Not too long ago I wrote a BLOG POST on the difference between local health problems and systemic health problems.  For those of you dealing with TENDINOSIS, understanding the difference between the two is critical.  In fact, in many ways, Systemic Tendinosis and Local Tendinosis are two totally different problems that require two totally different approaches to treatment.  This blog post is in response to this email that I got just a couple of days ago.  Since I get a lot of similar emails, this post will allow me to simply send people a link in response to similar questions.

The problem is that this person is looking for a simple / mechanical / local solution (TISSUE REMODELING) to a complex systemic problem.  When a person has multiple-site Tendinosis (or MULTIPLE-SITE FASCIAL ADHESIONS for that matter) found on both sides of the body at several different locations, their problem is almost 100% certain to be systemic.  This means that there is undoubtedly an underlying problem that is affecting the whole body (as opposed to several local overuse or sprain / strain type of situations).  In my experience, these are usually caused by a drug reaction (ANTIBIOTICS and STATINS seem to be the biggest culprits) or an AUTOIMMUNE REACTION to one's own Connective Tissues.  Typically, you'll find that GLUTEN and LEAKY GUT SYNDROME are involved in the equation in some form or fashion.  The first thing that is critical to understand with Systemic Tendinosis is that Tissue Remodeling is not going to help.  In fact, it may make your problem worse.

Yeah; we help tons of people with local Tendinosis with a very minimal amount of treatment and expense (see HERE, or HERE).  But trying to break down tendinous adhesions that are the result of a systemic problem will simply result in more pain and dysfunction.  The key to solving Systemic Tendinosis is to figure out what is the underlying cause of the INFLAMMATION that is driving the problem.  I get it; Tendinosis is not an "Inflammatory" problem.  But if you have Systemic Inflammation coursing through your system, you are much more likely to have a wide variety of health problems, including bilateral, multiple-site Tendinosis. 

Some of the things that I recommend for dealing with Systemic Tendinosis (as well as most SYSTEMIC HEALTH PROBLEMS) are simple, common-sense sorts of interventions that will be the foundation for just about any customized treatment protocol.  Here is a short list.

• Do a Gluten Free Elimination Diet:   The GLUTEN-FREE ELIMINATION DIET is a big deal because GLUTEN and GLUTEN CROSS REACTORS are a huge driver of Systemic, Inflammatory, and Autoimmune processes.  There is a reason that you are hearing about Gluten every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine.
  

 

• Control your Blood Sugar and Eliminate Potentially Reactive Foods in the Process:  One of the biggest reasons that I promote a PALEO DIET for most of my patients has to do with the fact that the diet is extremely non-reactive.  The great side effect of this way of eating is that it will totally control your blood sugar levels in the process.  UNCONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR --- even in individuals who have 'normal' blood sugar readings (HERE) ---- is a leading cause of sickness and disease here in America.
  

 

• Drink Water and only Water:  This goes without saying.  I don't mind someone having some green tea, but if you are drinking SODA or other SUGARED drinks and trying to overcome Systemic Tendinosis, you are probably fighting a losing battle.  And on top of this, the average American is dehydrated to at least some degree.
  

 

• Fix your Gut:  GUT HEALTH is a critical part of healing any chronic problem.  There is an old axiom in natural medicine that says, "Heal the Gut; Heal the Body".  On many different levels and for many different problems, this statement is 100% accurate.
  

 

• Cold Laser Therapy:  I have a lot of different modalities (ultrasound, Russian stim, electrical stimulators, TENS, etc, etc) that sit in the basement of my office gathering dust.  The one and only modality I regularly use these days (for the past several years) is COLD LASER THERAPY.
  

 

• Take the Proper Supplements:  Although there are several supplements that could go here, I will mention a couple; LIGAPLEX.  Ligaplex by Standard Process has been around for a very long time, and actually provides people with the raw materials to heal and regenerate injured Connective Tissues.  Despite tendinosis itself not being considered to be "Inflammatory, the body is often in an inflammatory state.  Take PFGO.  Bear in mind that in the case of Autoimmune-driven Tendinosis, there might be several nutritional supplements to take.
  

There are certainly other things that could be put on the list, but this will provide people with a starting point.  If you have questions or concerns, be sure to read THIS POST.

