  But is their approach really following what the 'Evidence' (Evidence-Based Medicine) really says?  The truth is that "Preventative Medicine" is not nearly as effective (or as 'Evidence-Based') as we have been led to believe.  Another of those dirty little secrets of the medical field is that not only do DEPRESSION MEDICATIONS not perform as touted, but best evidence shows that when it comes to testing, less is better --- usually way better.  This is because PREVENTATIVE TESTING is heavily associated with something called "Overdiagnosis / Overtreatment".  In case it looks fairly harmless, be aware that it's deadly.

Q: How does JAMA propose that this is going to be accomplished (accurate diagnosis and accurate treatment)?  A: Questionnaires.   Q: How is it going to be treated?   A: Meds.   There are BIG problems with this approach.   Q: Why are there big problems with this approach?   A: Because Depression is not what you think it is.

As I have shown you HERE and HERE, Depression is an inflammatory problem (i.e. it's caused by inflammation).  Why in the world would we screen for the problem itself, when we could just as easily be screening for the cause of said problem? (HERE is a little self-test you can do at home)   You already know the answer to that question.  Money.  

The goal of BIG PHARMA is to get as many people on Antidepressants as possible -- it's why they're one of the most-prescribed classes of DRUGS in the nation.  The problem is, this class of drug is SIMILAR TO FLU SHOTS as far as their efficacy is concerned --- near zero (HERE and HERE).   If you are truly struggling with Depression, at least contemplate dealing with it at its source.   And this doesn't even touch the whole "since-we-diagnosed-you-with-Depression-you-can't-own-a-gun" thing.

HERE is how I recommend my patients go about dealing with virtually all stubborn inflammatory conditions, including Depression.

I've heard it a thousand times --- Doc, my problem is spreading.  What was originally hurting at point X is now hurting at points X, Y, and Z.    What's really going on here?   Does this person have some sort of "disease," or is it something else?  Truth be known, there is a good chance that the problem is compensation.   The best way to grasp compensation is to have a basic understanding of Biomechanics.

• BIO = Living
• MECHANICS = The way that forces act on objects, either moving or resisting movement.
• BIOMECHANICS = Applying mechanical principles and physics to the human body

In order to create torque, muscles apply forces to bones that act as levers.  The joints themselves acting as fulcrums.  As long as the object you are attempting to move is not too heavy, or there is too much friction present, movement will occur.  When we move, we are always trying to gain mechanical advantage.  For example, when a baseball player is trying to hit a home run, he does not "choke up" on the bat (move his hands further towards the barrel).  He grasps the bat at the very end of the handle because greater bat speed can be generated from that position.  When using a simple lever; pushing on the very end of said lever is where the most force can be generated.   Almost everything we do on a day to day basis involves an attempt to gain mechanical advantage. 

Due to injuries, athletes lose mechanical advantage.  What does this mean?  Allow me to give you an example using an elite swimmer I saw yesterday.  This individual (we'll call him Joe), currently a scholarship swimmer at a major college program, has been swimming competitively since kindergarten.  Competitive swimming entails hours upon hours of repetition, always refining your form to be as biomechanically efficient as possible.  A couple of years ago, Joe felt something "give" on the right side of the bottom of his chest.

Being a hardcore competitor with a self-proclaimed "high tolerance for pain," the plan was simply to suck it up and work his way through it.  Before long, the injury to the chest started working its way to the shoulder, and around his ribs.  As might be expected with what turned out to be FASCIAL AHDESIONS; the trainers and team clinicians COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH JOE.  Needless to say, his coach pushed him to continue to work through the problem.  It wasn't long before the pain had moved into his neck, upper back, and entire left side --- from his triceps to his TENSOR FASCIA LATA.  

Joe's times continued to increase until the day came when he simply couldn't compete.  What started out as a small injury to the front of his RIB CAGE, had, due to Biomechanical Compensation, engulfed a quarter of his body.   When examining Joe, it was obvious that there were any number of areas of his body that were tethered, and unable to move properly.  After spending an hour and a half with Joe, the difference was immediate and significant.  Hopefully, those results hold, and I will be able to provide you an update to Joe's situation in the near future.

