DEPRESSION DRUGS FOR CHILDREN |
The Saturday of Labor Day weekend, my best fiend's mom passed away --- almost three years to the day after HIS DAD passed. I was just south of St Louis at my in-laws, and had brought THE MOTORCYCLE because the rest of the family had gone up a couple days earlier. |
Although there was certainly sadness for the passing of the family matriarch, ILENE, the day was really a celebration of her and Paul's life together. For instance; one of the kids (Jonah?) found an old slide projector and slides --- all of them four to five decades old. It was an incredible time watching everyone's reactions to the slides and listening to their stories.
That afternoon, Rick approached me about taking care of someone's shoulder. After working on one person, it sort of snowballed. Several people told me of chronic (long-standing) problems they had been struggling with, and I spent a couple of hours working on anyone who needed. I felt honored to be able to give something back to a few of the people who have become a second family to me. Below is an email I received from DREONA'S husband -- a law enforcement officer in PA.
Following an incident that occurred while conducting an arrest, I had severe neck and upper back pain that kept me up at night and inhibited my movements during my work day. While at a recent family function, Dr. Russ Schierling performed Scar tissue remodeling treatment on me. After the procedure, I instantly felt the pain release from my neck and upper back. That night I slept for the first time in months without waking, and I am now able go through my workday pain free. - Jeremy Breton
MORE ABOUT FASCIA
Fortunately, fascia is shedding its reputation as the "redheaded stepchild" of Anatomy & Physiology, and is slowly claiming its rightful place at the forefront of the study of the structure and function of the human body (HERE'S a recent example). When I talk about "function" I am speaking of things much greater than simple joint motion or tissue support. There is actually research showing that facial function is intimately related to the proper function of various organ systems, the nervous system, and even the immune system.
In fact, we are seeing that fascia is not just a tissue, but a Tissue System, which, like the nervous system, connects every part of your body to every other part of your body (HERE). This means that anything that disrupts the fascia is bad news --- potentially really bad news. The most up-to-date fascial research is showing us that FASCIAL ADHESIONS can cause the body to dysfunction in a wide variety of ways ---- ways that not only cause pain, but can cause sickness as well. Unfortunately, to the untrained practitioner, the two problems ---- Fascial Restrictions and the various systemic illnesses they are associated with ----- are all too often "seemingly unrelated problems" (HERE).
We have recently learned that fascia can contract on its own --- similar to muscle tissue (HERE). Besides this, research has shown that both stress and systemic acidity can cause fascia to go into a perpetual state of contraction. On top of all this, the fascia is also known to be embedded with nerve fibers from the Sympathetic Nerve System (FIGHT OR FLIGHT). Put all of this information together and it is not difficult to grasp that POOR DIETS, improper (or not enough) EXERCISE, HIGH STRESS LEVELS, etc can play a huge part in the development of fascial problems --- or more particularly, in the inability of many people to be able to defeat their underlying fasical injury and dysfunction (HERE).
THORACOLUMBAR FASCIA AND CHRONIC BACK PAIN
Although most doctors are adept at convincing patients they have found the source of the pain, the research tells a much different story. I have chronicled this fact in the Blog Posts in the previous paragraph. Suffice it to say that the majority of the adult American population is walking around with disc bulges, degenerative discs, rotator cuff tears, and heaven only knows what other issues (CANCER for instance), are completely unaware because they have not yet developed pain or overt symptoms. In plain English; MRI's are not predictive of whether or not you will have back pain or how long it is going to last.
The renowned biomechanist Dr. Manohar Panjabi, who along with Dr. Augustus White wrote the classic 1990 textbook, "Clinical Biomechanics of the Spine" published a paper in the prestigious medical journal, European Spine, suggesting that we need to think about a whole new model of back pain. Dr. Schleip and his team of researchers of Germany's Ulm University Fascia Research Team verified what Dr. Panjabi was saying, going as far as stating that.......
"Subfailure injuries in spinal ligamentous tissues can lead to chronic low back via related muscle control dysfunction and resulting tissue changes including subsequent neural inflammation. Based on the positioning of the lumbar fascia and several other indicators we subsequently published a response in the same journal, in which we suggested that micro injuries in the posterior layer of the human lumbar fascia should be included in that model as a potential back pain generator."
