Body

The Hidden Cause of Neck and Shoulder Pain

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gallbladder, gallbladder pain, gallbladder symptoms, gallbladder attack, gallbladder removal

Have you been experiencing a lot of shoulder and neck pain that just won’t go away.  If anyone has experienced this, you know that it affects every part of your life because that pain is always there.  Of course, there are many reasons why this could be happening, and they should all be explored but did you know that this right-sided pain in your neck and shoulder could be from eating nuts and seeds?

If you consume too many nuts or seeds or nut butter it can be severely aggravating to the gallbladder and the ducts that connect to that gallbladder.  There is a nerve called the phrenic nerve that goes right through that gallbladder to the liver and connects to the shoulder, neck and up to the head. But this little nerve can be irritated down at the gall bladder trying to process the nuts and seeds that were consumed but will refer the pain to the neck and shoulder area.  Irritation of the phrenic nerve at the right shoulder and neck can cause the vertebrae to twist because there’s a spasm in that area.  So, you keep going to the chiropractor or physiotherapist to fix your neck and shoulder pain, but the problem persists because the problem is in the liver or gall bladder.

Why does this happen?

If you have a fatty liver or cirrhosis of the liver then then it cannot function properly causing a back up, if you will.   Also, you can have bile that is very thick and sludge-like, so the concentration of bile is not there to break down cholesterol.  This can cause a back up into the liver which causes irritation because bile is like a detergent causing inflammation in the liver and will cause pain in the right neck and shoulder.

If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, then it’s more likely that you will have a problem because now you just have a little duct that’s always going to be clogged especially if you overload it with too many nuts or oils. Other symptoms of gallbladder problems would be belching, headaches, burping, acid reflux, and bloating.

One way to determine if this is the problem is to press and hold for about a minute up underneath the right rib cage right over the gallbladder and if your neck loosens up then we know this is the problem.

Solutions

One of the solutions is to take purified bile salts to loosen things up and it will start to help drain the gall bladder.  If you start to feel better, you will know that there is a connection.

Some acupressure over the gallbladder will give a lot of relief. There is also another acupressure point that you can use on the left calf down by the ankle.

Changing your diet will have the greatest affect. One major culprit is unsaturated fatty acids as in omega-6 fatty acids like corn oil, canola oil, soy, cotton seed, etc.  Chemicals in foods will also cause this problem so to try to eat as much organic, unrefined foods as possible, including lots of vegetables.  Cutting back on refined carbs and excess fats will also help.  Increasing omega 3-fatty acids and fasting is also a good idea.

If you do eat nuts, try to limit the quantity, and try to eat roasted nuts. If you eat raw nuts, you will want to germinate them first. Soak raw seeds and nuts overnight then rinse well and dry them in the oven at about 150 degrees or in a dehydrator. Eating nuts and seeds after germinating them will cause less irritation in your gall bladder because when you germinate the seeds and nuts you release certain properties called enzyme inhibitors which basically help digest the nut. These enzyme inhibitors basically block the enzyme in raw nuts which prevents digestion.

 

 

 

A Guide for Increasing Patients’ Quality of Life After Mesothelioma Diagnosis

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mesothelioma, mesothelioma symptoms,what is mesothelioma, mesothelioma cancer, mesothelioma definition, mesothelioma treatment,symptoms of mesothelioma

Generally, mesothelioma is already at an advanced stage when diagnosed. This situation may make it more challenging for patients to come to terms with the diagnosis.

Moreover, patients can experience varying degrees of discomfort depending on the disease’s progression.

For example, advance-stage mesothelioma can induce higher levels of fatigue than early-stage. You may want to learn more about mesothelioma stages to understand better what life is like for individuals with this condition. You may also visit The Mesothelioma Group Site for more information.

Still, regardless of the stage, there are several ways patients can manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

This article suggests various ways that can help improve the quality of life of individuals with mesothelioma.

Tips For Mesothelioma Patients: Improving Your Quality of Life

Although mesothelioma is potentially life-threatening, preventive measures can help patients live better while receiving treatment.

A patient’s improved quality of life may also help improve the outlook for their condition (prognosis).

Focusing on essential aspects of health may help enhance the patient’s overall quality of life.

Below are some areas you may want to address to help alleviate your mesothelioma-related discomforts.

Stress Reduction

Battling cancer is one of life’s most trying experiences. However, stress strains a patient’s body and mind, turning an already bad situation into a more demanding one.

Mental or emotional distress may significantly reduce a patient’s quality of life. Some studies even indicate that severe distress may correlate with poorer clinical outcomes.

On the other hand, you may adopt strategies that can reduce stress to improve your quality of life.

Below are several practices patients can use to manage their health condition better.

  • Reduce the impact of stressors by preparing for and avoiding them.
  • Learn about the latest current therapies and treatments based on your condition diagnosis.
  • Get information regarding mesothelioma and take responsibility for your health.
  • Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and awareness.
  • Work with the top mesothelioma experts you can find.

Patients may help minimize their stressors by doing the following:

  • Seek assistance
  • Know your limitations.
  • Schedule appointments in a planner.
  • Avoid having too many obligations.
  • Identify your priorities, especially when it comes to daily activities.
  • Learn to accept that you cannot change some circumstances.

Nutrition and Diet

Healthy living and wellness begin with eating the right food. Patients who take care of themselves with a healthy diet full of nutritious foods are more likely to enjoy life and continue to do their favorite activities.

A study showed that malnutrition correlates with a poor quality of life.

Malnourished individuals tend to have lower energy levels, experience fatigue and irritability, are more prone to illness, and struggle more with recovery after becoming ill.