Doctor Elizabeth Thomas and her team from the University of Colorado School of Medicine recently presented a yet-to-be published study to the annual meeting of the Endocrinology Society stating that women who skipped breakfast had a poor metabolic response to their lunch.  Her team concluded that when women skipped breakfast, they had larger 'spikes' of blood sugar and Insulin during later meals. According to her study, as many as one in five Americans skip breakfast, which, as she showed, sets people up for both TYPE II DIABETES and increased BMI (Body Mass Index --- weight gain). 

Some of the findings mentioned by Dr. Thomas' team concerning previous studies as related to the problems associated with not eating breakfast included....

• Impaired insulin sensitivity

• Increase food consumption later in the day

• Increased hunger

• Diminished ability to feel 'full'

• Poor lipid profiles (high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc)
  

Bear in mind, however, that I am beginning to realize that at least for some people, skipping breakfast is the single best thing they could do for themselves (HERE).

What I am not going to do in this post is give you a long list of things that can potentially cause PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME.  Over the course of many previous posts, I have essentially done that several times over (HERE).    What I am going to do is make this even more simple and break it down into two categories (these are assuming that your pain is not the result of a systemic disease process such as THIS). 

• There are those people dealing with Piriformis Syndrome that will, unfortunately, require surgery to attain any degree of lasting relief. 
  

• There are those who will be able to find relief from their problem without surgery. 

Fortunately, the vast majority of you who suffer with Piriformis Syndrome will not have to undergo surgery in order to find relief.  In fact, Piriformis Release Surgery is the last place you want to start (along with the endless MRI's, NCV's, CT's, EMG's, etc, that accompany it).  Why?  Just look around the internet, read the Piriformis Syndrome Message Boards, and check out what the Piriformis Syndrome Support Groups are saying.  Yeah; I get it ---- there are people who respond favorably to Piriformis Surgery.   But there are many who do not.  And once you have had a surgery, you cannot un-have it. 

The thing to remember is that even though the Piriformis Muscle is the place where the SCIATIC NERVE actually gets pinched / irritated / compressed / impinged, stretched, it is frequently not the primary source of said irritation. Allow me to explain.  Pelvic Distortion (SUBLUXATION) is a common cause of Piriformis Syndrome, and can occur almost anywhere ---- not just at the site of pain.  Many times, these patients will tell me that even though Chiropractic Adjustments are the only thing that helps them, they have to go back continually because they will not hold an adjustment more than a couple of days (or even a couple of hours).  This is because many times the cause of the Pelvic Distortion is relentless FACIAL ADHESIONS or TENDINOSIS.  They get adjusted but the Scar Tissue is constantly pulling the joint.  Again, these restrictions are often found in areas that are fairly distant from the point of pain.

HERE is an example of what I am talking about.  This is why sometimes I end up spending one hour, two hours, or even longer with these patients, trying to figure out where the primary Adhesions are. Some of these cases are like trying to solve a crazy three dimensional jigsaw puzzle.  Do I help everyone that comes to see me?  Certainly not.  However, if your particular case of Piriformis Syndrome can be helped without surgery, there is a good chance that I can figure it out for you (HERE and HERE).  I have many videos of patients who, before they came to see me, dealt with Piriformis Syndrome for decades.  You can see a few of them HERE or HERE.

According to doctors Olfson and Marcus of Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons (Department of Psychiatry), "Antidepressants have recently become the most commonly prescribed class of medication in the United States" (August 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry).   By far, the most popular of this class of drugs are the SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).    To see how these drugs work, go HERE.  

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about the relationship between OBESITY, DEPRESSION, AND LOSS OF LIBIDO.  As typical, I suggested a LOW CARB OR PALEO DIET as part of the solution to this problem.  Not surprisingly, I had a few people email me links to the research by Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT who has produced forty years worth of studies on sleep, mood, nutrition, and their relationship to neurotransmitters.   He has studies showing that Serotonin (the 'feel-good' neurotransmitter whose lack is thought to be a huge factor in developing Depression), is released due to the ingestion of dietary carbohydrates.  His wife is Dr. Judith Wurtman (also of MIT) who has published a book on the topic called The Serotonin Power Diet.  As you might imagine, she advocates a higher carb / low fat, lower protein approach to eating in order to boost mood.   There are many similar books on the market.   We have Potatoes Not Prozac and Natural Prozac by Dr. Joel C. Robertson (he advocates a higher carb approach).  But there are also books advocating a low carb approach such as Dr. Michael J. Norden's (Psychiatrist) Beyond Prozac.  What is the truth?  Our goal today is to sift the evidence and see what we find.

