Tag Archives: mechanicsburg pa chiropractor

Fibromyalgia and the Immune System.

14 Dec

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition with a polarized audience comprised of those who believe it’s real and those who don’t. This interesting political-like conflict is, in a large part, centered around the topic we discussed last month concerning the causes of FM. This month’s article will focus specifically on the immune system and its relationship to FM.

“EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! New research published on 12-17-12 in BMC Clinical Pathology describes cytokine abnormalities were found in FM patients when compared to healthy controls.” OK! But what does that mean?

Very simply, this study reports that immune dysfunction is part of the cause of FM. The most exciting part is that this study identified a BLOOD TEST (finally!) that, “…demonstrates value as a FM diagnostic tool.” Looking at this closer, the researchers used multiple methods to examine cytokine (proteins that help regulate our immune response) blood levels in FM patients. They found the FM group had, “…considerably lower cytokine concentration than the control group, which implies that cell-mediated immunity is impaired in fibromyalgia.” This study’s findings of an immune response abnormality strays from previous study findings which largely pointed to the central nervous system (CNS – brain & spinal cord) as the origin of the FM syndrome. This makes some sense as the study of immunology (in this case, “neuroimmunology” – the combination of neurology and immunology) has only been around for about 10 years, and as such, may hold some important answers as more evidence is uncovered to further support this potential “paradigm shift” in considering the primary cause of FM. The authors offer further excitement as this focus could lead to a better understanding of the cause of other neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS)! They go on by describing how body temperature, behavior, sleep, and mood can all be negatively affected by “pro-inflammatory cytokines” (PIC) which are released by certain types of activated white blood cells during infection. PIC have been found in the CNS in patients with brain injury, during viral and bacterial infections, and in other neurodegenerative processes (like MS)!

To further support this advance in understanding, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported, “…Despite the brain’s status as an immune privileged site, an extensive bi-directional communication takes place between the nervous and the immune system in both health and disease.” They describe multiple signaling pathways that exist between the brain and the immune system that function normally throughout our lifetime. When immune, physiological, and psychological “stressors” occur, cytokines and other immune molecules stimulate interactions within the endocrine (our hormone) system, nervous system and immune system. To prove this, brain cytokine levels go up following stress exposure and similarly go down when treatments are applied that alleviate stress. They list other conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, MS, pain, and AIDS-associated dementia as being similarly affected as well. They also report that cytokines and other neuro-chemicals play a role in our neuro-development throughout our lifespan, help regulate brain development early in life and brain function throughout life, and how this all changes in the aging brain. There are also interactions of these immune chemicals that result in gender differences on brain function and behavior.

Needless to say, it will be very interesting to watch for additional developments along this line of research as it pertains to the FM patient and future treatment recommendations! Also, immune stimulation by chiropractic adjustments has been postulated as a benefit and this too may be better understood using this new research approach!

If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

 

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Could Diet & ADHD Be Related?

14 Dec

Dr. Michael F. Roizen

Co-Author of 4 #1 NY Times Bestsellers including: YOU Staying Young.

The Owner’s Manual For Extending Your Warranty (Free Press)

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing.  You get a do over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do.  In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you, and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the  quality and length of your life.

The age-old question — which came first the fried chicken or the ADHD? — is not easy to answer. We know obese moms give birth to kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ) more often; people with ADHD (kids or adults) are more likely to be overweight (impulse control issues?); and consuming refined grains like white bread, sweet sodas, red meats, and whole dairy increases a child’s risk for ADHD.

Now, it seems that kids who eat diets high in saturated and trans fats (think fried food and red and processed meats) have a greater chance of developing several childhood disabilities including impulsivity, depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

Five to eight times as many kids are depressed today as they were 50 years ago (less play, more pressure, more obesity?) and anxiety is increasingly diagnosed. ADHD affects millions of U.S. children with diagnosis up 66%, especially among boys. These issues often lead to more problems in their teenage years and major depression in adulthood.

So, for your kids–and you too–adopt an eating plan packed with fruit, vegetables, 100% whole grains, healthy fats (olive oil, omega-3 rich salmon and ocean trout, and DHA supplements, and ALA in walnuts, avocados, and cannola and walnut oil).

Go for portion control: Keep servings of animal protein about the size of your palm; fill 2/3rds of your plate with veggies and whole grains.