Additionally, the effects of a bad diet have a detrimental effect on a person’s quality of life and make it more difficult for patients to recover from their disease.

Patients may consider the following tips to enhance their diet:

  • Reducing consumption of alcohol, harmful fats, and red meat
  • Selecting whole-grain products with a lot of fiber
  • Being healthy in terms of weight
  • Requesting nutritional assistance from medical professionals
  • Consumption of a lot of fruit and veggies

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Seeking Specialized Mesothelioma Treatment

Specialists who are knowledgeable about the condition can work with patients to create a strategy to increase their quality of life and life expectancy.

An expert professional will consider diet, exercise, stress and pain management, community support, and education.

Pain Management

Many people ignore the disease when they can lessen or remove their feelings of pain.

Patients who adopt pain management techniques can reduce the discomfort brought on by their illness and the adverse effects of treatment.

Natural and medical pain management options are available to patients, including:

  • Acupuncture
  • Mindfulness
  • Stress reduction therapies, such as massage, yoga, and music therapy
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Nerve blocks
  • Exercise
  • Epidurals
  • Radiation therapy

Pain relief and pain management alternatives for mesothelioma patients are available. However, patients should seek assistance and research their choices.

Final Statement

You may adopt various strategies to help you overcome obstacles and adjust well to life’s hardships.

Several options are available to help ease mesothelioma-caused pain.

Moreover, working with a physiotherapist can teach you how to prevent discomfort and make life more comfortable. This move is an excellent one for pain management.

The step above may be as significant as taking medication orally, through a patch, or intravenously.

Also, you might experience pain in many different ways. It is crucial to discuss any discomfort you encounter with your doctor because it might lead to inadequate nourishment, poor sleep, and exhaustion.

Additionally, palliative care, which helps you manage your symptoms, is crucial to managing mesothelioma.

You may be able to lessen symptoms’ psychological consequences with the aid of palliative care from medical professionals trained in treating mesothelioma patients.

Lastly, your palliative care provider will typically concentrate on your unique needs rather than your prognosis.

References:

  1. Mesothelioma Stages

https://www.mesotheliomagroup.com/mesothelioma/stages/

2. Psychological Stress and Cancer

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/stress-fact-sheet

  1. Body composition and nutritional status in malignant pleural mesothelioma: implications for activity levels and quality of life

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-019-0418-9

7 Super Easy Ways to Reverse Aging Skin

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How do we reverse winkles as we age?  Bringing your skin from rough and/or wrinkly to more youthful skin is controlled by something called GAG – glycosaminoglycans. This is a chemical in your body that keeps the skin and collagen electrically hydrated.  It helps repair proteins and collagen in your skin and helps you make healthy, vibrant collagen and skin. If you don’t have GAG, your skin will sag and droop. Believe it or not, it’s not sunlight over the years that just makes your skin wrinkle. In fact, the sunlight will give you vitamin D and protect the skin. But it really is a deficiency in GAG as we age. GAG is also responsible for the discs in your spine to be really healthy and hydrated. So, if you’re shrinking as you’re getting older then we know you don’t have enough GAG. But you can’t just take this as a supplement and see the change because what controls this hydrating, anti-wrinkle chemical is IGF-1 – (insulin like growth factor-one). It’s a hormone made by the liver that is controlled by growth hormone which also is the anti-aging hormone. So, this is an extension of growth hormone. Some people actually take growth hormone as a supplement to get youthful but there’s some side effects to that, so we want figure out how to naturally trigger this IGF-1. Let’s take a look at seven ways to do it.

Reduce Insulin

IGF-1 works inversely with insulin. So, if insulin is high IGF-1 will be low.  Healthy young individuals need 100 times more concentrated IGF than insulin. So, if you have insulin resistance for example, or diabetes you’re going to have higher insulin and IGF-1 will go down. This is really important to help you reduce insulin problems and even diabetes. So, you want to reduce insulin. The way we do that is to change the diet. This means cutting out the carbs, try intermittent fasting and avoiding the hidden things that trigger insulin like MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Enhance Sleep

You need to fix the reason why you can’t sleep because sleeping will increase IGF-1. Even if you have to take a nap. Also, lowering cortisol-the stress hormone, that actually prevents you from sleeping. Increased stress will decrease your sleep and age you.

HIITS

High intensity interval training will also increase IGF-1. You want to do full body exercises and involve as many muscles as possible whether you’re doing a spin bike, burpees, pushups. Whatever exercise it is, you want to do very short bursts followed by a rest phase.  Every other day or every third day is plenty and make sure you don’t overtrain. This type of training will also increase growth hormone.

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Moderate amount of protein

A moderate amount of protein will be enough to improve the quality of your skin. Too much will stimulate insulin so generally 3 to 6 oz is a good amount to take per meal. You also want to make sure it’s a high-quality protein, not soy protein isolate. You need high-quality, grass-fed protein, if you can get it or least organic.

Enhance the liver

There is a lot of factors for a healthy liver and it’s important because the liver makes IGF-1.  Some basics are avoiding alcohol because it will make you age.  Eat organic as much as possible and make sure to eat a lot of vegetables.  Some supplements to support the liver are milk thistle and dandelion root.

Intermittent fasting

You can follow this link to understand more about intermittent fasting.  But the end result is that when you’re not eating, you’re stimulating growth hormone and IGF-1.  Unfortunately, the older we get the harder we have to work at this because over time the liver becomes more unhealthy.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K2 are all important for healthy skin because they enhance IGF-1.  The best sources of fat-soluble vitamins are egg yolks from pasture raised organic eggs. You can also try cod liver oil and grass-fed butter.