One of the big reasons that I am such an advocate of Paleo-type eating is that it is a highly non-reactive diet (HERE).  This is critical for those dealing with things like LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, AUTOIMMUNITY, HASHIMOTO'S THYROID DISEASE, FIBROMYALGIA, and a host of others.  I am personally very carb-sensitive --- particularly when it comes to grains.  In my clinic, I see lots of others who struggle with the same problem.  In fact, it is my opinion that grain sensitivity has become the new norm.   Just be aware that Paleo does not mean "Carb Free".   However, also be aware that a KETOGENIC DIET (virtually no carbohydrates) can often be a lifesaver for people struggling with seizure disorders or other Neurological / Psychiatric problems, including Depression.

Although there a lot of different theories floating around as to the cause(s) of DEPRESSION, the truth is that no one really knows.  My guess is that there are lots of potential causes of Depression.   There are a few things that we know for sure about Depression.  One is that it is considered to be an Inflammatory Disease.  If you are struggling with Depression but do not really understand INFLAMMATION, you need to read the link.  It will help you understand that you will be hard-pressed to control any of the Inflammatory Diseases (including Depression) with drugs alone.  In that same vein, I will soon show you why drugs are rarely if ever a long-term solution to Depression.  Another factor in Depression is lack of sunlight.  There are numerous studies on this topic, and helping yourself is not as difficult as you might suspect --- even if you live in the Arctic Circle (they make special lamps for this).  Probably the biggest factor in Depression, although it is not as well understood as many would have you believe, is the relationship / interplay between your body's various neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry nerve impulses across nerve synapses.  Interestingly enough, nerves (for instance, the SCIATIC NERVE) do not transmit impulses over their entire length in one long shot.  The impulses go from nerve cell to nerve cell, neuron to neuron via neurotransmitters.   There are tiny gaps between each nerve cell, which the neurotransmitter must cross.  These are called "synapses".  When discussing this topic, you will see the terms pre-synaptic (before the synapse) and post-synaptic (on the opposite side of the synapse, or after the synapse).   As the nerve impulse reaches the area of the synapse, the pre-synaptic vesicle releases its neurotransmitter across the synapse, where the proper receptor for that specific chemical senses it.  If the threshold is met, the nerve impulse continues on its way to the next synapse.  Think of these synapses as taking a plane ride, which, instead of being a direct flight, is made by taking tens of thousands of different connecting flights.

Although there are many others, a few of the more common neurotransmitters include things like.....

• GABA

• Acetylcholine

• Epinephrine (Adrenaline)

• Nor-epinephrine (Nor-adrenaline)

• Serotonin

• Dopamine

When any of these neurotransmitters get depleted or out of balance in relationship to each other, bad things start to happen.  It can affect your mood, your sleep habits, your ability to think logically, your sex drive, your ambition, as well as a host of others.  Today we will spend some time touching on the relationship between the amount of carbohydrates one chooses to eat or not eat, neurotransmitters, and Depression.

I'll admit it.  Sometimes I get wrapped up in "scientific facts" and miss the forest for the trees.  I did this with LOW FAT / FAT FREE eating back in the late 80's and early 90's.  I have been recently guilty of following the pack and referring to Serotonin as a "feel good" neurotransmitter.  While this is probably true on some level, when it comes to the human body, nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems.  It is all about achieving a natural balance.  Even though the current hype tells us that in order to defeat Depression, we need to increase Serotonin production (or inhibit its reuptake) in one way or another, is this really the case?

There is a growing body of evidence that seems to show that Dopamine is probably more associated with well being and feeling good than is Serotonin.  While there are a whole host of drugs that modulate specific areas of the brain or neurotransmitter function, it can be done naturally as well via DIET / EXERCISE, SLEEP, touch, SEX, certain emotions, and even sunlight.  It is important to remember that Serotonin (particularly 'excess' Serotonin) should probably not be thought of as a 'feel good' hormone.  In fact, there are many who believe that the nature of Serotonin might actually be 180 degrees opposite of what we have learned.  Part of the problem is that Serotonin is known to upregulate the steroid hormones --- including the glucocorticoids; namely CORTISOL --- your body's primary stress hormone (think adrenal glands here).

