Monthly Archives: May 2008

In the video below, I demonstrate how to tell the difference between true sciatica (usually due to a bulging/herniated lumbar disc) and piriformis syndrome (also called “pseudo-sciatica” or false sciatica) which is leg pain that feels like sciatic nerve irritation but is actually referral pain from a muscle. At the end of the video, I show you a simple stretching technique for alleviating piriformis syndrome.

I hope you found the video useful.Stay tuned to this blog for more sciatica and piriformis syndrome exercises and information.

Yahoo Health recently ran a story about antibiotic-resistant gastrointestinal infections and ran a companion story on the use of probiotics in the prevention of illnesses. 

So what are probiotics?  Simply stated, they are the “friendly” bacteria that are normally found in the gastrointestinal tract.  These bacteria assist in digestion, produce Vitamin K (necessary to blood clotting), and help prevent GI tract infections by competing with infectious bacteria. 

Many individuals are lacking in these beneficial gut bacteria, sometimes because of poor diet and lifestyle, and sometimes because of the use of antibiotics, which kill the good bacteria along with the bad.  Ironically, this elimination of beneficial bacteria through the use of antibiotics often makes the individual susceptible to recurring infections with pathogenic bacteria.  This often creates the endless loop of infection – take antibiotics – get infected again – take antibiotics again and on and on.

To end this self-perpetuating cycle of infection, one might consider supplementing with probiotics anytime he or she has had a bout of a GI “bug”, and/or anytime after finishing a round of antibiotics.  There are different ways to supplement with probiotics.  The simplest way is probably to use a broad-spectrum supplement in pill form, such as “Total Probiotic” by NutriWest (which is what I recommend to my patients).  You can also find many probiotic supplements in your local healthfood store. 

In addition to pills, you can replenish your healthy bacteria by eating yogurt, yakult and/or kefir.  Be careful with yogurt though, because you need active cultures of the bacteria to do any good, and most of the yogurt on store shelves does not have active cultures due to pasteurization and is usually loaded with sugar (which may make things worse by providing a food source for infectious bacteria and yeasts).  Yakult too has quite a bit of sugar, but it does come in a “lite” version which is better.  Recently, there have been a number of television ads for “special” yogurts containing probiotics, such as Activia and Dannon ProActiv.  These products are alright, though not ideal because of their sugar content.  They’re also probably a bit overpriced for what they provide (they only contain one or two varieties of healthy bacteria and I believe it is more beneficial to provide a broader type of probiotic support), but because they are nationally-promoted brands, they are usually at least readily accessible at regular grocery stores. 

Because most people will tend to go for the better-tasting (in other words, high sugar) probiotic foods, I usually recommend sticking with the pills, but it is possible to get a reasonably good combination of high probiotic content and good flavor by making your own probiotic drink.  For your viewing pleasure, here’s a video on how to do just that:

Enjoy!

Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more on healthy immune function!

Diet and nutritional supplementation can have a very beneficial effect on rheumatoid arthritis.  In fact, it has been my experience that many RA sufferers can get off of all of their arthritis medications within a few months, simply by changing their diets and using nutrition to reduce inflammation.  The following articles from around the web have some excellent tips:

What Are The 3 Effective Strategies Of Natural Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis?
SUMMARY: You can use dietary supplements such as fish oil, glucosamine sulfate , and chondroitin as natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Fish oil has high amounts of two omega-3 fatty acids: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA …

Herbs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
SUMMARY: Even though herbs and supplements may be all natural, they still can interact with prescription medications. An RA patient should always discuss the matter with their health care provider before adding anything in their treatment plan.

Natural Arthritis Remedies
SUMMARY: Arthritis is a generic term for conditions involving inflammation of one or more joints. It is not a single disease. There are actually more than 100 different types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis being the most common. …

 I hope you found the above articles helpful.  Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more on natural arthritis remedies.

 

People with advanced diabetes often develop neuropathy (nerve damage) in their feet, due to impaired blood supply to the nerves.  The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can include burning pain, tingling, and numbness.  Neuropathiy in the feet can also interfere with one’s sense of balance, as the nerves in the feet are one of the three major balance control systems (the other two coming from the eyes / sense of vision and from the vestibular system in the inner ears).