Meet the Incredible, Unsung Heros of Hair Loss Remedies

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hair loss, hair loss in women, hair loss treatment, postpartum hair loss, hair loss shampoo,

Losing your hair is a devastating experience so trying natural remedies first before trying medication is best because there are side effects to medications. So, we’re going to take a look at 12 simple and powerful remedies for hair loss that will help you regrow your hair. By the way, a bonus is that they don’t cost that much money.

Shower Water

Your hair is exposed to a lot of chemicals on a regular basis. The water you take a shower with exposes your hair to fluoride.  Fluoride creates significant hair loss as well as acne under skin. Fluoride that is supposed to be good for our teeth actually destroys your hair. So, the first piece of advice is to get a simple showerhead that filters out fluoride.  Another note of interest is that fluoride also blocks your thyroid, and it can very easily lead to hair loss among other health issues.

Shampoos That Cause Hair Loss

Sulfates in most shampoos destroy protein in your hair which is made-up of 91% protein.  If you are exposing your hair to sulfate shampoos daily, you’re creating all sorts of problems. So, you really want to make sure you get a sulfate free shampoo.

DHT Blockers

Let’s first look at the mechanism of how most hair loss medications work. They basically block an enzyme to inhibit DHT which is a powerful form of testosterone.  DHT tends to burn out the hair follicles. Testosterone turns into DHT, a very powerful form of testosterone, through this little enzyme. So, these drugs inhibit that enzyme called 5 alpha reductase.  People that have too much DHT get this condition called androgenetic alopecia which is pattern hair loss both in males and females. So now the question is are there natural things that can inhibit this enzyme because of course the drugs have side effects? The answer is yes.

  • Onion juice is natural inhibitor of that enzyme. You would dilute it in water in a 50/50 ratio and lather it into your scalp and let it set for 15 minutes and then you would wash your hair.
  • Green tea diluted by 50% can also be massaged into your scalp for about 15 minutes then washed out with shampoo.
  • Rosemary oil in one study showed that it is comparable to Rogaine as far as the effectiveness for preventing hair loss. Rosemary oil can be massaged into the scalp and left in overnight. Then washed out in the morning. Rosemary oil is a potent inhibitor of 5A reductase.

Other Causes of Hair Loss

  • Zinc deficiency, which is very common, can cause hair loss. But the best food source for zinc is oysters. It is also in red meat, seafood and eggs.  But red meat and oysters have the most zinc.
  • Apple cider vinegar diluted in water is a good scalp cleanser. The pores of the scalp can get filled with sebum which is an oil that could be preventing the follicles from growing properly. Also, apple cider vinegar gives a really nice shine to your hair. It is also acidic so it can help re-establish the pH of your scalp which can actually support the friendly microbes of the microbiome in your scalp. You don’t want to create an environment where the outside of your skin is so sterile because you have millions of microorganisms living on the outside your skin helping you. When you sterilize or clean your skin too much you can end up with all sorts of problems including hair loss. This is why you want to minimize the amount of chemicals that you expose your skin to.
  • Ketogenic diet can cause hair loss. This usually means that you’re not consuming enough protein. So, making sure you’re taking in enough protein is important.
  • Trace minerals are important, especially if you are doing intermittent fasting or fasting, with a ketogenic diet. We are very deficient in trace minerals. These are minerals needed in very small amounts, but they are very essential. So, either consume food high in trace minerals like sea kelp, shellfish or fish from the ocean.  Sea salt is a good source or just taking a plant based trace mineral product will add more trace minerals to give the hair what it needs.
  • Other key vitamins that are needed in larger amounts when you’re on the keto diet plan are the B vitamins. There are a lot of links between a B vitamin deficiency and hair loss. Nutritional yeast is a really good source for B vitamins just make sure that when you get nutritional yeast that is not fortified with synthetic vitamins.
  • Cruciferous vegetables – if you have too much estrogen this can cause hair loss. This is why women, when they go through their menstrual cycle, tend to lose hair. This is caused by an excess amount of estrogen. One of the natural ways to help regulate estrogen is to start consuming cruciferous vegetables. Another great way to regulate estrogen would be to take sea kelp because you get more iodine and iodine also regulates estrogen. If you are menopausal and you start losing your hair that usually is because of high levels of cortisol related to stress.
  • Selenium supports a hypothyroid condition. If you have a slow thyroid sometimes you lose hair and one of the key minerals for the thyroid to help convert T4 to T3 is selenium. The best food for selenium is Brazil nuts, seafood, seaweed or sea kelp. If you consume sea kelp you also get the iodine that’s also good for your thyroid. One thing to note about that, you can have a hypothyroid condition from other reasons that are not related to selenium. For example, you could have high estrogen. Too much estrogen inhibits thyroid function.  You could have a fatty liver or liver damage that can stop your T4 from converting to T3.  Gut damage from antibiotics or from eating the wrong foods, especially gluten, is damaging to the thyroid.  If you have Hashimoto’s which is usually 90% of all hypothyroid cases, you definitely need to avoid gluten.
  • Increase your vitamin D. You want to get more sleep, to start exercising and to reduce stress.
  • Stress is a huge precursor to hair loss.  In fact, a lot of people, if asked, when did you lose your hair? The answer usually is after an emotional, stressful event because you’re spiking cortisol and cortisol is very damaging to proteins. If this is your situation there are a couple of remedies. Start taking more vitamin D. In fact, you just need to be in the sun more.  If it’s winter, it’s going to be more difficult but more Vitamin D can greatly help your hair and lower your stress.  Vitamin D3 can act like the natural cortisol hormone but without the side effects. It does very similar things as an anti-inflammatory. So, to reduce stress you want to increase your vitamin D and or expose yourself to sun. Start doing daily walks and you want to start exercising to reduce stress.
  • A lot of hair formulas add silica because silica gives the hair its strength. Most spring water has silica. You can even buy silica-rich water which is really good for the hair.  Actually, you will probably notice that your skin, your hair and your nails will all just start growing and become very strong.
  • Ketogenic diet and fasting – if you are female and you have polycystic ovarian syndrome one big side effect is hair loss because you have the spike of androgens and that’s coming from insulin. So just by understanding that simple relationship and lowering the amount of insulin you can help lower androgens and help prevent hair loss. How does that happen? You can start going on a low carb diet that’s called the ketogenic diet. And you can try fasting.
  • Biotin helps proteins in your body especially hair, it will help regrow your hair and prevent hair loss. Biotin is a key B vitamin for the manufacturing of these proteins that gives the hair its structure.  Biotin is made by bacteria, so your own gut makes this vitamin. So many people after they lose the gut microbiome start losing their hair because they don’t have the microbes to make biotin anymore. The food that is loaded with biotin and can help increase your own through your gut bacteria is sauerkraut. It has 100 times more probiotics then in most probiotic supplements and the good bacterium in sauerkraut survives the acid in your stomach.  Also, it gives you massive amounts of vitamin C which is also needed to help grow proteins specifically collagen and keratin.