From the early 1980's (Fuller in 1981, Petraglia in 1984, Stark in 1985, Potter in 1985, Lesieur in 1985, Frances in 1987; Manier in 1987, etc), we have known that SSRI-like medications can stimulate the body's adenergenic system (adrenaline or nor-adrenaline) to the point that Cortisol levels are doubled.  If you have even a cursory understanding of what Cortisol does to the body, this should at least make you apprehensive about SSRI's.  Yes, they may very well make you feel "good".  I have never told patients that Cortisone will not make them feel better --- at least for the short-term.  However, I do tell them that the side-effects of this medication are numerous, brutal, and frequently permanent (HERE).  It all begs the question as to what happens to endogenous Cortisol production in a person who is taking daily doses of Serotonin-boosting substances?  It's simple.  Among other things, they kick in the adrenal glands, potentially moving patients towards a state of SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE.  While this certainly gives them a seeming 'boost' of energy, it is frying their system and dumping in Cortisol.

Thus, Serotonin --- particularly increased levels ---- is not necessarily the mood panacea that it has been made out to be.  As you are beginning to see, Serotonin is actually a component of the body's response to stress.  Take it to the next logical step.  Since higher levels of Serotonin increase Cortisol levels, and high Cortisol levels are associated with weight gain --- particularly BELLY FAT, is it any wonder that SSRI's are themselves associated with weight gain (as are most Psych Drugs).  So much so that Dr. Judith Wurtman, author of The Serotonin Power Diet, wrote an article for the Huffington Post almost exactly three years ago called, "10 Tips to Prevent Weight Gain on Antidepressants". 

The thing that is critical to grasp is that SSRI's cover the effects of Depression by providing a prolonged boost of stimulation via the adenergic system.  And when you want to get off of that SSRI, it's going to be tough because the Serotonin System has been down-regulated ---- part of the reason that the statistics for SSRI use are so shockingly high.  Creating an artificial imbalance in your neurotransmitters may for a short time make you feel better, but in the long run it will cause problems and create a dependence.  Anytime you have what the body believes to be 'enough' of a certain substance in the body, it will down-regulate it.  Let me give you an example of down-regulation from the world of hardcore Strength Training / Bodybuilding.

In the pursuit of bigger, stronger muscles, many individuals have taken Anabolic Steroids (synthetic forms of Testosterone or GH).  How does the body respond to this surge in male androgenic hormones?  Men (and women) get cranky ('roid rage'), aggressive, and horny (that is what testosterone does for both men and women ---- but it also causes PCOS, in which case it actually diminishes sex drive).  As you might have already guessed, this can be a potentially dangerous combination.   But there is obvious evidence that the system, while being artificially pumped up, is actually being down-regulated and suppressed.  One of the common male side effects of taking steroids is testicular atrophy (shrinkage).  Think about why this might be true.  Oversimplified; since there is an over-abundance of testosterone in the body,  it says to itself, "hey; I don't need any more of this stuff".  Thus, it down-regulates testosterone production in the testicles.   In the case of Anabolic Steroids, this can be so dramatic that the testicles dramatically atrophy / shrink / shrivel.   Since shriveled testes don't make much testosterone, the bodybuilder will either go back on the steroids, or try and take a substance (a popular one is human chorionic gonadotropin --- does anyone remember the hCG diet?) to 're-start' their own endogenous production.

Now imagine that this downregulation is going on with the Serotonin System.  As the SSRI's inhibit the post-synaptic reuptake of Serotonin (see the first link in this post), the body sees this as an abundance (or over-abundance as the case may be) of the neurotransmitter.  What do you think this does?  Of course, the body begins to down-regulate the production of Serotonin ----- of which about 95% occurs in the Gut.  The actual medical term for this is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation Syndrome.  The symptoms include things described as electric shock-like sensations ("brain zaps," "brain shocks," "brain shivers," "brain pulse-waves," "head shocks," "pulses," "flickers," or "cranial zings" are a few of the names for these), as well as dizziness, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremors, confusion, nightmares, and vertigo.  Many people also get symptoms which look suspiciously like Depression.

First off, everyone is different.  What works for me might not work for you.  Secondly, I am simply providing information.  The contents of this post are not meant to diagnose or treat diseases of any kind.  If you feel you have an actual disease, please seek medical attention immediately. 