They then backed the statement up with studies by Vermont University's famed fascia / TENSEGRITY researcher, Helen Langevin, M.D., and Nagoya University's Dr. Toru Taguchi. Their research indicates that microscopic fascial injuries can trigger an entire cascade of altered physiological responses that are thought to play a major role in the development of both acute and chronic low back pain. It seems though that most clinicians do not grasp the all-encompassing effects of injured fascia, and seem to have only a cursory understanding of what it really is, what it really does, how to asses it, and how to effectively treat it (HERE is an example concerning low back pain --- make sure you watch the 5 second videos).
WHAT IS FASCIA?
Although it was terribly misunderstood and often all but ignored as unimportant, you can see from the above quote that anatomists have been discussing fascia for hundreds of years. You yourself have learned a little bit about this amazing tissue and may be starting to wonder if your pain and / or health problems might possibly be related to problems with your fascia.
"Fascia Proper" is not difficult to understand. These are the the fascial "bands" or "sheaths" that cover muscles. However, this is only the beginning of really understanding fascia. You must be aware that when you see any of these terms listed below (from Drs. Langevin & Huijing), you are almost certainly talking about fascia. This list, by the way, will help you understand why fascia is said to be the most abundant Connective Tissue in the body!
- Dense Connective Tissue (This is tissue that is made up of collagen fibers. Dense connective tissue forms strong, rope-like structures such as tendons and ligaments, as well as the lower layers of the skin.)
- Areolar Connective Tissue (These tissues hold the organs in place and attache the lower layers of the skin to deeper underlying tissues (HERE).
- Superficial Fascia (This is the fascial layer lying directly underneath the skin. It contains both Dense and Areolar Connective Tissue, as well as fat --- see previous link.)
- Deep Fascia (This is what most of us think of when we think of fascia. The Deep Fascia is often called, "Investing Fascia" and is a layer of fascia which can surround individual muscles, and divide groups of muscles into compartments. This is the dense fibrous connective tissue that interpenetrates and surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels of the body. It provides connection and communication in the form of ligaments, tendons, RETINACULUM, joint capsules, and septa. The Deep Fascia covers all bone (periosteum and endosteum); cartilage (perichondrium), and blood vessels (tunica externa). It also becomes highly specialized in MUSCLES (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium) and nerves (epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium). The high density of COLLAGEN FIBERS is what gives the Deep Fascia its strength and integrity, not to mention its elasticity. Make sure to look at it's relationship to STRETCHMARKS as well.
- Intermuscular Septa (These are the sheaths of fascia that separate individual muscles from other individual muscles that might be working opposite each other. These work in concert with the Epimysium.)
- Interosseal Membrane (Interosseous Membranes are broad and thin planes of fascia that separate certain bones from certain other bones. For instance, these fascial membranes can be found between the tibia and fibula of the lower leg, as well as between the radius and ulna of the lower arm.)
- Periosteum (This is the thin layer of membrane that is the outermost tissue of all bones. You can see it if you pick at a chicken bone.)
- Neurovascular Tract (Often called the Neurovascular Bundle, this fascial tissue surrounds and envelops nerves, arteries, veins and lymphatics that tend to travel together in the body.)
- Epimysium (This is is a layer of connective tissue, which surrounds the entire muscle like a sheath. It is composed of dense irregular connective tissue. It is continuous with fascia and other connective tissue wrappings of muscle including the endomysium, and perimysium. It is also continuous with tendons where it becomes thicker and collagenous. The epimysium also protects muscles from friction against other muscles and bones.)
- Aponeurosis (APONEUROSES are layers of flat broad tendons. They have a shiny, whitish-silvery color, are actually considered to be tendons. The primary regions with thick aponeurosis are in the abdominal area, the lower back, and in the PALM OF THE HAND and the PLANTAR FASCIA. Their primary function is to join muscles and the body parts the muscles act upon, whether it be bone or muscle.)
- Perimysium (In a muscle --- the biceps, for instance --- there are thousands of bundles of individual muscle fibers that are bound by sheaths of fasica. These fascial sheaths called Perimysium wrap groups of these muscle fibers (anywhere between 10 to 100 or more) into bundles.)
- Endomysium (This is where things get crazy. We just saw where the Perimysium surrounds bundles of muscle fibers. The Endomyisum is the fascia that ensheaths each individual muscle fiber.