Get moving with 30 minutes of aerobics (minimum) daily for you and your kids, and  perform strength training exercise with weights or stretch bands (for you, the parent) 2 to 3 times a week.

Thanks for reading,

Young Dr. Mike Roizen (aka, The Enforcer)

NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice. 

This article is of the opinion of its author.

Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

You can follow Dr Roizen  (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories  of the week) on twitter @YoungDrMike. 

Feel free to continue to send questions to youdocs@gmail.com. You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week).  The YOU docs have a new web site: YOUBeauty.com  and its companion BeautySage.com the only site we know of where you can find skin products proven to meet the claims (opened for business on June 1st, 2012), and a new book: YOU: The Owner’s Manual for Teens.

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.healthradio.net  Saturdays from 5-7 p.m . E-mail him questions at YouDocs@gmail.com.   He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including : YOU Staying Young and YOU: The Owner’s Manual. He is Chief Medical Consultant to the two year running Emmy award winning Dr Oz show– The Dr Oz show is #2 nationally in daytime TV.  See what all the fun is about, and what he, The Enforcer, is up to. Check local listings or log onto DoctorOz.com for channel and time. And for more health info, log onto youbeauty.com anytime.

 

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Nutritional Post-Surgical Management of CTS.

14 Dec

Obviously, the goal of all health care providers, including chiropractic management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), is to AVOID surgical intervention, but this is not always possible. Last time, we looked at herbal approaches to reduce inflammation with the focused goal of preventing surgical need. But, as chiropractors, we also care for patients post CTS surgery, and one of our treatment approaches beyond manual therapies includes nutritional management.

As we all know, during the surgical process, tissue damage occurs due to incisions, removal of injured tissue, and other factors. Depending on the “success” of the surgical procedure, damage to the nerves causing numbness, weakness, and/or other nerve related symptoms can occur. Often, nerves will regenerate during the healing process but not always 100%. This may be due to factors such as the amount of tissue damaged during the surgery, the length of time CTS had been present pre-surgery, how well the patient follows post-surgical instructions, as well as the general health and overall condition of the patient. A healthy diet along with certain specific vitamins can play a positive role in tissue healing and nerve regeneration. Here are some examples:

Folate or vitamin B9 has been reported to have beneficial effects on the genes located within the nerve cells that help to regulate the healing process. One study published in 2010 reported that folate helped to promote nerve repair in the central nervous system (CNS) in rats, which is unique as typically nerve damage in the CNS does not usually regenerate. Anti-inflammatory benefits have also been reported with vitamins B6, B9, and B12.

Cobalamin or Vitamin B12 has also been reported to facilitate nerve regeneration after injury. This, along with the anti-inflammatory benefits, supports the use of B12 in the post-surgical CTS patient.

Vitamin D may also play a significant role in nerve regeneration after surgery. In one study, vitamin D2 was found to have a positive effect on nerve regeneration. Another study reported that D3 and calcium together has strong anti-inflammatory benefits.

Vitamin B6: There is evidence that supports the use of B6 both before and after surgery. Some feel B6 acts directly on nerve repair and others report a diuretic (fluid reducing) benefit. One cause and/or complication of CTS is fluid retention, which commonly occurs in conditions such as pregnancy, the use of birth control pills, obesity, diabetes, and others. Thus, keeping fluids in our tissues under control can certainly help CTS patients. Most studies agree that less than 200mg of B6 per day is safe. The dosage should be carefully monitored as numbness/tingling (a common CTS symptom) can be a sign of B6 toxicity.

Vitamin C has long been reported to facilitate in the wound healing process. It also is an effective anti-inflammatory agent, a common problem in the cause of CTS as well as a negative post-surgical side effect. A dose of 1000-3000mg/day spread out throughout the day is beneficial to the post-surgical healing process.

Vitamin E: As far back as 1967, Vitamin E been reported to reduce inflammation. More recent studies report that when used in combination with vitamin C, the two together works even better in reducing inflammation than either one alone. Also, this combination was found to improve the body’s ability to use insulin, which may also facilitate healing in the post-surgical CTS patient.

There are many others we didn’t get to (such as B1, 3, 5; zinc, Bromelain, and Quercetin). Bottom line: Eat healthy, exercise, don’t smoke, and fortify your diet with these nutrients!

We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

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Low Back Pain and Common Mistakes (Part 2).