It is important to remember that all tissues compensate all the time.  Bone grows in response to mechanical pressures put on it, whether normal or abnormal (Wolff's Law).  Cartilage degenerates and thins in response to aberrant mechanical stresses.  Muscles will either atrophy or hypertrophy, depending on the tensile forces (or lack thereof) they must deal with.   Not only are FASCIAL ADHESIONS usually a compensatory reaction (PLANTAR FASCIITIS is a great example), so is TENDINOSIS.  And although it's not a musculoskeletal issue, LIVING THE HIGH CARB LIFESTYLE will eventually burn out your pancreas (can anyone say Diabetes?), forcing some of that load to the ADRENAL GLANDS (can anyone say Fibromyalgia?).  What can be done to prevent harmful compensatory reactions in the body --- particularly in athletes?  Although we could probably come up with dozens, let me give you just a few.

• MAINTAIN A NORMAL WEIGHT:  Thirty years ago, this bullet would never have had to been included --- especially for athletes.  But with 70% of the population overweight or obese (and another 7 to 10% considered "FUNCTIONALLY OBESE"), it bears mentioning.  Here is a simple example.  When you gain weight (most particularly BELLY FAT), you move the fulcrum point of your vertebrae (it's called the IAR or Internal Axis of Rotation) not only outside of the vertebrae where it belongs, but depending on the size of the belly, potentially completely out of the body.  As you might guess, this puts a massive abnormal stress on spinal discs.  If you are overweight or obese, you are forcing your body compensate in hundreds upon hundreds of ways --- none of them advantageous to your sport or your health. 

• DON'T OVERTRAIN:  I have had the privilege of treating professional athletes in my practice.   Although some might look it on the outside, few of them claim that what they are doing as far as their training is healthy.  If you spend six to eight hours a day performing repetitive motions, not only are you likely to end up having a wide array of injuries, but INTENSE CARDIOVASCULAR OVERTRAINING tends to push people towards LEAKY GUT SYNDROME. 

• USE PROPER TECHNIQUE AND EQUIPMENT:  Although this might sound like a no-brainer, you would be surprised how often it's not followed (many times inadvertently).  For instance, due to my insanely high arches, I couldn't function on any level, let alone as an athlete, without my orthotics from Shawn over at Xtreme Footwerks.  Whether it's proper footwear, braces, taping techniques, correct form, cross-training instead of doing the same thing all day long, or any number of others; following this simple advice will prevent injuries.  Likewise, if you are injured; deal with it today.  Do not wait until its compensatory effects have swallowed you whole.

• UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS INFLAMMATION:  Although it's beginning to change, too many athletes don't think about INFLAMMATION until they are injured.  If you could get ahead of the eight ball by stopping Inflammation before it starts, you might be able to head off real problems.  A doubly big deal considering INFLAMMATION ALWAYS LEADS TO SCAR TISSUE.  I just wrote an article about an athlete doing this very thing --- YOU HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY HEARD OF HIM.
  

For those of you who have just undergone Tissue Remodeling, don't confuse "BULLSEYING" with compensation.  And if you feel you are losing ground as far as your health is concerned, make sure to take a quick at THIS POST.

How many times have you heard it; eat your fruits and vegetables?   This is because the one thing that most nutritional experts seem to agree on is that fresh fruits and vegetables are a good for your health.  Although I would mostly agree with this assessment, today I want to show you a slightly different twist to something you thought you knew to be gospel truth.

When we hear experts (whether from the media or medicine) talk about fruits and vegetables, they almost always mentioned as though they were a single entity (Fruit&Vegetables).  They are not, and depending on what your health-related goals are, cannot necessarily be treated as such.   It's true that whole fruits are high in the GOOD KIND OF FIBER, ANTIOXIDANTS, as well as certain VITAMINS & MINERALS (not to mention phytonutrients).  It's also true that the peer-reviewed literature on the subject is replete with studies showing that consuming whole fruits is beneficial to your health.   Bottom line; in most cases, there are ample reasons to, at least with some degree of moderation, consume fruit.  Allow me, however, to give you a few "for instance" situations when avoiding fruit would be prudent.