Although the "Father of Osteopathy", DR ANDREW TAYLOR STILL touted fascia as being one of the most significant tissues in the body clear back in the late 1800's, there was no scientific evidence to back up his claims. Mind you; there was plenty of evidence ---- it was just that it was not in the form of double blinded, placebo controlled studies (it was "anecdotal" --- aka TESTIMONIAL). The explosion of two brand new branches of healing (Chiropractic and Osteopathy), created huge amounts of experiential evidence. However, until very recently, this type of evidence was not accepted by mainstream medicine. They wanted research, studies (RCT's), and hard empirical facts. Now that there is ample amounts of research, we find that much of it is largely ignored, despite the recent emphasis on something called "EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE").
And although these early practitioners ---- pioneers in the field of manipulation and body work ---- made it clear that that fascia was not just a tissue scrap left over from last week's anatomy dissection, they did not have the evidence to prove scientifically that what they were discovering with their patients was in any way connected to fascia despite the fact that very passing day brought new evidence that fascia plays a much bigger part than its obvious supporting role. Think about it, Dr. Still was touting fascia as not only the most abundant Connective Tissue in the body, but one that is intimately involved in its structure, function, neurology, immunology, and metabolism ---- well over a century before some of these things could be "proven".
Although most of the Medical Community does not take a position on this one way or another (hey, IF IT DOES NOT SHOW UP ON AN MRI, it can't be too important can it?), the current research has made it painfully obvious that practitioners can no longer look at muscles, joints, and numerous other tissues as something different and unrelated to fascia, because they are so intimately connected. According to the most current available fascial research today, we know that Fascia does far more than was ever imagined by even some of those who are "in the know". According to brilliant scientists like Harvard's Donald Ingber (M.D. Ph.D) and Dr. Tom Meyers, founder of Anatomy Trains (links provided earlier), we are becoming increasingly aware of the amazing relationship between the structural and functional integrity of the body's soft tissues. And it is fascia that seems to be the common denominator in all of this.
Although it is often difficult for people in pain to grasp the fact; local problems do not exist in isolation. The Kinetic Chain is just that ---- a chain of structure and motion. Not to sound New-Agey here, but the new breed of healers --- the successful healers of tomorrow --- will grasp the fact that science can no longer look at the body as it currently does; simply as a bunch of individual parts that are related to each other. As the great Greek philosopher Aristotle taught, the whole organism is much greater than the sum of its individual parts. We must begin to recognize the musculoskeletal system for what it is ---- an almost unfathomably complicated group of inter-related tissues, working in unison (HERE). And as we are increasingly seeing from Fascia Research, the failure of these tissues to work together in harmony, causes not only chronic pain but sickness and dis-ease.
- Renowned Endocrinologist / Neurologist, Dr. Helene Langevin (M.D.) of the University of Vermont's College of Medicine has been studying acupuncture since 1986. In a recent study she showed that new technology has made it possible to actually visualize fascia as layers slide over each other. This is done by using diagnostic ultrasound and elastography. Videos taken using this technique show unhindered movement of the Thoracolumbar Fascia in people with no back pain (these are the videos I mentioned earlier in the post). However, people with back pain typically exhibit restriction and adhesion of their Thoracolumbar Fascia.
- I have spoken at length about the fact that SCAR TISSUE is neurologically very different from normal tissue. Interestingly enough, some of this information is becoming mainstream. Dr. Alena Kobesova (M.D.) is a neurologist and physiatrist at the Rehabilitation Department of Charles University's School of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. According to some of her most recent work, scars that are neurologically active (father of Applied Kinesiology, Dr. George Goodheart, spoke extensively about this decades ago) can subtly alter or inhibit spinal motion. Many patients perceive this abnormal joint motion as low back pain. She has shown that pain of this nature can often be relieved by treating neurologically active scars in the abdominal and pubic region (think surgeries here; particularly C-scections). A prime example of this in our clinic can be seen HERE.