Diabetic neuropathy can be dfficult to treat.  Although symptom reduction can sometimes be achieved with drugs like neurontin, this is not always effective and not every patient is able to take such medications for any number of reasons (intolerable side-effects, interactions with other medications, etc.). Because of this, there has been considerable interest in natural treatments to ease the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.  A couple of the more effective natural treatments appear to not only help symptoms, but may actually improve blood supply to the nerves and help prevent the progression of the neuropathy, and in some cases even partially reverse the damage to the nerves.

The natural treatments for neuropathy fall into two main categories.  The first category is supplements or “neutraceuticals” (nutritional products with specific therapeutic effects).  Of this group, alpha-lipoic acid (sometimes called thioctic acid) has shown the greatest effects. 

The following studies on alpha-lipoic acid attest to its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety:

Journal Of Diabetes Complications, April 2008

Diabetes Care, November 2006

Diabetes Journal, September 1997

The recommended oral dosage of alpha-lipoic acid is 600 to 800 mg per day.

 The second category of natural treatments for diabetic neuropathy is energetic stimulation of the nerves.  This can be accomplished with magnet therapy, laser stimulation, and/or microcurrent (a specific type of electrical stimulation).  Of these, magnet therapy  is the simplest to use for self-treatment, since magnetic shoe inserts are easily accesible from a number of sources without the need for a prescription (as is required for a microcurrent stimulator). 

Although none of the energetic stimulation techniques has been studied in-depth at present, the following study documents the effectiveness of magnet therapy for diabetic neuropathy:

Archives Of Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation, May 2003

The best magnetic insoles I have found are the “Neo-Flex” available through:


Therion professional magnetic therapy product solutions

Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more on natural diabetes treatment.

“Leaky gut sydrome” sounds pretty nasty doesn’t it?  While it is probably not what you imagine, it is a condition that can adversely effect health in many ways.

Leaky gut syndrome occurs when microscopic leaks develop in the wall of the intestines that allow bacteria, viruses, parasites, and undigested food particles (particularly proteins) to leak into the blood stream.  It is thought that these leaks develop due to things like aspirin, bacteria, and toxins in our food. 

 The problem is becoming more and more common and can trigger any number of immune and inflammatory reactions. 

A recent Newsweek article titled “Gut Reactions” details some of the health problems that can result from leaky gut syndrome.

While medications may only make leaky gut syndrome worse, there is much that can be done with diet and nutritional supplements to help restore the normal intestinal lining.  Among the supplements that are the most helpful are glutamine, n-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG), and the herbs licorice root, and slippery elm (bark).  In my practice, I have found NutriWest’s “Total Leaky Gut” formula to be quite effective.  If you want further recommendations or would like to try Total Leaky Gut, feel free to contact me privately.

Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more health tips!

One of my professional mentors, Dr. John Brimhall, has a saying that goes, “Dilution is the solution to pollution.”  What Dr. Brimhall is referring to is the body’s natural tendency to retain water whenever the body develops toxicity, either due to an excessive toxic load or due to impaired detoxification/elimination.

The body is pretty smart and has some very strong pro-survival mechanisms.  The dilution of toxins via water retention is one of these mechanisms.  Many times people are puzzled as to why they can’t lose weight despite eating less and exercising.  A few may be even more puzzled because they are actually gaining weight with their diet and exercise programs.  Of course, exercise in the early stages of a weight loss program may cause increased muscle development that produces weight gain faster than the loss of weight from burning fat, but that’s not always what’s happening. 

In many cases, difficulty losing weight is a simple matter of the body holding on to water as a means of diluting toxins being stored in the body’s tissues.  It is not unusual for the body to retain gallons of water – which can weigh 10 to 20 pounds or more.  In some cases, the tendency to retain water may increase the more fat is being burned, because many toxins are stored in the fat tissues.  As the fat is burned, the toxins are released into the blood stream, and the liver and kidneys may not be able to keep up with the processes required to properly detoxify and eliminate them from the body, so the short-term compensation the body takes is retaining water.

The good news is that as you continue your weight loss program, the body will usually catch up with the detoxification processes that are needed and will then stop retaining the water.  The main exceptions to this are in cases of liver problems, excessive alcohol consumption, and the use of medications/illicit drugs that the body cannot metabolize quickly. 

Stay tuned for more natural weight control information and tips. 

 

As discussed in a previous post on fibromyalgia, it is my opinion based on over 15 years of clinical practice that fibromyalgia is not a single condition, but is in fact a set of symptoms that can be caused by one or more underlying problems.  With this in mind, it might seem strange that I am recommending a “fibromyalgia diet” if I don’t  think that fibromyalgia exists as a single condition.  What I am about to discuss is a “shotgun” approach to diet that will help alleviate many of the underlying causes for fibromyalgia symptoms, as well as provide an overall healthy diet that will help correct or prevent a host of other health problems.