3 Simple Ingredients To Eliminate Tartar

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What is Tartar

Tartar is dental plaque that is made up of biofilms.  Biofilms are a combination of an outer calcium shell and inside this shell are bacteria.  This is one of bacteria’s survival mechanisms by hiding underneath this calcium shell so that they go undetected from your immune system as well as from antibiotics. In fact, 95% of bacteria in nature live in biofilms.  For example, if you were to take a rock from a stream you would notice a slimy, slippery film on it, that is a biofilm. Biofilms are all over the place and it’s a survival mechanism that’s been going on a very long time.  Anytime you have water, as in saliva, you’re going to have biofilms and if there’s an overabundance, you’re going to get bad breath, issues with inflammation, and receding gums.  Many people get to a point where it’s too much they might have to have a tooth extracted.

How to Prevent and Manage Tartar

Let’s take a look at what to do to prevent it or manage it better.  Something interesting to note is xylitol, the sugar alcohol as in the xylitol gum and xylitol sweeteners, has anti-biofilm properties.  It helps suppress adhesions to your teeth.  So, if you’re going to chew gum make sure it’s xylitol.

There are also natural substances that are anti-biofilm. These are natural herbs like rosemary, clove, thyme, oregano oil, garlic, curcumin which is in turmeric, cinnamon and another compound called NAC. All of these can help reduce biofilms.  However, another simple remedy has just three ingredients. One of these ingredients is baking soda. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.  One thing about biofilms, especially the ones that overgrow on your teeth as tartar, is that they can start producing too many acids and the pH will drop to around 3.5 to 5.5. To compensate for the acidity the body starts leeching calcium out of your bones in a process called decalcification. So, it’s very important to make sure the pH in your mouth does not get that acidic. You want neutral or maybe slightly acid but not too much.  The main culprit that produces too much acid is sugar. If you’re consuming too much sugar or you are diabetic, you’re basically feeding the exact food that these bacteria as well as the yeast, especially candida, love. Bacteria and yeast produce the by-product called lactic acid which then causes the pH to decrease. Now the environment starts to become ideal for extracting calcium from teeth which causes cavities. And remember that throughout this process the microbes are using the calcium for housing.  So, using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a great way to increase the pH to make things a little bit more alkaline to help buffer that pH and to not allow calcium to be leached out of the teeth. Also baking soda can help to breakdown these biofilms.  Another very interesting fact about sodium bicarbonate- baking soda, is that it is what your saliva naturally makes to buffer these acids.  So, you’re just using something that your body is already making and therefore has virtually no side effects.

Anti-tartar Recipe

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  • Use ¼ a teaspoon of baking soda.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon hydrogen peroxide. Make sure you get 3% hydrogen peroxide, and you can get it from any drugstore. This is a good compound to help inhibit biofilms from developing as well as killing off bacteria, and yeast like candida. Also, your body makes hydrogen peroxide, and it is a major compound that your body uses to kill microbes. So, you’re adding what your body naturally produces but in higher quantities.
  • Mix with half a cup of water and then use your toothbrush to brush your teeth after you brush your teeth with toothpaste. What this will do is help prevent the biofilms from continuing to come back and your teeth will be nice and smooth.

One last interesting thing to note, there is some interesting research that seems to show a positive correlation between vitamin K2 and inhibiting dental plaque. Some people who actually start taking vitamin K2 that normally comes with vitamin D3, start to notice that the inside of their teeth become smoother. It’s another thing to try but in general vitamin K2 is all about transporting calcium into the bone and out of the soft tissues.

A Safe Treatment For Trigeminal Neuralgia

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trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia symptoms, trigeminal neuralgia treatment, treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia causes

I’d like to draw your attention to a disease that people suffer from that is so painful it’s commonly referred to as the disease that pushes them to contemplate suicide, trigeminal neuralgia.

Technical Portion

The trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve (fifth) that divides into three main branches supplying the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular regions of the face, hence the name TRI-geminal. Because of the sensory information communicated through this pathway back to the brain, any irritation of the nerves can cause intense pain that affects the face.