- Italian P.T. Luigi Stecco's family (his children Carla and Antonio are both M.D.'s who carry on his work), have made some incredible breakthroughs in our knowledge of fascia. Their work with fresh, unembalmed cadavers has shown that when fascia is mechanically overstressed, irritated, or immobile; the collagen matrix becomes inflamed and disorganized. The result is something they refer to as "FASCIAL DENSIFICATION" --- a thickening, FIBROSIS, and adhesed tissue. South African P.T., Willie Fourie, has shown that this process of fascial thickening and adhesion causes abnormal joint motion, abnormal muscle function, and ABNORMAL PROPRIOCEPTION. As function is impaired, motor control is lost. Fascia expert, Tom Myers (who studied with some of the heavy hitters in the bodywork field such as Dr. Ida Rolf, Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, and Dr. Buckminster Fuller), has shown how local adhesion, tissue fibrosis, scar tissue, and restriction, cause patterns of aberrant motion that can adversely affect the whole body (see the links in this paragraph).
- Fascia is the "new" Nerve system. It allows every part of the body to communicate with every other part of the body in a manner similar to, but different than nerve conduction. Interestingly enough, nerve impulses travel between 150-175 miles per hour. However, Fascia transmits messages at approximately 750 miles per hour ---- the speed of sound in water! Expert on Fascia, Tom Myers recently stated in an interview with Susan Maier-Moul, "Fact: there are ten nerve endings in the fascia for every one nerve ending in the muscles. I’m talking about sensory nerve endings here. In the normal course of things.... your nervous system is constantly listening to your fascial system."
- Recent research by Dr. Tomasek (a cell biologist at the University of Oklahoma), Dr. Schleip (a professor at the Institute of Applied Physiology in Ulm, Germany), and others has shown that Fascia can actually contract on its own --- in similar fashion to muscles. This is not brand new information (Dr. A. Cathie in 1974), but is just starting to be embraced by the Fascia Research Community.
One more thing to be aware of. Fascia is subject to INFLAMMATION in similar fashion to most other tissues of the body. This is not simply due to overuse or injury, but any number of issues, including poor lifestyle choices. Because I don't find one in a thousand people who really grasps the importance of Systemic Inflammation's relationship to pain and ill health, I would suggest you take a look at the link if you are dealing with any sort of Chronic Pain or CHRONIC ILLNESS issues. To learn more about solving this important piece of the puzzle, HERE are some links for you. You might also be interested in taking a look at some of our TESTIMONIALS as well.
FASCIAL ADHESIONS
A COMMONLY OVERLOOKED CAUSE OF CHRONIC PAIN
- SUPERFICIAL FASCIA: This is the fascial layer lying directly underneath the skin (HERE) that contains both Connective Tissue and fat.
- DEEP FASCIA: The Deep Fascia (sometimes referred to as 'Investing Fascia') surrounds your organs as well as muscles, dividing muscles into compartments. Deep Fascia is the tissue that ALLOWS COMMUNICATION with other tissues, sort of like having an extra nervous system. It also provides support, kind of like a spring-loaded skeletal system (HERE). It is the covering for any number of tissues, which are named according to their location.
FASCIA THAT COVERS CARTILAGE: Perichondrium
FASCIA THAT COVERS BLOOD VESSELS: Tunica Externa
FASCIA THAT COVERS MUSCLE TISSUE: Epimysium, Perimysium, and Endomysium
FASCIA THAT COVERS NERVE TISSUE: Epineurium, Perineurium, and Endoneurium
Believe me when I tell you that I barely scratched the surface (HERE). As you should be starting to see, Fascia is continuous. In other words, it is a membrane that winds its way through your entire body as it surrounds and supports any number of tissues and organs. Not surprisingly, it is the most abundant connective tissue in the body.
Why is the Fascia around the muscles so commonly injured? For one, it is an external tissue. As I have shown you before, one of the ways to cause the Fascial Adhesions that I refer to as "SCAR TISSUE" is to bang or hit a body part hard (HERE). What is far more common, however, are overstretching or tearing type injuries --- think MVA's, SPORTS INJURIES, or CONCUSSIONS here --- which can result in this same microscopic Scar Tissue. But it's the chronic overuse type of injuries that are probably the most common -- with research saying that repetitive injuries are the hardest to deal with (HERE).
Chronic, repetitive actions can lead to a build up of this Scar Tissue (some will argue that it is not really a Scar Tissue per se, but a "DENSIFICATION" of the fascia). I frankly don't care if you call it banana boat, it's dealt with in the SAME FASHION. This might be a great time to also mention that STUDY after STUDY after STUDY has shown us that INFLAMMATION always leads to Scar Tissue (HERE). Another reason that you need to understand THIS POST.