In almost any case of DYSBIOSIS, you should avoid fruit.  For instance, SIBO or CANDIDA OVERGROWTHS both feed on higher glycemic index carbohydrates and SUGAR, including fructose (fruit sugar)   On top of this, any number of neurological problems (EPILEPSY being the most well known of the lot) have been shown to respond to a KETOGENIC DIET in a manner that can often times only be described as life-changing. 

Another reason you might want to either avoid fruit, or at least cut way back on certain fruits, would be WEIGHT LOSS.  For instance, I absolutely love bananas and could eat several (or more) a day.  However, I have figured out that because of their high position on the GLYCEMIC INDEX, it doesn't take long for for me to gain some serious weight --- right around THE MID-SECTION if I am not extra careful with them. 

Because solving serious weight issues is greatly related to properly controlling blood sugar (HERE), those of you struggling with your weight will probably need to cut back on (or cut out) the fruit.  I have seen any number of people who use fruit (or even worse, fruit juice) to play the "SUBSTITUTION GAME".  And on top of all this, I routinely see people who are excited about the fact that they gave up soda and junk, unwittingly using fruit to feed their SUGAR / CARB ADDICTION.  These are the people who, when someone says "fruits and vegetables," only hear "fruits". 

If you feel you have done everything right and are finding it impossible to lose weight or solve other chronic issues (even though you are eating a strict PALEO-LIKE DIET), there are undoubtedly other issues in play (probably GUT or ENDOCRINE).  As a side note to all of this, there are people out there that actually have issues not only with fruits, but with vegetables (HERE).  The great thing is that most of you can enjoy moderate amounts of fruit and unlimited vegetables without any worries.

By the way, we have a couple of cases of GREENS FIRST (greens, not reds) that we are selling for $15.00 / can --- a greater than 50% savings.  When they are gone, they are gone.

Few would argue that Cancer is one bad dude.  All of us have friends and loved ones that have been laid low. In fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago I was a pall bearer for a dear friend who left behind his wife and six children under the age of 12.  Similar stories are common.

The death of Vice President, Joe Biden's 46 year old son from a brain tumor last May was just another confirmation that Cancer is no respecter of persons.  Although it's not difficult to understand why Biden issued still another "moonshot" for a cure ---- this one for Cancer (there are currently other "moonshots" going on for other diseases, including ALZHEIMER'S), we have to ask ourselves whether his plea a good use of resources (i.e. tax dollars).

Despite the fact that Richard Nixon declared war on Cancer back in the 1971, another of the dirty little secrets of medicine is that we have not seen nearly as much progress against the disease as we have been led to believe.  Writing for the New England Journal of Medicine back in 1986 (Progress Against Cancer?) researchers crunched thirty years of data and concluded that Nixon's war was an abject failure.  "We are losing the war against cancer, notwithstanding progress against several uncommon forms of the disease, improvements in palliation, and extension of the productive years of life. A shift in research emphasis, from research on treatment to research on prevention, seems necessary if substantial progress against cancer is to be forthcoming."   But the beat went on.

• Taking a page out of Nixon's handbook and putting far too much emphasis on the new found power of genetics (HERE), in his 1998 State of the Union Address, President Bill Clinton stated, "Tonight, as part of our gift to the millennium, I propose a 21st century research fund for pathbreaking scientific inquiry, the largest funding increase in history for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Cancer Institute. We have already discovered genes for breast cancer and diabetes. I ask you to support this initiative so ours will be the generation that finally wins the war against cancer and begins a revolution in our fight against all deadly diseases."

• That same year, Vice President Al Gore told the Toledo Blade that, "We want to be the first generation that finally wins the war on cancer For the first time, the enemy is outmatched."

• Not to be outdone, President GW Bush not only had his own cancer initiative and medical moonshot while in office, promising to "fund and lead a medical moonshot to reach far beyond what seems possible today".  Since turning over the presidency to Obama, he and his institute have been active in fighting both BREAST CANCER and Cervical Cancer, as well as crusading against Cancer in Africa.

• Not one to be left out, last July, President Obama issued his overly optimistic 21st Century Cures Act --- which in rare fashion, was passed into law with heavy bipartisan support.  In it, an outline to "cure" any number of diseases, including Cancer.