How do we balance neurotransmitters?  How do we prevent receptor desensitization on the post-synaptic membrane?  And how do we prevent Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation Syndrome?  The first thing to understand that taking SSRI's is highly likely to down-regulate innate Serotonin production via receptor desensitization.  The key is to get the system rebooted and working again after going off these drugs (or making it work more effectively even if you have never taken SSRI's).  If, in fact, your body is not making enough Serotonin, the first question you must ask is why.  I believe that there are two chief reasons......

• INFLAMMATION:  Interestingly enough, numerous "psychiatric" (brain) issues have INFLAMMATION at their root.  If you do not understand Inflammation, it is imperative that you click on the link and take just a couple of minutes to learn. Knowing how to address Inflammation will help you with almost any disease process you can imagine --- including Depression.
  

• POOR GUT HEALTH:  As I just told you, the vast majority of the Serotonin in your body is manufactured in your Gut (about 95%).  POOR GUT HEALTH, DYSBIOSIS, ANTIBIOTICS, DRUGS OF ALL SORTS (both prescription and non-prescription), food sensitivities such as GLUTEN, as well as a host of others, can upset the body's balance and cause a wide variety of problems, including LEAKY GUT SYNDROME (which almost always ends up as some sort of AUTOIMMUNE ISSUE).  Although your doctor will not talk to you about Leaky Gut, it is very real, backed by over 10,000 peer-reviewed medical studies, and is a full-blown epidemic here in America.  Be aware that the medical community usually calls it Increased Intestinal Permeability.
  

The way I recommend that most of my patients deal with these two problems is to eat a LOW CARB / PALEO DIET.  Not only is this diet extremely non-reactive, it provides ample protein ---- something which people who follow a VEGAN DIET can be hard-pressed to do.

If Serotonin needs to be boosted, it can be boosted naturally, while essentially remaining on a Low Carb diet.  The goal is to make sure that there is ample Serotonin at the post-synaptic receptor without having so much that the desensitization process and subsequent down-regulation of the system occurs.  Be aware that certain foods have the capability of accomplishing this.  Insulin not only removes sugar from the bloodstream, it removes amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) as well --- that is, it removes all but Tryptophan.   Tryptophan is the amino acid that is said to make you "sleepy" (Tryptophan is the precursor to Serotonin, which is the precursor to Melatonin).  This is why a glass of warm milk is said to be beneficial in helping people sleep. 

The secret to using Tryptophan as a booster of Serotonin is to use it purposefully and at the right time.  Simply giving in to a CARB ADDICTION because it temporarily gives you an energy and mood boost via the adrenals, does not fall into this category.  Since we know that a high carb diets have the ability to increase Serotonin levels, using this knowledge strategiclly could help us to boost Serotonin levels at the proper time.  Just make sure that you eat your carbs at the same time you eat Tryptophan.  Another popular Serotonin booster is the supplement 5-HTP --- a precursor of Serotonin.

This debate over Serotonin is essentially the repackaged debate between the Vegans and the Paleo Adherents.  Suffice it to say that Dr. Wurtman's is not the final voice on this subject.  Dr. Emily Deans' Evolutionary Psychiatry website has tons of information (often using Wurtman's own studies) which shows that everything is not what it always seems as far as high carbs and Serotonin is concerned.  Some of her articles on the subject include Carbs and Serotonin, A Connection After All?;  Do Carbs Keep You Sane?; and More About Sunlight, Food, And Serotonin. 

Dean, however, is not the only voice crying out from the wilderness.  When doing the research for this post, I quickly realized the overwhelming amount of evidence stacking up against the status quo ideas on the subject.  There is tons of information out there saying that high carb is not the best solution to boosting mood and aiding those with Depression.  In fact, if you were paying attention, you realize that many, if not most of these people, are questioning whether you really want to boost Serotonin in the first place.  Regardless, eating Low Carb, does not mean 'No Carb' (although KETOGENIC DIETS have been proven to be quite effective for large numbers of people dealing with Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases).

The thing about carbohydrates is that they are not all created equal --- far from it (HERE).  What carbohydrates do I recommend while eating a Low Carb Diet (by the way, in the same way that there about a jillion different versions of Vegans, there are about the same numbers of variations on what constitutes a Paleo Diet)? 