Nerves are responsible for supplying every single cell, tissue and organ of the body. Without nerves NOTHING in your body would live. They also transmit pain signals to the brain which allows us to know there is potential nerve interference in the body.

Symptoms

Given my clinical experience with patients under my care, the common symptoms experienced are as follows although this is not an exclusive list:

  • episodes of throbbing and shooting pain to the face supplied by areas of the trigeminal nerve
  • pain in the cheek, jaw, teeth/gums, mouth, ear, temporal, eye, forehead, and upper neck
  • contact with the aforementioned regions of the head and face triggering electric shock type pain
  • chewing or facial expressions triggering pain patterns
  • sporadic or constant pain that can last seconds or minutes and sometimes does not subside without time
  • increasing intensity of the pain that can last days
  • commonly seen in women more than men
  • rare experience in both sides of the face.

Imagine yourself having shock type pain signals constantly firing around your head for days and you can see why this disease is referred to as “suicidal.”

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Solutions

The medical approach to this disorder is management through pharmaceuticals (my patients have reported taking as many as 8–10 pills a day to simply ‘manage’ their symptoms), nerve blocks (which offer only temporary relief), and in some cases surgery which is permanent and only exercised as a last resort. Given my previous comment that nerves literally control EVERYTHING in your body, you can appreciate why surgery is not often recommended as a viable solution but one can empathize with sufferers who choose this option out of desperateness.

Disclaimer: Please seek the advice of your health professional before undergoing any procedure as this piece is meant to be informational in nature.

Safer Alternatives

Usually people suffering from this disease state that they have searched for ANY form of treatment to help alleviate their pain. Many have tried both medical and alternative/holistic approaches.

I am merely offering a potential solution that has had significant success in my practice and my goal is merely to guide those patients searching for answers to the appropriate people who are willing to help them.

Chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years with the ultimate goal of alleviating the causes of nerve interference which inhibit the individual’s ability to live their life to its full potential. Chiropractors call this form of nerve interference Subluxation (different from a medical subluxation which is a partial dislocation of a joint or organ) and traditionally stated that there is always a cause to every dis-ease.

Trained chiropractors are the only professionals on earth with the knowledge and skill to locate and remove these subluxations thereby restoring ease in the body so that it can function, recreate and heal the way body is meant to work.

There are literally hundreds of techniques in chiropractic and I would urge people to not give up hope should one form not achieve the desired effects. I’ve always stated that people are better off under chiropractic care than not.

My Approach

I would argue my approach is not revolutionary. It came about in actuality from sharing and discussing clinical experiences and techniques with fellow practitioners of varying disciplines.

The first step is to acknowledge the individual sitting in front of me is a real person and not a label. I like to engage my patient to understand their health history and what types of stresses they have endured in life that lead them to this moment that they are sitting next to me.

Once WE (patient and I) believe that we understand each other, we dive into an explanation of what chiropractic is and how we can help. I assess their nervous system for signs of interference that is impeding their health and not merely focus on the symptoms. After all, the symptoms must have a cause.

One effective method of evaluation of the function of the nervous system is to assess the structural integrity of the patient’s spinal alignment. Thanks to years of research we have a better understanding now of the role the spine and nervous system play in the disease process.

X-ray analysis of the spine allows us to pinpoint and measure just how misaligned a person’s spine is and this allows us to decide on a plan of action to help alleviate the cause of their suffering.

Chiropractors pride themselves on their expert understanding of the anatomy of the body and nervous system. Since the nervous system is responsible for all life in the body, it can be argued that we are interested in the life of an individal and not merely their symptoms which leads to more labels (or diagnoses) often placed on them by our medical system.

The approach is simple. Locate the interference, remove it and allow the body to function in harmony. This is achieved by delivering a gentle yet effective force to an area of the spine and nervous system by hand or mechanical instrument in order to alleviate the tension on the nervous system and thereby restoring the body to health.

Up to now I haven’t identified anything unique from what most chiropractors do except I take it one step further. I located the branches of the trigeminal nerve and mechanically stimulated the nerves in order to restore the function of those nerves. This stimulation ‘above the atlas’ (meaning in the head region) has produced a result I think requires further research and examination. It could help explain why so many patients are happy with their care and report a significant reduction in pain and suffering.

There is no doubt in my mind that a body free of nerve interference can achieve balance, proper function, health and thus express its full potential.

Discover chiropracTIC. See how it can transform your health and life from the inside out.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, Dr. Nenos Damerchie provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Dr. Nenos Damerchie is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.

Chiropractic Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis

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What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is the fusion of the vertebrae in the spine due to an autoimmune inflammatory disease.  It more commonly affects men than women.  Fusion of the spinal bones is due to an increase in calcium production. Symptoms may first appear in early adulthood and include low back pain and stiffness. Some patients also report persistent neck and hip pain and difficulty breathing in severe cases. Although there are no known causes of this condition, experts suggest there is a genetic component, particularly in people with the gene HLA-B27.

Other complications of this condition include recurrent heart problems due to interference with the aorta, leading to inflammation, spinal compression fractures leading to a stooped posture, and inflammation of the eye. Seek medical treatment should these symptoms arise.

How Chiropractors Manage Ankylosing Spondylitis

The subject of chiropractic care in general can sometimes seem controversial let alone the idea that it be part of the care regime for someone with Ankylosing Spondylitis.  But, it is important to note cases where patients have benefited from chiropratic care as seen in this case – https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(03)00110-6/fulltext.