The fibromyalgia diet comes down to controlling blood sugar, avoiding toxins and “endocrine disruptors”, and getting adequate nutrients.  Although it canbe difficult to change eating habits and follow the recommendations consistently, the rewards of making the effort can be well worth it to someone who suffers from the chronic pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. 

For some people, changing to this type of diet all at once is the most effective way to get the job done, but for many people, the changes are too overwhelming to do all at once.  For those of you in the second group, this is not an “all or nothing” situation.  ANY improvements you can make are worthwhile and will be helpful.  So if you need to take some time to gradually shift over to the recommended diet, that’s OK.  And even if you can’t ever switch completely over to the eating recommendations that follow, I think you’ll find that what improvements you do make will help your condition.

Controlling blood sugar is accomplished by means of two main things:  avoiding excess carbohydrates (particularly refined carbohydrates like sweets, bread, cereal, pasta, etc.) and eating smaller, more frequent meals.  So, what is excess carbohydrates?  As a general rule, I recommend keeping the intake of refined carbohydrates to a maximum of about 25 grams per day (Yes – per DAY, not per meal!).  That’s about the amount in a single slice of bread, and less than what you would get in just a couple of ounces of pasta or cereal.  In fact, it’s a lot less than what you get in a single 12-ounce soda!  To keep things simple, it’s best to just avoid anything made with sugar or flour altogether.  This can take a lot of getting used to for some people, and some people just can’t stop themselves from eating carbs.  Again, do what you can to decrease the refined carbs in your diet, and every little bit counts!  Carbohydrates from fresh or frozen vegetables can be eaten in unlimited amounts and fresh (or unsweetened frozen) fruits can be eaten in moderation (no more than a single piece of fruit or a cup of sliced fruit in one sitting).

Eating smaller amounts more frequently will help keep your blood sugar more level and prevent “crashes” which can make you feel fatigued and increase the perception of pain.  A solid breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a couple of snacks thrown in will be much better for blood sugar control than skipping breakfast and then eating a large meal at lunch and/or dinner. 

The second major aspect of the fibromyalgia diet is to avoid toxins and “endocrine disruptors”.  “Endocrine disruptors” are various chemicals and toxins that interfere with the normal function of your body’s hormones.  Many of these endocrine disruptors have effects similar to estrogen in the body, and can promote generalized inflammation and weight gain by interfering with the effects of important hormones, such as those from the thyroid and adrenal glands.  Most of these chemicals are eaten as either artificial ingredients in prepared food products, pesticides and other chemicals on fresh produce, and synthetic hormones contained in meat and dairy products. 

In general, the more foods you eat that are as close to possible to their natural, unprocessed state, and grown/raised with organic methods, the lower your exposure to these toxins will be, and the better your body will function.  The basic recommendations here are to avoid processed foods (particularly those with artificial flavors and/or colors), eat primarily organically-grown vegetables and fruits, and to eat “natural” (raised without hormones) meats (“free-range” or grass-fed is even better), and if you consume dairy, choose organic dairy products which are produced without r-BGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).

If you are following the first two steps, you are already well on your way to satisfying the third part of the fibromyalgia diet.  By eating mostly fresh vegetables and fruits, and eating naturally-produced meats and dairy products, you will already be consuming a diet that is high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Some people may need to use nutritional supplementation as well, especially if they are having difficulty following the above recommendations, but that is a topic for a future post. 

Fo those who are unable to follow all of the recommendations for one reason or another, I think the biggest priorities are to reduce refined carbohydrate intake and avoid artificial ingredients as much as possible.  By simply removing a lot of the processed foods from the diet, great improvements in fibromyalgia symptoms can be seen.

One final word on the fibromyalgia diet:  No matter how much or how little you follow the recommendations that have been given, it will probably take some time to notice a positive change in your fibromyalgia symptoms.  In fact, some people may actually feel WORSE when they first switch to a healthier diet for a couple of reasons.  First, because most people will begin to lose weight and burn fat when they begin eating better, toxins may be released from the fat tissues as they are burned.  Second, many food additives are thought to have addictive qualities and can produce withdrawl symptoms for a short time after you stop consuming them.  Finally, it may take a few days for your body’s blood sugar control to balance out if you suddenly switch from a mostly-carbohydrate diet to a very low carbohydrate diet.  Once your body adapts to the changes, things will improve, but it may take a couple of months to notice a big reduction in the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more natural fibromyalgia treatment tips.