14 Dec

Last time, we started a great discussion on “what NOT to do” for low back pain (LBP). Let’s continue that focus!

5. STAY STILL: You’ve heard, “…don’t do that – you’ll get a bad back!” There is something to be said about being careful, but one can be too cautious as well. In order to determine how much activity vs. rest is appropriate, you have to gradually increase your activities by keeping track of how you feel both during and after an activity. If you do notice pain, it may be “safe” to continue depending on the type and intensity of the pain. In general, a sharp, knife-like pain is a warning sign that you should STOP what you’re doing, while an ache is not. Until you’re comfortable about which type of pain is “safe,” start out with the premise, “…if in doubt, stop.” If the recovery time is short (within minutes to hours), then no “harm” was done. If it takes days to recover, you overdid it. Think of a cut on your skin – if you pick at it too soon, it will re-bleed, but if you are careful, you can do a lot of things safely without “re-bleeding.” Talk to us about the proper way to bend, lift, pull, push, and perform any activity that you frequently have to do that often presents problems. There is usually a way to do that activity more safely!

6.  SURGERY IS A “QUICK FIX”: Though in some cases this may inevitably be the end result for your back condition, most of the time, it is not needed. As a rule, don’t jump to a surgical option too soon. It’s tempting to view surgery as a “quick fix,” but non-surgical care at least for 4-6 weeks and maybe several months is usually the best approach. As the old saying goes, you can’t “un-do” a surgery, so wait. UNLESS there are certain warning signs such as: a) bowel or bladder weakness &/or, b) progressive neurological losses (worsening weakness in the leg). If there are no “surgical indicators” meaning, no instability, no radiating leg pain, and only low back pain that is non-specific and hard to isolate what is generating the pain, DO NOT have surgery as the chances of improvement following surgery drops off dramatically in this group. There are guidelines that we all should follow and they all support non-surgical care initially for 4-6 weeks. Chiropractic is one of the best options cited in these guidelines because it’s less costly, involves less time lost from work, and chiropractic carries the highest patient satisfaction.

7. DON’T STRETCH – IT’S HARMFUL: You may have heard or read that stretching can actually increase or worsen your time if you’re a runner, reduce your ability to lift heavy weight (if you’re a weight lifter), or cycle as fast.  Though this seems obviously silly, there IS a growing body of evidence that has found this TO BE TRUE! HOWEVER, it appears (at least at present), that is applies primarily to static, long hold stretching and NOT to dynamic exercising like jumping jacks, toy-soldier like high kicks, or core stabilization. Moreover, no study YET has found a negative effect for non-athletic competitive activities or for low back pain specifically. A good general rule is, if you feel better after exercising, or in this case stretching, it’s probably better for you than not. Also, as stated last month, there is a “right vs. wrong” time to exercise and WAY to exercise. For example, when LBP occurs in flexion but reduces in extension, there is plenty of evidence published that performing exercises INTO the direction of pain relief is VERY helpful. So until you hear differently, KEEP ON STRETCHING, but follow our advice!

We realize you have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

 

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Low Back Pain and Common Mistakes.

14 Dec

We often read about what to do for low back pain (LBP), but do we look at LBP from the perspective of “what NOT to do!”

ICE vs. HEAT: If you ask your doctor, “what’s better for my back, ice or heat?” the answer is either one or the other or, “…whichever you like better.” This leaves the LBP patient at a loss of who or what to believe. So, let’s settle this once and for all. Ice should be tried first because it will rarely make the LBP worse, whereas heat can. Ice is an “anti-inflammatory” agent, meaning it reduces swelling. Ice reduces congestion or pushes painful chemicals and fluids that accumulate out of the injured area when there is inflammation and usually feels good (once it’s numb), maybe not initially because it’s cold. Heat does the opposite of ice. It’s a vasodilator meaning it pulls fluids INTO the area. Sure, it feels “good” initially, but often people will say it makes them worse later. That’s because the additional fluid build up in an already inflamed area is kind of like throwing gasoline on a fire. When LBP is chronic (it’s been there >3 months), heat MAY be preferred. Contrast therapy or, alternating between the two can work as an effective “pump” pushing out fluids (with ice) and pulling in fluids (with heat). Here, start and end with ice so the first and last things done are “anti-inflammatory.”