• Firstly, remember that if you are eating carbs to boost your mood without eating foods that are high in Tryptophan, you are getting that boost purely from your adrenals.  This is dangerous and will lead to ADRENAL FATIGUE / FIBROMYALGIA.  Proof of this is the way that your heart races after eating a ton of sugar.  This is purely an adrenal response.  Overstimulate your adrenals and you end up with all sorts of problems.  And unfortunately, when you start throwing one area of the ENDOCRINE SYSTEM out of whack, others are sure to follow.
  

 

• Secondly, DO NOT eat your carbs in the form of sugary junk.  This should go without saying, but many people will use any excuse to get their hands on some junk carbs --- especially those who are seriously ADDICTED. 

 

• Thirdly, make sure that the carbohydrates you are eating are high in glucose and not fructose.  There are a bundle of studies showing that glucose is not nearly the problem that fructose is ---- particularly HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.  This means that you may need to stay away from certain fruits. 
  

 

• Fourthly, GRAIN-BASED CARBS are one of the worst ways to boost carbohydrate intake.  My chief source of carbohydrate is Sweet Potato.  There are a few others that are fine.  I also do some rice (a mixture of brown and wild, long grain).

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If you have not heard of the Executive Order that Obama signed along with several hundred others (this one on January 9th of this year) called The White River National Blueways, you need to educate yourself. This is a big deal, because the government botches just about everything they put their hand to (the Affordable Care Act is a great example).  Contact your legislators (both state and federal) about this huge land grab against the people of Missouri and Arkansas.  1/6th of Missouri counties are affected, and 1/3rd of Arkansas counties are affected by this Executive Order.   Here are a few of the highlights taken directly from the Order.   Note that the words in red are taken directly from the Strategic Plan for the Ozark Blueways.

• Establish 180 ft wide vegetative buffers along ALL surface water:   Note that this says, all surface water.  Do you live in one of the affected counties and have a pond / lake, creek, or spring on your property?  If so, you will need to do some serious fencing.  And what if you actually live within 180 feet of said surface water?  I guess it doesn't matter much as long as you don't love your home.

• Recruit the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service:  This part of the plan has over half a million acres being put into the Blueway to be managed by several federal organizations.  The plan talks repeatedly about "direct land acquisition".

• Develop Conservation plans for 75% of the farms in the designated watersheds:   This means that you no longer control or manage your farm --- the government does. You think you'll be able to get anything done or make a living on your farm?  Think again.

• Complete restoration of 90,000 acres of farmland to desired condition for wildlife: Stop and think about this for a moment.  We have 1 in 6 Americans on food stamps (HERE), and a supposed hunger problem.  So, the solution is to take nearly 100,000 acres out of production so that snakes and birds can live more comfortably?  That way you can pay extra high prices at the grocery store for Brazilian beef.

• Recruit Farm Bureau offices in both states to the Blueway managing body:   Lets get as many governmental organizations in on this as is possible since our bureaucracy is not nearly big enough already. 

• Control encroachment of human activities into the existing floodplain:  What does this really mean? Of course you already know/  It means more rules and regulations, more government intervention and control, and more of your tax dollars flushed down the toilet.  Oh, do you like to hunt, fish, or spend time on the rivers (HERE)?   Large numbers of those who are pushing this agenda want to see these things outlawed as they harm the environment.

• Initiate the increase of annual, seasonal flooding of agricultural lands for wildlife habitat by 10%:  Just what we all need ---- MORE flooding.   Are you kidding me?  Who thinks this stuff up? Oh yeah; those who hide behind the "Green" label, and Washington bureaucrats, who, even though they don't live here, think they know what is best for you, your land, your business, and your family.

• Setback levees to restore historic floodplain habitat:  Flooding will be dramatically increased because levees will either be moved or taken out. 

• Complete reduction of on-farm, consumptive water use by 15%:   More rules and regulations, still more government control, and more permits and inspections that you will have to pay for either directly or via tax dollars.

• Complete approval of Cache River National Wildlife Refuge boundry by 102,000 acres. Complete approval of White River NWR expansion area boundry by 125,000 acres:   This is over a quarter million acres of expansion!  More taxes, more governmental control and still another expansion of government! 

Folks; the bullet points above are just a small taste of what Ozarkers are in for if we don't stop the implementation of Obama's plan.  Our country is 17 trillion dollars in debt and teetering on the brink of insolvency (even though the average person may not have realized this yet).  The last thing we need is more government bureaucrats controlling our lives and our business.   If you live in the Ozarks but don’t know about Blueways, you’ll need to be at the meeting of the PRC (Property Rights Congress) in Mountain Grove, on Thursday, June 27th at the Hayloft Restaurant (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm).