• Former FDA Commissioner and Director of the National Cancer Institute, Andrew C. von Eschenbach (a true industry insider) said back in 2003 that our government would, "eliminate suffering and death" of Cancer.  His goal for accomplishing this feat?  Last year.

Are we doing any better today.   Despite what we would be told, unfortunately not (HERE).  In fact , those in the know tend to believe that this is another of the medical problems that we cannot spend or treat our way out of (HERE).  And just how much is all of this costing us?  According to Alex Lubischer of Chicago Health (Funding the Cancer War) Cancer carries a huge price tag.

"According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), all U.S. healthcare expenditures related to cancer in 2009 cost the U.S. an estimated $86.6 billion. If you factor in $130 billion for indirect mortality costs (the toll of lost productivity due to premature deaths), that’s $216.6 billion in one year.  Furthermore, The National Cancer Institute (NCI, a branch of the NIH) has spent roughly $90 billion on research and treatment since 1971. Additionally, about 260 nonprofit organizations in the United States have dedicated themselves to cancer research, which amounts to combined annual budgets of $2.2 billion."

Part of the problem is that if you ask different experts what Cancer is, you'll get a rather wide array of answers.  This is because "cancer" is not all the same stuff.   Furthermore, if all we have to show for trillions of dollars spent is the fact that Cancer is little more than a "random" event (HERE), we really are spinning our wheels --- a thought recently echoed by any number of medial outlets, including STAT's recent Moonshot to Cure Cancer.  We've Heard that Before.  Many Times.

The problem is that we are going about this all wrong.  JFK's original "Moonshot" was handled by engineers, physicists, and rocket scientists.  It was an incredible feat of engineering that essentially required us to overcome gravity and other laws of physics.  For any number of reasons, curing Cancer is different.  The reality of the situation is that "curing" Cancer is going to require something of us besides more tax dollars.  We are actually going to have to follow the advice of NEJM's 30 year old study I quoted from earlier ---- emphasizing prevention instead of cure.  What does prevention look like?

First, let me say that nothing in this life is foolproof --- including Cancer Prevention.  We all know healthy people who have died of Cancer (my friend was as healthy as they come), as well as living mummies that have been walking this earth for 80 or 90 years, embalming themselves with liberal amounts of cheap vodka and the preservative powers of THREE PACKS a day.  However, there are some generalities we can make in our own personal war against Cancer. 

• UNDERSTAND INFLAMMATION AND EAT ACCORDINGLY:  Cancer is one of THE MYRIAD OF HEALTH ISSUES driven by Inflammation.  Problem is, I don't find one in a thousand people who can really tell me what Inflammation is.  Using anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements are wonderful, but if you want to get down to brass tacks, mopping up Inflammation after the fact is not the best way to accomplish this.  Instead, stop Inflammation at its source (HERE).   Reading my article SUGAR DRIVES INFLAMMATION is a good start.  Make sure to follow it up with SUGAR FEEDS CANCER (there are two parts).

• UNDERSTAND GUT HEALTH:  I won't belabor this point, but it might be the most important in this list.  HERE are my posts on the topic.

• REALIZE THAT CHEMICALS (DRUGS INCLUDED) ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND:  Your immune system is mostly made up of the bacteria that live in your Gut.  Just yesterday the CDC's American College of Physicians said that half of all prescriptions of ANTIBIOTICS are unnecessary (not to mention, THEY THEMSELVES ARE A KNOWN CAUSE OF CANCER).   It is critical to understand that the DRUG CULTURE we live in is not doing us any favors as far as Cancer is concerned.  Although most of us would agree that things like pesticides and herbicides are bad news, most of us fail to grasp that we are polluting ourselves daily with the multitude of chemicals we use in our bathrooms (think personal HYGIENE here).

• DON'T FORGET TO EXERCISE:  There is plenty of research showing the benefits of exercise as far as Cancer is concerned.  However, it is also important to remember that intense exercise for substantial periods of time --- i.e hardcore cardio ---- leads to the precursor of all disease, including Cancer; LEAKY GUT SYNDROME.  EXERCISING properly is important, but not a fraction as important as diet.