Chiropractors focus on alignment and function of the spine and its relation to the nervous system. Chiropractors are suitable healthcare practitioners for the management of ankylosing spondylitis and are trained to provide a treatment regimen that won’t aggravate the condition which may include activator adjustments designed to help with mobility.   Regular chiropractic care can help patients manage symptoms and prevent disease progression, improving their quality of life.

The chiropractor will first of all review your general health and family medical history.  It is important for the chiropractor to know if any family member has had the condition.  A family history of Ankylosing Spondylitis may be indicative in diagnosing this condition but it is not necessary.  During the physical examination, you will be asked to move and bend in different ways so the chiropractor can see how flexible your spine is.  In early stages subtle changes can be significant.  In a later stage the mobility can be significantly reduced.  The chiropractor will also check your chest expansion which can be reduced in AS.  The chiropractor will also do a neurological examination.

When to Seek Chiropractic Management for Ankylosing Spondylitis

The goals of AS treatment are to reduce pain, improve your quality of life, and delay spinal damage. Since ankylosing spondylitis affects the spine and nervous system chiropractors make an important part of your healthcare team and care should be included as a complementary treatment.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care is an excellent complementary option to manage the symptoms associated with ankylosing spondylitis. Consult your medical team and discuss a recommendation for chiropractic care.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731838

 

 

How Long Does a Knee Replacement Last?

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Knee replacement surgery gives hope to people with severe arthritis or knee injury. It can restore mobility which is essential in moving around freely and enjoying the pleasure of walking and running.

Thanks to the new medical technology  this surgery is very beneficial, especially for older people and athletes, among others, who are suffering from joint diseases or knee injuries caused by accidents.

Harvard Health Publishing Senior Faculty Editor, Dr. Robert Shmerling, reported that in the United States, over 600,000 knee replacements are performed by surgeons each year(1). This data shows how common knee injuries are and also reflects the reliability of the procedure.

But how long does this knee replacement last? That’s the question worth asking. If an individual plans to go through a knee replacement procedure, they must get some background information first.

Knee Replacement Won’t Last Forever

No operation is 100% successful. This is the truth that everyone must accept. Meaning, if a patient undergoes a knee operation today, there is no guarantee that it will be the last time that they go through the procedure.

Many factors determine how long a knee replacement lasts. Factors include surgical technique, surgeon’s experience, patient’s age, weight, and activity level.

Obesity is considered a risk factor for the failure of replaced joints. Overweight patients may require another surgery sooner than those with average weight.

Nevertheless, the knee replacement operation can still be highly effective for obese people despite the risks associated with their circumstances.

Dr. Robert Shmerling noted that based on his training education in the 1980s and 1990s, 90% or more of the knee or hip replacements last at least 10 to 15 years. The same figure may be estimated today, or even better than that, he added(2).

The success of knee replacement procedures, especially on how long the new joint will last, depends on several factors.

Factors include preparation before the surgery, materials in the replacement, surgical techniques and anesthesia, and physical rehabilitation.

How Long Does a Knee Replacement Last?

Given that medical technologies have evolved since the 1990s, one may think that knee replacement surgeries may also have improved, and that may be true.

However, Dr. Shmerling, in his article published on Harvard’s website, said that it is difficult to predict how long a knee replacement will last for several reasons(3).

  1. It can take at least one decade to gather data on past operations to estimate the success of future surgeries.
  2. Performing surgery on younger patients is another challenge. They can still be highly active even in their 50s and 60s, and more joints may still develop.
  3. Age is a critical factor as well. People above 50 years old with a life expectancy of 15 years, for example, have a better chance of avoiding future operations than other younger groups aging 30 years old or below and with a life expectancy of 30 years. This is because of the risks associated with the activities of the younger people, which can result in subsequent knee operation.
  4. Younger patients seem to be more active and put more stress on the replaced joint, affecting how long the replacement would last. Some surgeons advise these age groups to put off surgery even if they have to go through pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility.

Recent Data Shows Reliability of Knee Replacement

While knee replacement will not last forever, it does not mean that the procedure will not benefit patients in the long run. A study published in the April 2017 edition of the medical journal(4), The Lancet, stated the following research findings:

  1. Among nearly 55,000 patients who had knee surgeries, only 3.9% required subsequent operation within ten years, and 10.3% within 20 years.
  2. Among patients over 70 years old, the lifetime risk of having a second surgery was about 5%. The same risk is much higher among younger patients, especially men with a 35% probability of subsequent operation in their early 50s. Thus, the researchers noted that age is a critical factor.

More Studies Are Needed to Evaluate Progress

The current data available is not enough to give doctors and patients realistic expectations in knee replacement surgery. More studies are needed to determine whether the results of knee operations are getting better over time.

People who consider undergoing knee replacement surgery are advised to discuss the matter with a reliable surgeon and ask questions about risks, recovery time, and how long the replacement would probably last.

A clear sign that one needs to consult a surgeon is experiencing knee popping sounds accompanied by swelling and pain. The attending physician can examine the knee to make a proper diagnosis.

In the case of people with arthritis, there are complementary and alternative treatments available. These include(5):

  1. Acupuncture
  2. Anthocyanidins
  3. Aromatherapy
  4. Antler velvet
  5. Andrographis paniculata
  6. Alexander technique

Reference

  1. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, How Long Will My Hip or Knee Replacement Last? Retrieved from

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-long-will-my-hip-or-knee-replacement-last-2018071914272

  1. Ibid.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Bayliss, Lee, et. al (2017), The Effect of Patient Age at Intervention on Risk of Implant Revision after Total Replacement of the Hip or Knee: A Population-Based Cohort Study, retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28209371/
  4. Versus Arthritis, Types of Complementary Treatments, retrieved from ://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/

How to Achieve Your Anti Aging Goals in 2023

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These days there is a million beauty products you can buy that are targeted to anti-aging.   But the secret is that how you look on the outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside and what you put into your body.  What we look like on the outside is the result of damaged proteins. So, the more damaged proteins the older you will look.