In a Canadian study that was published just days ago in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Statin Toxicity From Macrolide Antibiotic Coprescription: A Population-Based Cohort Study), nearly 150,000 older individuals were observed for interactions between their ANTIBIOTICS and STATIN DRUGS.  As you can see from the links, both of these classes of drugs are extremely dangerous when taken by themselves (particularly the FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS), however, when taken in tandem, the combination proved deadly for a significantly greater number of individuals than those not taking the drugs at all.  Once you understand the relationship between GUT HEALTH, CHOLESTEROL, and one's overall health, you can't be too surprised.

Although the number one side effect of statin drugs in this study was RHABDOMYOLYSIS (something I discussed concerning statin drugs just the other day -- HERE), the study showed that when combined with CERTAIN ANTIBIOTICS, the risk was increased for statin toxicity in the form of kidney damage, hospitalization, and yes, even death. 

Seriously people; if you want to nip both infections and high cholesterol in the bud, understanding THIS CONCEPT (strict control of sugar and carbs) is the best way to do it (HERE is a great example).  Oh; for the record, things were actually worse than the study actually concluded because the authors admitted that, "The absolute risk increase for rhabdomyolysis may be underestimated because the codes used to identify it were insensitive."  Just remember that statins are cruddy drugs not just because of their myriad of nasty side effects, but because they don't get to the root of the reason you have high cholesterol in the first place --- RUNAWAY INFLAMMATION.

For those of you struggling with your health, it's your lucky day.  Make sure and read THIS POST about what it will take to turn your life and health around.  Then find someone to partner with and hold you accountable and get started today!

I have written over and over and over again about the farce that is EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE.   This post's example of 'doublespeak' looks like it came straight from Orwell's 1984.    EBM is one of those feel-good names that purposefully sounds all warm and fuzzy.  But as I have shown you time and again, the reality is something totally different --- something that at times is actually sinister.  Evil might be a better word.   Is it any wonder that the public is losing faith in the system?

The problem of fraudulent research was so pervasive back in my youth that world renowned pediatrician, DR. ROBERT MENDELSOHN, had a chapter on the subject (The Devil's Priests) in his 1979 offering Confessions of a Medical Heretic.   Dr. Mark Studin recently stated in the American Chiropractor that, "Evidence-Based Medicine is NOT the trend.  A perversion of Evidence-Based Medicine has become the trend and is here for the foreseeable future".  We now have yet another study verifying this fact, and throwing a newly-discovered load of feces our faces.

"Invisible and abandoned".  That is how the latest issue of one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals on the planet ---- the British Medical Journal (BMJ) ---- described what is taking place in today's medical research.  As I have shown you, it is really nothing new.  And it is certainly not much different than the revelations made by the New England Journal of Medicine 15 years ago that virtually 100% of the peer-reviewed scientific research on pharmaceuticals (drugs) is tainted by serious and usually multiple FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.  That problem was (and still is) so wide-spread that The Journal said that it was impossible to find research that was not conflicted.  Now they simply list the conflicts (many studies have slews).   Now the impetus is shifting to studies that are considered "INVISIBLE & ABANDONED".  But what does this mean?  Allow me to explain.

Let's say that I am working at Mountain View University's Pfizer Research Center, doing a project on a new drug for AUTOIMMUNITY.  The research does not quite turn out the way all involved (the university, the researchers, the drug company, the ad agency, the manufacturing facility, the shareholders, etc, etc,) hoped it would.  So instead of publishing the results of the study, which would publicly reveal its failure, it is simply buried and forgotten.  Let me give you an example of the way that unpublished studies work using Wi Golf. 

Although my family are not big TV watchers or video gamers, we do have a Wi.  When we got it several years ago, it did not take me long to get fairly decent at Wi Golf (this despite the fact that I play golf about once every other year).  My best score for 9 holes was 10 under par, which put me at the level of "Pro".  The problem is, sometimes (more often than not) I would shoot a crappy round.  I soon discovered that if I were having a cruddy round, I could simply 'reset' the machine before I putted the ball into the cup on the ninth hole.  This way the poor score was not counted or calculated against my average.  So instead of an average that reflected my good rounds and my bad rounds, my average made me look like an enhanced version of Tiger Woods on PED's.  It also happens to be how I am the reigning world record holder in consecutively made free throws (over 40,000 --- HERE).