The following articles discuss the many benefits of massage therapy:

Massage – Benefits of Massage
SUMMARY: Massage is an ancient healing art with enormous benefits for all the systems of the body, some of which are outlined below.

Fitness-related Benefits of Massage
SUMMARY: Ask someone their reason for getting a massage and you’re likely to hear “because it feels good”. We all know that a massage can relieve stress, help to make sore muscles feel better and even reduce anxiety, but can it help us achieve …

Beauty and Health Benefits of Massage
SUMMARY: Whether you pay 200 bucks or decide to go all out for this pampering, rejuvenating and healing method, remember that at the end of the day, you are the big winner by reaping the long list of benefits that a massage can give.

Benefits of Massage Therapy
SUMMARY: Combine this with the other benefits of massage like relaxed muscles, a decrease in pain, relief from anxiety and improved circulation, you have hit upon a fantastic way to maintain an acceptable blood pressure level. (On a side note, …

 I highly recommend that you do yourself a favor and get a massage soon.  If you don’t know a good massage therapist, ask friends, family, and co-workers for a recommendation.  If you have a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or personal trainer, usually these professionals know of good massage therapists to recommend.  I suggest that once you find a massage therapist you like, get regular massages to combat stress and maintain health at least once every few months.  You deserve it!

Stay tuned for more on massage therapy here on my natural remedies blog. 

The following links provide excellent information about what trigger points are, what symptoms they can cause, and various ways to treat them:

Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Trigger points, and Treatment Options
SUMMARY: Myofascial pain syndrome can be considered, at least partially, a side effect of our modern lifestyles. It is caused by numerous factors: trauma, tension, inflammation, overuse, overload, poor posture, stress, repetitive strain, …

Self Myofascial Release Techniques (SMRT)
SUMMARY: Trigger points have been defined as areas of muscle that are painful to palpation and are characterized by the presence of taut bands. Tissue can become thick, tough and knotted. They can occur in muscle, the muscle-tendon junctions, …

Trigger Point Treatment
SUMMARY: Injuries are a fact of life, so that most people experience a trigger point that causes pain or headache for a day or longer. In our technology-laden world with hours, with bad posture in front of a computer monitor or TV, …

Trigger Point Therapy
SUMMARY: Janet Travell and David Simons, authors of “The Trigger Point Manual,” has shown that trigger points are the primary cause of pain at least 75 percent of the time and are a factor in nearly every painful condition. …

 Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for more trigger point information.

On a regular basis in my practice I see patients who have experienced a sudden onset of severe pain that can eventually be traced to some medication they are taking.  I have previously commented on the painful side-effects of  statin drugs for lowering cholesterol, but they are not the only culprits (it’s just that so many people are on them that they are the most common of the pain-syndrome producers).  In addition to the statins, the osteoporosis drugs such as Fosamax and particularly Bonniva (probably because it is taken as a high dose) can cause severe, debilitating pain.  Ironically, the much-touted Lyrica currently being promoted for fibromyalgia can also cause severe all-over pain that could be mistaken for…fibromyalgia!

 The following links give more information about this phenomenon:

Recalls and Safety Alerts: Severe Pain with Osteoporosis Drugs
SUMMARY: Recalls and Safety Alerts: Severe Pain with Osteoporosis Drugs FDA is alerting healthcare professionals that severe bone, joint, or muscle pain can occur in patients taking bisphosphonate drugs such as Fosamax (alendronate sodium), …

Beware: Cholesterol-lowering STATINS – The STATIN side effects …
SUMMARY: …and, in rare cases, these side effects of statins can escalate to debilitating and even life-threatening damage. Now a study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), helps explain these statin side effects. …

Lyrica 4 Neuropathy & Fibromyalgia
SUMMARY: I find it interesting also that in explaining Lyrica on 2 different pages within the same web site, that what it does and what it’s side effects are, are explained differently per the condition it is being prescribed for. …

The point of all this is not to convince you to never take medication.  In some cases, medication is necessary.  The point here is to make people aware that their pain problems may not be something that require any treatment besides simply getting off of the medication they are on. 

Stay tuned to my natural remedies blog for updates!