The more external "Deep Fascia" around the muscles is prone to injury not only because its external or superficial nature leaves it vulnerable to getting hit or impacted in some fashion, but because it is vulnerable to tremendous torquing or shearing forces. Think of it in terms of what happens on a merry-go-round. If you are standing in the center of a merry-go-round that is being pushed intensely, although you are spinning in a circle, there's very little force on you. However, move out toward the edge, and it's all you can do to hold on tight enough to keep yourself from flying off into space (probably the reason you don't see these relics of a bygone era anywhere anymore).
Regardless of how the adhesion of the Fascia occurs, here's the dilemma. The tissue that is arguably the single most pain-sensitive tissue in your body, CANNOT BE IMAGED via standard tests such as MRI. What does this mean to you? It means that even though you might be struggling with any number of CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROMES, don't be surprised if there's nothing to show for it as far as positive medical tests. Because of this, it is likely that you will be treated as a drug-seeker --- or given a prescription for one or more of "THE BIG FIVE" and essentially told that there is nothing more that can be done for you other than pain management. Or maybe you'll be sent to a specialist who will do the same things. Because I HAVE LIVED IT MYSELF, I feel for those of you struggling with Chronic Pain.
If you think your pain might be the result of Fascial Adhesions, you've got NOTHING TO LOSE BY SEEING IF TISSUE REMODELING COULD HELP YOU. As far as tackling some of the chief sources of inflammation is concerned, I've got that covered for you as well. HERE is a simple little post that explains how to get started.
YOU'RE IN FOR A SHOCK
THE SPEEDY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OBESITY AND INSULIN RESISTANCE
"Spurlock ate at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, eating every item on the chain's menu at least once. He consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) during the experiment. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24 lb, a 13% body mass increase, increased his cholesterol, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver (at one point he gained 17 lbs in 12 days). It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight gained from his experiment by using a diet supervised by his then-girlfriend (now ex-wife), a chef who specializes in gourmet vegan dishes."
In other words, by the end of the thirty days, Spurlock was both physically and mentally messed up. This recent study is even more shocking in it's revelation of just how fast WEIGHT GAIN and INSULIN RESISTANCE can actually occur. Have you ever been on a vacation or holiday where you lay around watching old movies or one football game after the next, while eating ample amounts of junk food (think about a Christmas break where you are snowed / iced in)? According to this latest peer-reviewed research from Dr. Guenther Boden's team from Philadelphia's Temple University, the price you will pay for a sedentary "binge" of this sort is going to be steep.
Our government's own National Academy of Medicine says that the average sedentary, middle aged male (30 to 50) should be consuming about 2,200 calories a day. In this particular study, six "healthy" men were made to lay in a hospital bed for one week, eating almost three times that number of calories (6,200 to be exact) --- mostly in the form of high carb / high fat junk (PIZZA, COOKIES, white bread, etc, etc). The results? They gained an average of eight pounds each; a bit over one pound a day --- on par with Spurlock's gain of 25 lbs in a month --- most of it as BELLY FAT.
Remember, however, that due to the totally sedentary nature of the men in this study, it's almost certain that they actually lost several pounds of muscle mass, meaning that the weight gain (all fat) was even more pronounced than it appeared. But weight gain was not the only problem revealed by this study --- not by a long shot. Make sure you are sitting down when you read this next sentence. It only took 2 days for these men to develop a resistance to the hormone Insulin (Insulin Resistance --- a part of the METABOLIC SYNDROME, which, along with HYPOGLYCEMIA, is a precursor to DIABETES). According to the authors, by day two there were, "severe systemic and adipose [fat] tissue insulin resistance in every one of six study subjects."
Along with the chemicals we collectively refer to as INFLAMMATION, oxidative stress (oxidation is what causes unprotected iron to rust) was determined to cause the biggest changes to GLUT4 --- a protein regulated by Insulin that actually transports BLOOD SUGAR --- glucose --- out of the blood and into the cells. Several studies have shown that people who lack the gene for making GLUT4 in certain parts of their brain end up with DEPRESSION and cognitive impairment ("DEMENTIA"); symptoms that certainly jibe with what we saw on Supersize Me.