Due to Sunshine Laws and the Freedom of Information Act, a group of scientists led by Dr Peter Doshi of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, recently looked through nearly 200,000 pages of abandoned studies.  His group published their results in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal ("Restoring Invisible and Abandoned Trials: A Call for People to Publish the Findings").  What did the findings reveal?  Only what you already knew.  That companies with huge names (PFIZER, GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Roche, and others) have altered, doctored, or left out results of trials for popular drugs like Tamiflu, Neurontin, Seroquel, Paxil, Plavix, and numerous others, for decades.

The efforts of these doctors might be paying off.  Under the aptly named Restoring Invisible and Abandoned Trials act (aka, the RIAT Act ----- this is not a law, but private individuals using the threat of disclosure to get companies to do their own disclosure), the tide might start to turn.  The RIAT Act is being publicly supported by both BMJ and PLoS Medicine.  In a recent editorial, the editors of these two medical journals said, "public confidence in the credibility of medical research is at a low ebb.....   [this has to do with the fact that there is a] crisis of hidden or misrepresented information."  Am I holding my breath in the hopes that this makes any sort of difference in the very near future?  I certainly am not.  Why my pessimism on the topic?   Just listen to a quote by Dr. David Eddy, former professor of Health Policy and Management at Duke University, as told a medical conference in Manchester, England and published in BMJ (Where is the Wisdom) --- back in October of 1991.

Despite the fact that American physicians and doctor groups continue to decry home births, much (if not most) of the rest of the world must surely wonder what all the fuss is about.  A recent study of 150,000 Dutch women who were classified as "low risk" was published in the current issue of one of the oldest medical journals on the planet; the British Medical Journal.  The results?  Low risk women who had given birth previously and planned a home birth, had half the number of serious complications as did women of the same group who had a planned their delivery to be in a hospital setting.  For those of you who decided against home births because they are "dangerous" re-read that last sentence.

For women who were having their first child, the rate of serious complication was 1 per 1,000 higher in the home birth group than in the hospital group.  When you put all of this together, it is probably why the rate of home births in Denmark is almost 50% higher than hospital births (in America, home births are less than 1% of all births).  Could things ever work like this here in America?  Not as long as groups like the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics have official policies against home births.  In fact, the AAP's policy statement against home births says this about home births, "Obstacles are pervasive and systemic and include wide variation in state laws and regulations, lack of appropriately trained and willing providers, and lack of supporting systems to ensure the availability of specialty consultation and timely transport to a hospital".  All of these "obstacles" to home births could be easily changed if the medical community wanted to change them.  The truth is, there is not much money in a home birth.

And although C-sections can be potentially life saving surgeries, they were probably the chief reason that the risk factor was actually higher for hospital births than home births in this study (HERE).  In fact, the study's authors went as far as actually stating in BMJ that, "It is important to limit the use of caesarean section because of its association with various adverse outcomes at the current birth, and the risk of uterine scar rupture during the next pregnancy and birth." 

My suggestion in this matter is simple.  If you are a healthy woman who takes care of herself, talk to a competent midwife about the potential for a home birth.  Our midwife had done over 1,000 home births when our daughter was born over 13 years ago.  Is there potential for things to go wrong?  Certainly.  But as you see in this study, with a competent mid-wife, home births for healthy women are actually quite safe and should not automatically be treated as a pathological condition requiring all sorts of medical intervention.

Because there are such a wide variety of ways that it occurs, every patient I treat with PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME is a learning experience.  It is like figuring out a complex, 3-dimensional puzzle.  Just last week I saw a gentleman from Utah who had been dealing with progressively worsening Piriformis Syndrome (bilateral) for about a decade.  Having spent tens of thousands of dollars on his problem, he was reluctant to get on a plane and come to Southern Missouri on what he thought might be a wild goose chase.  However, it appears to be paying off.

His case was interesting in that, he had FASCIAL ADHESIONS in his GROIN / HIP FLEXORS bilaterally, his buttocks, his THORACOLUMBAR FASCIA, his HAMSTRINGS, and his perinium.  It was crazy.  If the results hold up like I am hoping they will, you'll be watching a video of him in a couple of weeks.