What should you do if you've already been diagnosed with Cancer?  Not sure what to tell you.  One thing I can tell you is that you can follow at least part of this or a similar protocol even if you are dealing with your Cancer in the traditional medical manner (chemo, RADIATION, etc) --- something few doctors ever talk about (HERE and HERE).   For the most part, preventing, or at least slowing down, Cancer does not require a moonshot.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that by and large we are our own worst enemies.  A national change of diet and lifestyle would go a long way toward Biden's goal.

As I sit here and type this, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is getting ready to lead his team against the upstart Kansas City Chiefs --- a team that has now won ten games in a row after starting 1 and 5.  Growing up in Kansas, I have been a Chiefs fan for as long as I can remember, although there were some lean years when I was young.   Can the hottest team in the NFL pull through and beat the Patriots --- especially considering the game is at Foxboro?   We'll find out Saturday at 3:30.  Much of it depends on whether KC's vaunted defensive front can put some serious pressure on Brady.

Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.  You might not like him, but you can't debate his four super bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVP's, two NFL MVP awards, 11 Pro Bowls, numerous passing records, and more division titles than any other Q in the history of the game.  His wife Gisele --- a Brazilian of German descent --- has been the world's highest paid supermodel over the course of the past decade.  Needless to say, a family with this sort of curriculum vitae lives under a microscope.   The latest aspect of their life to be brought to the public spotlight is their diet.

Just the other day, Vox published an article by Julia Belluz called "Most 'Anti-inflammation' Diets are Overkill.  Tom Brady's is a Case in Point".  There have been any number of other authors publishing similar (yesterday was "My Husband and I Tried Gisele and Tom Brady's Ridiculous Diet" from Woman's Day).  Most of this is the result of an interview he did for Boston's Sports Radio 97.3 (WEEI) back in October.  Along with ripping Frosted Flakes, Coca Cola (he correctly called it "poison"), and the FOOD PYRAMID, Brady had this to say (I'm cherry-picking).....

"Much of my diet is based on an acid-alkaline principle, which for me does reduce inflammation in my body. When you run around and take hits all day for a living, that’s a really positive thing for me. I would love to encourage all my teammates to eat the best way they possibly can, to have high school athletes do the same.   I think we’ve been lied to by a lot of food companies over the years, by a lot of beverage companies over the years. But we still do it. That’s just America, and that’s what we’ve been conditioned to believe. We believe that Frosted Flakes is a food. … You just keep eating those things, and you keep wondering why we have just incredible rates of disease in our country. No one thinks it has anything to do with what we put in our body."

Although I can't really argue with what he's saying here, this led to an interview with the family's personal chef (Allen Campbell) over at BOSTON.COM.  Of course Campbell avoids feeding the Bradys processed foods, SUGAR, and white flours (their children --- ages 6 & 3 --- eat the same thing they do).  Among other things, he also avoids serving them NIGHTSHADES (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, etc).  It's not difficult to see that the Brady's diet is essentially a PALEO DIET.  Interestingly enough, Dr. David Seaman prescribed a similar diet in the pain journal Practical Pain Management several years ago, promoting something similar as a way to solve Chronic Pain caused by Inflammation (HERE).  About their diet, Campbell stated......

"80 percent of what they eat is vegetables.  I buy the freshest vegetables. If it’s not organic, I don’t use it. And whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, millet, beans. The other 20 percent is lean meats: grass-fed organic steak, duck every now and then, and chicken. As for fish, I mostly cook wild salmon. It’s very different than a traditional American diet. But if you just eat sugar and carbs—which a lot of people do—your body is so acidic."

Again, sounds pretty good to me.  I do think, however, that Campbell might benefit from a lesson in mathematics.  If 80% of their diet is vegetation and 20% is lean meats, I'm not sure how much grain they are really consuming.  My personal opinion is that the GRAINS and beans (lectins) might be more inflammatory for the Bradys than the nightshades --- unless they have an actual nightshade sensitivity.  Although you can get tested for this in several different ways, the best is one than anyone can do on their own, and it doesn't cost them a thing ---- an ELIMINATION DIET.  Nightshades can be extremely good for you --- even anti-inflammatory --- if you are not sensitive to them (most people are not).  However, I have treated any number of patients for which nightshades are a nightmare.  This is especially true in those with chronic, severe, all-over joint pain. 