The authors of this study argue that it is oxidative stress and not inflammation that first triggers the weight gain and insulin resistance. As far as I am concerned, the point is moot because not only are both essentially caused in the SAME FASHION, you deal with both dietarily the same way as well (HERE). Because this study showed that oxidative stress is involved, it would naturally follow that a DIET RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS could be beneficial. Just remember, however, that research has shown that high doses of chemically synthesized individual antioxidants are not always the best approach. I bring this up because this is always what researchers are looking for --- some sort of chemical or drug that can be patented and sold.
Studies such as this one produce tons of hype about the potential for that "miracle product" that will solve your Diabetes (or PRE-DIABETES) without any effort on your part. You'll not need to change your diet or address the underlying Inflammation. It's the false hope of drugs and supplements --- that there is something out there WITH ZERO SIDE EFFECTS that will allow us to keep living our same old self-indulgent lifestyles, but prevent us from gaining weight or getting sick; or "cure" us when we do. Products like this are a staple of late night TV advertising.
The body and the foods we eat need to be viewed as a whole. It's why I am such a stickler for WHOLE FOODS & WHOLE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS. Prescribing people an isolated molecule can do amazing things ---- for awhile. But you upset the body's homeostasis, leading to an array of potential problems. CORTISONE is one such molecule --- ask anyone that's been on it. Amazing results; brutal side effects. If you follow medical logic, we should just be able to give folks GLUT4 and solve their Insulin Resistance problem. The problem with this approach is that according to a study published in the May, 2002 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry (The Insulin-Sensitive Glucose Transporter, GLUT4, Interacts Physically with Daxx), this could potentially produce deadly results. Daxx is another name for Death-Associated Protein VI --- a chemical whose purpose is, among other things, to cause pre-programmed cellular apotosis (death).
OVERSTRETCHING THE PIRIFORMIS MUSCLE
A POST-TREATMENT CAUTIONARY TALE
I used to simply have people do the stretches --- every half hour for three days and every hour for the next week --- after working on them. I still use the same schedule, but with the following caveat; don't overstretch. I have recently (within the past few months) had two different patients who each got nearly 100% results as far as their pain was concerned --- at least initially. The first individual for several days, and the other person for one day. They both felt things start to go south after a session of intense stretching first thing in the morning. In both cases, the pain settled back down to pre-treatment levels (one of them is significantly better).
I have also seen any number of cases of Piriformis Syndrome caused --- or at least contributed to --- by heavy duty stretching. Case in point, an email I had in my inbox this morning.
"It is my belief that I must have sustained an overuse injury of sorts because this all came about after about 4 months of partaking in crossfit classes. There was never a moment when I felt I injured myself, the symptoms just sort of started in my left hip and leg...... Two months of physical therapy with minimal relief. (I continued the stretching program at home on my own but stopped when I developed the unbearable buttocks pain.) "
How do you know if you are one of those people who are going to develop Piriformis Syndrome? That's just it; you don't. This is why I, although I still recommend stretching of the hip / piriformis area, I want folks to know that the stretches need to be less intense / more controlled. Interestingly enough, I have not found this to be the case with other areas of the body. Not sure I have ever seen anyone over-stretch their NECK or SHOULDER after we work on them. I believe that the mechanism has to do with THE NATURE OF SCAR TISSUE and the fact that by its very nature, it has a "tethering" action that can be very deep. Below is something I wrote a few years back (HERE is a recent article on the topic).
"I would liken the kind of stretching you have been doing, to trying to undo a loose knot by pulling on both ends of the rope: No matter how hard you pull, you only make the knot tighter! Sound familiar? Think about it logically; if Scar Tissue is a significant part of your problem, stretching is simply tightening the noose!"
The moral of this story is, if you are dealing with PS or hardcore myofascial tightness of the buttock / hip area, stretch but don't over-stretch. What does this really mean? Honestly, I'm not completely sure myself. Certainly, for those struggling with PS it can be a fine line. Especially for those of you who are motivated to do whatever it takes to get better (lots and lots of intense stretching) ---- especially here in America; the land of, "if a little is good, a lot must be better."
SUMMER OF 2015
CURRENT RIVER
SOLVED!
NEARLY THIRTY YEARS OF CHRONIC UPPER BACK AND NECK PAIN
DON'T DESTROY YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH WITH ANTIBIOTICS!