IGNORE YOUR LBP: The comment, “I was just hoping it would go away,” has been used by all of us at some point. Though LBP can get better over time, it’s simply impossible to know when or if it will. If you have suffered from back pain previously, then you already know that getting in quickly for a chiropractic adjustment BEFORE the reflex muscle spasm sets up can stop the progression, often before it reaches a disabling level. If you want to reduce the chances of missing work or a golf game due to LBP, come in immediately when the “warning signs” occur – you know, that ‘little twinge’ in your back that’s telling you, “…be careful!”

BED REST: There is a time for rest and a time for exercise, but knowing what to do when is tricky. Another “true-ism” is the best exercise when done too soon may harm you, but when done at the right time will really help. So, here are some general guidelines: a) no more than 24-48 hours of mostly bed rest; b) walking is usually a great, safe starting activity after or even during the first 48 hours; c) avoid activities that create sharp pain (like bend, lift, twist combinations); d) use ice or contrast therapies a lot during that initial 48 hours; e) follow our exercise instructions and treatment plan – we’ll guide you through this process.

FOCUS ON X-RAY OR MRI FINDINGS: Did you know that about 50% of us have bulging disks, and 20% of us have herniated disks in our low back and yet have NO pain? That’s right! Many of us have “disk derangement” but no symptoms whatsoever. Similarly, the presence of arthritis on x-rays may have no relationship to an episode of LBP. It’s easy to blame an obvious finding on an image for our current trouble, but it may be misleading. In fact, it can even make a person fearful of doing future activities that may be just fine or even good for us. The WORST thing for some types of arthritis is to do nothing. That will just lead to more stiffness and pain! More later!

We realize you have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

 

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & Herbs.

14 Dec

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused by the compression of the median nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. The “source” of median nerve compression can be soft tissue swelling, such as tendonitis, bursitis, synovitis, capsulitis, etc. Last month, we discussed nutritional supplementation for CTS in general. This month, the focus is on specific herbs that can help this potentially disabling condition.

Chamomile functions as a natural “tranquilizer.” It’s used for muscle pain (as a relaxant), but can also help other problems such as menstrual disorders, headaches, and tension. Chamomile facilitates relaxation of tight muscles and has an anti-inflammatory property that soothes cramps.

Kava Root is an herbal plant that is well known for its muscle relaxing benefits. It is particularly helpful with extreme muscle pain.

Valerian is a very effective relaxant that dates back to the medieval times for curing ailments associated with muscle spasms such as muscle cramps and neck problems.

Catnip is also a natural muscle relaxant, and is a member of the mint family. It is used as a sedative and muscle relaxer. Headaches due to tension have been treated using a poultice containing catnip. Catnip has also been found to reduce swelling in joints and reduce soft tissue injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis, and capsulitis.

Cayenne Pepper is a popular herb used in cooking and can be found in many recipes. Cayenne pepper has been found to significantly relieve the pain of muscle cramping.

Horseradish has been reported to relieve extreme muscular stress involved in cramps and muscle pain. One approach is mixing a few drops of horseradish oil in bath water to reduce soreness associated with muscle aches.

Lavender flower oil is well known as a very effective muscle relaxant that provides relief caused by muscular tension. Using a circular motion while massaging the oil over the achy muscle can be particularly soothing. In addition to the mind/body relaxation benefits, an increase in circulation allows the tense muscles to relax and heal.

Licorice has the ability to reduce inflammation associated with muscle pain.

Devil’s Claw is a very popular anti-inflammatory herb that dates back to the 18th century for the treatment of arthritis and many other painful conditions. It’s also used as an effective muscle relaxer.

Peppermint oil has been used to treat conditions associated with muscles aches. Pouring some drops of peppermint oil in a hot bucket of water to soak a foot, ankle or lower leg (possibly combined with Epson salt) can be very relieving.

Other natural muscle relaxants include Cramp bark, Passiflora, Bergamot, Cardamom, Basil, Ginger root, and others.

It is appropriate to COMBINE these natural herbal approaches with other treatments that are known to work well in the treatment of CTS. Chiropractic can provide: 1. Manipulation and mobilization of the neck, shoulder, elbow forearm, wrist, hand, and fingers; 2. Cock-up splints to be worn at night and at times during the day such as driving; 3. Physical therapy modalities such as electric stim, ultrasound, light or laser therapy, magnetic field; 4. Work station and other ergonomic modification recommendations; 5. Exercise training, and more.

We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

 

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