The first thing we need to look at are AGE’s – advanced glycation end products.  These are combinations of a sugar molecule with a protein molecule. So, if you take sugar and protein and heat them up, you end up with AGE’s. These are proteins that are now damaged and unavailable, and they can create a lot of problems throughout the body, but they can also make you look really old.  Another example is a combination of sugar and fat, for example, ice cream, you’re basically eating glucose, lactose, sugar with milk proteins. This a product that is loaded with these AGE’s. Another one would be BBQ ribs, a combination of protein and a high sugar sauce and you heat it. When someone consumes BBQ ribs, they might notice about an hour later that their body is sluggish, or they have a lot of sinus issues. If you drink soda, you’re consuming sugar and caramel colouring.  Not only will you have the production of AGE’s, but all the sugar in your body, with the temperature of 98.6, is going to combine with your own blood proteins for example and other proteins and create damaged protein. In fact, when you get your A1C tested, you’re measuring the accumulation of excess glucose in your bloodstream over a period of three months. So, when you get your A1C and its high, it just tells us how much glycation is going on in your red blood cells. It should be in the lower 5’s.  If it’s higher then you’re blood is exposed to a lot of sugar creating glycation and that protein now is damaged and it’s going to cause a lot of damage. French fries, another example, starch which is essentially glucose molecules stuck together and then deep fried. So, we have fat plus the starch, deep fried, it equals a tremendous amount of AGE’s.

How to Get Rid of AGE’S

A process called autophagy, is like an oven that can cook and breakdown AGE’s – damaged proteins and old proteins as in, old skin cells and it repurposes these proteins. Autophagy contains the word ‘auto’ meaning self and ‘phagy’ meaning eating. So, your body is eating its own proteins, in a way it’s repurposing or recycling old, damaged proteins and making new ones. This condition is good for old, wrinkled skin and it’s an essential anti-aging.  The best way to get into autophagy is through fasting.

More Ways to Look Youthful

Another recommendation for youthful skin  and anti-aging is to get a certain amount of sun but just make it’s a moderate amount of exposure. There’s certain types of light frequencies or wavelengths like infrared that tend to buffer the damaging effect of UV light. The benefit of infrared wavelengths can be extremely useful to looking youthful because it’s going to generate a lot of melatonin. Melatonin is not all about sleep it’s also an antioxidant which gets rid of free radical damage by all of your cells.

Our environment is just filled with chemicals, poisons, drugs, etc that cause us to age faster. It’s just really hard to avoid that but thankfully we have our liver that can dismantle these poisons. It can detoxify heavy metals, pesticides, insecticides, pollution, chemicals in your in the water, chemicals in the food. The liver is part of phase one phase two detoxification. Your liver has certain enzymes that can be boosted with certain foods to help get rid of poisons. So, an important part of looking youthful is having a healthy liver. If your liver is cirrhotic, fatty, or inflamed you’re going to look older.  There are foods you can eat to strengthen your liver. Cruciferous vegetables have certain phytonutrients that can boost your natural enzymes to help phase one phase two detoxification. Vegetables have antioxidants that help act as a scavenger or a sponge to clean up free radical damage that’s occurring due to inflammation, chemicals, heavy metals etc.  So, as you add more cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, you are going to create a healthy liver. Also, it’s important to remember that a youthful look has to be created continually.

You also need bile to help eliminate these toxins. It’s very important for that youthful look not just in the elimination of toxic waste but also in the extraction of fat-soluble vitamins A, E and D and Omega-3 fatty acids which you need for anti-aging.  All these fat-soluble compounds are what you need to make the skin look youthful and are dependent on bile. So, if you do not have enough bile because of various reasons for example, a fatty liver or you’re on a low-fat diet, or you have gallstones and you have to remove your gallbladder.  Bile deficiency will cause you to end up with a deficiency of the fat-soluble vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, all the things that you really need to look youthful. Therefore a combination of enough bile and consuming enough fat to get these fat-soluble vitamins are really necessary to have that youthful look.

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What Kind of Foods to Eat?

  •  Salmon is amazing for omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential as anti-inflammatories and counter all the Omega six fatty acids that are also in our diet like the corn oil, canola soy oil, cotton seed oil.
  •  Egg yolks have a lot of good vitamin A. Choline in egg yolks is great for a fatty liver and helps regulate cholesterol as does the Lecithin in the yolks. Also, you need foods high in cholesterol to build healthy membranes in your cells, to build healthy sex hormones that make your skin look youthful like testosterone and estrogen. Butter (grass-fed) can give you a lot of vitamin A.
  • The best source of Vitamin E is sunflower seeds but it’s also in the leafy greens, nuts and vegetables.
  • Another good oil would be cod liver oil because it has vitamin D, A, and omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Beef liver and other organ meats are loaded with these fat-soluble vitamins.
  • Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil is good for your skin.  In other words, you don’t want to go low fat.

We talked earlier about antioxidants in foods, but your own body has antioxidant networks which increase when you exercise, and when you fast. So, fasting helps you with about every aspect of looking youthful.

Your microbiome – your microbes in your gut help make fat fatty acids called short chain fatty acids which are very important in controlling blood sugars, and in getting rid of insulin.  They also make B vitamins that help your immune system and decrease inflammation. On top of that they make secondary bile which is also very important in the extraction of the fat-soluble vitamins. So having a really good microbiome is so essential in that youthful look. The best foods for establishing this microbiome is fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, pickles and other fermented vegetables. They are very important because they give you the prebiotics and probiotics at the same time.