ANTIBIOTICS AND TYPE II DIABETES
- ANTIBOTICS ARE RELATED TO TYPE II DIABETES: "The odds ratio associating type 2 diabetes with exposure to antibiotics of any type was 1.53 [53% higher]". I read a blog with a number of physicians complaining that we can't tell from this study, whether Diabetes causes the infections, or the infections cause the Diabetes. It's a no-brainer folks --- this pathway works equally well in both directions. Just remember that SUGAR DRIVES virtually every bad outcome in your body from Dysbiosis, to Diabetes, to INFLAMMATION, to infections (HERE), to Cancer (HERE). Whether you are chronically ill, CHRONICALLY INFLAMED, struggling with Type II Diabetes, or simply needing to DROP SOME WEIGHT, the solution is similar for all (I will give it to you at the end of the post).
- THE MORE ANTIBIOTICS YOU TAKE, THE GREATER YOUR RISK OF SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES: Please note that we are not talking here simply about "ADVERSE EVENTS". Although Antibiotics are heavily associated with adverse events such as TENDON DESTRUCTION, we are talking about the long-term consequences of using drugs that SUPPRESSES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM by radically altering your MICROBIOME. "A clear dose-response effect was seen with increasing cumulative load of antibiotics."
- WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR CHILDREN TODAY, WILL AFFECT THEM DECADES FROM NOW: For two and a half decades, I have been beating the drum for doing whatever it takes to keep your children off Antibiotics (HERE). "The increased use of antibiotics in patients with type 2 diabetes was found up to 15 years before diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as well as after the diagnosis."
- ANTIBIOTICS CREATE A VICIOUS CYCLE: According to the venerable Dr. Robert Mendelssohn, few things are scarier than a sick child (HERE). Just remember that giving your children Antibiotics weakens (scratch that) DESTROYS their DEVELOPING Immune Systems. When the child gets sick again because their Immune System is compromised, said infection will once again be treated with --- you guessed it --- Antibiotics. Repeat cycle ad infinitum. What does this do? It leads to THIS LIST of problems. "Our results could support the possibility that antibiotics exposure increases type 2 diabetes risk. However, the findings may also represent an increased demand for antibiotics from increased risk of infections in patients with yet-undiagnosed diabetes." This is exactly what I was speaking about at the beginning of this post.
If you are one of those people who is dizzy from riding the MEDICAL-MERRY-GO-ROUND, let me show you an "EXIT STRATEGY". That's right, you don't have to be sick for the rest of your life. But if you don't make some radical changes for yourself and your children, that's exactly where you are headed.
SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN
Because the problem is "INFLAMMATORY," the average MD treats the problem with what I call "THE BIG FIVE". When you click the link ant read my short post, you'll quickly realize that "EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE" is not nearly as 'evidence-based' as you have been led to believe. Case in point, an article by in the same issue of PPM by Dr. Elmer Pinzon (PPM Editorial Board: Tips for Treating Osteoarthritis). After asking several of the 40 members of the journal's editorial board, these are some of the solutions they suggested.
- EXERCISE: Exercise was mentioned almost ubiquitously. They specifically mentioned swimming, STRETCHING, walking, cycling, aquatic therapy, ellipticals, Yoga, Tai Chi, and others. I myself am a huge fan of RESISTANCE TRAINING (it does not have to be heavy), and would totally agree with the idea that exercise is beneficial for those suffering with Osteoarthritis (or even those simply wishing to prevent it). OVERUSE was also mentioned, and for some populations is a much bigger problem than living a sedentary lifestyle.
- PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE FISH OIL: FISH OIL was also talked about by several individuals. All stated that the dose needs to be between 2,500 - 2,700 daily milligrams of EPA+DHA (see the link). DIETARY FATS greatly modulate our Inflammation levels, with most people getting somewhere between 1/30th and 1/50th of what is recommended as far as Omega-3's are concerned.
- ADDING NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS TO YOUR DIET: OXIDATION is a huge problem in our bodies (think of it in terms of how rust affects unprotected metal). A diet high in Antioxidants is also going to be an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET; something dealt with by PPM a few years ago (not sure why this article was not mentioned today?). Things like Garlic, Circumin, Astraxanthin, and AVOIDING SUGAR were mentioned specifically.