Belluz is not too hip on diets like the Bradys.  After sharing with us that there is not much science backing these sorts of "restrictive," diets, she lets us know that for the average person, "cutting out junk food tends to be enough to do the trick."  On some level I would agree with her.  At the very least it's a FANTASTIC START.  But who is 'the average person' here in America?  They are are sedentary, OVERWEIGHT, fighting some sort of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, DEPRESSED, and extremely INFLAMED (take THIS simple test to see if you have too much Inflammation).  The Brady's are different.  They aren't average in any sense of the word.

Each relies on their body to make a living.   And while Gisele has "retired" from modeling, Tom has said that he wants to continue playing professional football until he's 45.  Although I personally believe this is wishful thinking, more power to him.  The only way he could conceivably accomplish this is by taking extraordinary care of his body.   Think about it this way.   With the tens of millions of dollars Brady makes each year between football and endorsements; if an ultra-strict diet can extend his career by even one year, he has paid for their personal chef and organic food a thousand times over.  Worst case scenario, he missed out on some ice cream sundaes --- eating in this manner is not going to somehow make him worse.

The biggest problem with Belluz' article is not about what the Brady's are doing with their diets, but the terrible advice being promoted by some of the experts she used to refute them --- namely one Christopher Cannon, a Harvard cardiologist.

"Many of the popular diets out there  -- Mediterranean, low-carb, low-fat -- all help reduce inflammation.  In any of these diets, people are cutting out saturated fat, doughnuts, french fries, all the bad things that promote inflammation. So that helps reduce inflammation very quickly." 

Belluz goes on to talk about the basic principles set forth in a book that Cannon wrote a decade ago called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Anti-Inflammation Diet.  Much of his advice is great.  Some of it is terrible.  For one, he actually tells readers to, "eat only unsaturated fats."  This goes hand in hand with him telling readers that LOW FAT DIETS are equal to LOW CARB DIETS (not surprising once you grasp THIS SAD FACT).  We've KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME THAT SATURATED FAT is not the great pariah is has been vilified as, and that following such advice is dangerous.  It is the low fat / fat free era that helped dramatically speed up the demise of our national health (HERE).

Other advice like, "eat lots of whole grains" sounds like a revival of the Food Pyramid --- or our government's recommended diet --- DASH.  Because of hybridization, GMO, and OTHER FACTORS, grains --- and particularly WHEAT and CORN ---- are nothing like they were 100 years ago.   And never forget that grain is what you feed farm animals to make them fat.  And as for his advice to, "eat plenty of fruits and vegetables" --- vegetables are distinctly different than fruits (HERE), and depending on what you are trying to accomplish with your diet (weight loss or ANTI-CANDIDA are two that come immediately to mind), you might want to all but totally avoid fruits --- at least for awhile. 

On top of all this, Cannon is one of the researchers --- a true industry insider who has heavily promoted any number of drugs, including EZETIMIBE / VYTORIN --- whose stated mantra, "lower is better" when it comes to cholesterol, actually changed governmental guidelines (HERE).  On his Amazon biography he goes on to talk about the, "benefit of lowering of LDL cholesterol to even lower levels than the currently revised guidelines using a new type of cholesterol-lowering medication in addition to statins."  As you can see from THIS POST, the lower-is-better thought process is another of the ideas that puts serious amounts of money in Big Pharma's pockets, even though it goes directly against the "EVIDENCE".

For those who want to understand why a Paleo Diet is the best overall diet for controlling inflammation, helping create your own personalized EXIT STRATEGY for getting out of pain or solving your chronic illnesses, or even LOSING WEIGHT and building lean body mass, all you need to do is follow THIS LINK (here is more about "WHY PALEO?") 

We can't all afford a personal chef, but eating healthy is MORE AFFORDABLE THAN YOU REALIZE.  Instead of bashing Tom and Gisele for the way they eat, we might all take a couple of lessons.  For those of you who are truly struggling with Chronic Pain and Chronic Inflammatory Degenerative Diseases or Autoimmunity, HERE is the post you need to read.