Things to Change

Consuming a high carb diet is probably the fastest way to look older because sugar is like rust, it oxidizes everywhere in your body including your skin.  And every time you consume glucose you also at the same time block vitamin C, an enormously powerful antioxidant. You’re also depleting other antioxidants from your body when you consume sugar like vitamin B1.

Stress puts your body into two situations. First, your body is now tapping into glucose as fuel and it’s turning things into glucose.  So even though you may be off carbs, your body is still consuming carbs. Secondly, it is creating a catabolic or breakdown affect of proteins. Minimizing stress has many positive affects on the mind and body, including your skin.

 

Iodine: The # 1 Element You Can’t Live Without

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Iodine was discovered in 1812 by a chemist and is an element on the periodic table. It is predominantly found in ocean plants, soil and ocean life.  Historically, as we moved further and further away from the ocean iodine become more and more depleted in our food and soil.  As a result, people started to develop goiters.  So, iodine was then incorporated into table salt because everyone used salt in their diet, and it was likely an easy way to incorporate it into a typical diet.

Benefits

Did you know that iodine is essential to all vertebrates to survive?  We need iodine for many functions in our body.

The thyroid is considered the master gland and iodine is involved in making thyroid hormone. But every gland in our body concentrates iodine.  Every cell in our body had a sodium-iodine symporter on the cell membrane and essentially this allows the cell to excrete sodium and take in iodine.

84 different tissues in our body need iodine.  That’s why in childhood development iodine is especially critical.  If the mother is deficient while pregnant then the child could end up with a smaller brain, lower mental capacity or lower IQ. It’s been shown that as much as 10-15 IQ points could be lost if the mom is iodine deficient.

Many iodine receptors are found in the female reproductive organs, breasts, eyes, salivary glands, cervix, ovaries and arteries.  When a woman has fibrocystic breasts, ovarian cysts or uterine cysts, iodine supplementation has shown to decrease the cysts.

Iodine regulates excessive estrogen which is linked to cancer and therefore iodine protects against cancer. It also detoxifies mercury, lead, fluoride and bromide.  Interestingly, bromide is found in flour and grain products.

Iodine has an affinity to naturally kill viruses.  In the medical industry it is classified as a world class disinfectant.  It comes from nature and it’s pure.  Iodine deactivates viruses and kills bacteria but keeps them intact so that our immune system can recognize it and make antibodies.

What else iodine beneficial for?

  • Reduces the size of skin tags and warts,
  • Breaks down connective tissue and scars such as in dupuytren’s contracture, also known as trigger finger.
  • Can help diminish keloid scars.
  • Lessens depression- it is unknown why
  • Shrink stones in parotid glands
  • Hot flash reductions and decreases heavy menstrual cycles
  • Cystic acne reduction- related to too much estrogen

Iodine Deficiency

There are several reasons for an iodine deficiency the main one being diet.  As previously stated, as we moved further away from the coastline our food and soil became depleted of iodine.  But taking birth control pills and pregnancy can also deplete iodine because both cause a spike in estrogen and too much estrogen depletes it. Radiation, smoking and alcohol also can deplete iodine.  Fatigue and trouble losing weight have also been associated with low levels.

 

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How much do we need?

An easy way to test your own iodine levels is to get some iodine at the pharmacy and use a cotton swab to dab some on the inside of your forearm or inner thigh creating about a 2-inch diameter circle.  If the iodine disappears within an hour, then likely you are deficient because the skin has absorbed it all.  A more definitive way to find out is to do a urine test.  So how much do we need?  Well, the RDA is 150 micrograms or 1000th of a milligram. But pregnant women need more so the RDA for them is 220mcg/day.  Breastfeeding women need 290mcg/day.  This RDA is just enough for your thyroid to not make a goiter.  So, we likely need more then what is recommended.

If we consider that Japan has low rates of prostate and breast cancer and are consuming 100 times the RDA then it’s safe to assume that we can take in more iodine.  Dr. Ken D Berry recommends 1-3 milligrams/ day. And if you have normal kidney function then any excess iodine will be excreted.

As we said initially, those that lived near the ocean had an advantage because their diet and soil were rich in iodine.  We also know that Japan’s diet is rich in iodine, and they have a low prevalence of prostate and breast cancer, so it makes sense to source foods rich in iodine like sea kelp, sea fish.

Types of Iodine

Terry Mullins of Terragenx explains the different types available.  I recommend watching his video because he explains in great detail the history, development and characteristics of each type of iodine.  But for the purpose of this article, I will give a very brief explanation.  Lugol’s iodine was created in 1825 and is a solution of iodine and potassium iodide to stabilize the solution.  It’s not very good to drink and tastes terrible.  Also, too much of it can harm you.

Nascent iodine was founded in the 1930’s.  The thyroid produces nascent iodine and it’s no where to be found in nature other then our thyroid.  So, if you take it and goes to thyroid, the nascent iodide is already produced by the thyroid so then the major functions of your thyroid is going to get bypassed.  The thyroid is designed to take iodide out of your bloodstream, not have it be bypassed by an artificial product called nascent.  So, your thyroid won’t function properly.

Infinite iodine is the first pure iodine technology because it only contains pure iodine and water. And it only requires micro-dosing at 150 mcg’s/day.

As always, we recommend talking with your healthcare practitioner first to evaluate if you think you need an iodine supplement and do your research so you can ask the right questions and get the best advice possible for you.

 

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