- SUPPLEMENTS: There were several mentioned, including Glucosamine, and several Vitamins.
- COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR TREATMENT TECHNIQUES: Although I am certainly not against these, the evidence for their efficacy is iffy at best (see link below).
- COPPER BRACELET: With the advent of copper-infused clothing, this has gotten easier. Over the years, I have seen copper bracelets (some made out of copper pipe) help some people dramatically with arthritis pain.
- ELECTRIC / ELECTROMAGNETIC STIMULATION: There are many kinds of this, but one author mentioned a very specific kind, essentially telling readers that it was going to revolutionize arthritis treatment. Who knows; it might turn out to be as beneficial as COLD LASER THERAPY. However, I've been in practice far too long and heard far too many similar pitches to hold my breath.
- HOT SHOWERS: Pretty simple.
- DRINK ENOUGH WATER: Once you realize that water is the basis for lubricating your joints, you can see why it is so important.
- VISCOSUPPLEMENTATION INJECTIONS: This might be things like HA via rooster comb injections.
- BOTOX / PRP INJECTIONS / RADIO-FREQUENCY ABLATIONS: Although I occasionally see the first two things in this bullet point work (HERE and HERE), the third option above (RFA's) is rarely good. This is where the offending nerve is "burned" away by a needle heated up with radio frequencies. It's not permanent, and when the pain returns (the nerve grows back), it's usually with a vengeance.
- NSAIDS / CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS: Although these were mentioned by one of the authors, it was in the context of avoiding them by doing these (mostly) non-invasive "ALTERNATIVE" sorts of treatments.
Here's the rub. You have the premier journal for pain doctors providing any number of natural treatment "tips" (they even had a short article in this issue touting the benefits of acupuncture). But is this how things are really done here in America when it comes to the medical treatment of Degenerative Arthritis? Maybe in some places, but certainly not in my area --- and my guess is that it is probably not done this way in your neck of the woods either. Another example of the CHASM that exists between the average practicing physician and medical academia. Case in point, the article just before the one discussed above, called Treatment of Osteoarthritis. According to the authors....
"The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recently revised its recommendations for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand, hip, and knee. According to the ACR, the treatment of arthritis should include the following: Medications, Nonpharmacologic therapies, Physical or occupational therapy, Splints or joint assistive aids, Patient education and support, Weight loss, Surgery."
Although this article certainly deals with some of the same things mentioned in the first article (not nearly as many of them), the first thing mentioned is DRUGS (medications). Furthermore, it's what the article spends the majority of time discussing. And even though it's last on the list above, surgery gets just as much space as drugs. But how are these two pillars of Osteoarthritis treatment working out according to the "evidence"? That's just it --- it's not. Particularly with what we know about things like patient education (COGNITIVE THERAPY), WEIGHT LOSS, and surgery (particularly SPINAL SURGERY, which few doctors recommend any more for arthritis because it simply does not work).
For example, even though this article talks about the benefits of knee arthroscopy ("The surgeon cleans up the knee joint by removing any debris (damaged cartilage or tissue) to prevent further joint deterioration"), is this the reality of the situation? Firstly, we know that incidence of knee arthritis is exploding in America (HERE). And secondly, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that arthroscopy for knee arthritis does not work. In fact, it actually causes arthritis (HERE). Don't get me wrong; I realize that many of you are between a rock and a hard place as far as the fact that your knee is totally shot, and might need replaced. But having your knee scoped as a solution for arthritis will actually, according to peer-review, make the problem worse!
Here is the thing you need to understand about Inflammation. You can choose deal with it two very different ways. Firstly, you can try and mop it up as your body creates it. Although this approach is valid, it does not address the massive amount of Inflammation some of your bodies are producing. This is why you should be working to dry Inflammation up at the source. NSAIDS and CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS are only concerned with the former. The only way you are going to stop Inflammation at the source is to radically change your lifestyle. How do you do this? THESE POSTS provide a starting point.
Dr. Schierling completed four years of Kansas State University's five-year Nutrition / Exercise Physiology Program before deciding on a career in Chiropractic. He graduated from Logan Chiropractic College in 1991, and has run a busy clinic in Mountain View, Missouri ever since. He and his wife Amy have four children (three daughters and a son).
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