My Chiropractor is helping more than my regular Doctor
Posted on December 23rd, 2009
Chiropractic treatment is working! I just know that in my case, it will take a lot of time.
I guess you can say that I have been frustrated because some of my friends and doctors do not think that Chiropractors are “real doctors” or “good doctors,” yet the chiropractic treatment that I have had, has helped. I know I do have these migraine-like headaches still, yet they are not as frequent as before I started this treatment a year ago. I do have fibromyalgia flare-ups often and other intense pain, but I look to the future of it lessening.
I tend to visit my regular physician every now and then for the usual checkups, referrals, or questions that I have. In the past, my regular doctor has done everything he knows how to do for my illnesses and pains and nothing has worked. He has ordered many tests and has treated me with Trigger Point Injections, wellness shots, numerous medications, etc… He has even referred me to numerous specialists for: Fibromyalgia, Rheumatology, Gastroenterolology, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, and even a Chronic Pain Clinic… and yet nothing has worked. He has done everything he knows how to do and now he basically tells me to just deal with the chronic conditions. I can honestly say that I am doing that better now, than I have in the past.
Several years ago, the Fibromyalgia and Nutritionist specialists had helped me get on track on how to handle different things, and change my way of eating, which I did, yet nothing else had worked. So I was sent to a specialist at the Chronic Pain Clinic; he said that I was in too much pain and had too many problems and to come back when I am in less pain and have less chronic illnesses. I remember crying back then, but now I can actually laugh.
It figures!!! All of my specialists and doctors say that I am their most difficult patient (meaning, I have many chronic illnesses that are difficult to treat and many medicines do not work on me like they do on most of their patients). Most of my doctors are frustrated because anti-inflammatory medicines make me sick. And now I can’t even get treated at the Chronic Pain Clinic. Wow!!! It is funny; now I can laugh at all of this, when in the past I just wanted to crawl in a cave and cry. Not that I live near a cave or anything, but if I was to have found one, I would have crawled in it and cried, in the past.
Well, this month, I went to my regular physician and he tells me that I look a lot better than I did a year ago. I tell him that for over a year now, I have been going to a chiropractor for treatment and that he even specializes in Fibromyalgia.
He was actually holding his laugh; and looked at me with a condescending look that made me feel like he was belittling me. Yet, I stood my ground and told him that the chiropractic treatment has been helping, yet it will take a while to get well because I have so many things wrong with me. I could tell that he was still holding his laugh, and he smiles this smile that almost seems evil. He says that the Chiropractor can’t help me, yet he just told me I look like I am doing better than a year ago. I tell him that I don’t have as many migraines as I used to because of the chiropractic treatment.
He asked me if I have been taking my Fibromyalgia medicine. I told him that I have not and my friend tried it and she had some really bad side effects. He said, “Well, that’s her, not you.” I told him that I am tired of being medicated, I never started the Fibro meds, and that I got off of two other medications with his approval and another specialists approval. I am on so many different medications that I think some of the medications are causing side effects that I have to get on another med to help with that side effect.
When I left the doctor’s office that day, I thought of what I should have said. I should have asked what he has done to make me well in these last couple of years. He probably would have said that he has already done everything he knows how to treat me, and then I would have replied, “And I appreciate all that you have helped me do, and now it’s my turn to find other options, which happens to be chiropractic treatment.”
Advanced Injury Center: Dr. Mike’s office
Tags: Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Invisible Illnesses, Neck Pain, Sports Injury, Tanya's Blog, Treatment
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Everyday Office Ergonomics
Posted on October 30th, 2009
Nearly anyone who has used a computer has experienced discomfort in the neck at some point. The most common cause is overuse of the neck musculature to hold the head up, instead of letting the spine do the job. This occurs when the worker juts the head forward while viewing the screen. People are rarely conscious they are doing this. When a screen is too far away for the eyes to see properly our heads move closer to the screen to fix the problem. Unfortunately, this creates other problems such as neck strain.
Adjusting the Monitor
In general the screen should be about an arm’s length away; it can be moved within a six-inch range, either way, depending on the worker’s vision. Monitors should always be placed where the user can look straight at them. Constantly looking off to one side to view the screen creates static load in the neck musculature, as well as muscle imbalances that can add up to significant injury. Adjustable monitor arms allow the screen to be placed in front of the worker and then slid out of the way for other tasks.
For users without glasses or for those who use single-vision lenses, the top of the glass screen should be at eye height. This position will let the eyes gaze down on the screen at the preferred angle. Workers who have bifocals will often tilt the head up to view the screen through the lower part of the lenses. The best solution is to discuss single-vision computer glasses with an optometrist. Otherwise, workers should lower the screen a few inches, so they can view the monitor with the head in a straight forward position, without the chin pointing up or down.
Positioning the Chair
A properly adjusted office chair is the most important tool that allows an office worker to work efficiently and safely. If there is insufficient lumbar support, patients can compensate with a back support, rolled towel or small pillow. If the seat is too deep—keeping the workers from being supported—they can use a back support or full-length pillow to take up the extra room.
In addition, educate your patients about how to adjust their chairs:
*Lower the chair until feet are well supported on the ground. If they are not firmly planted, use a footrest to provide support.
*Adjust the seat depth so there is one-to-three-fingers’ space between the front of the chair and the back of the knee.
*The seat angle and the backrest should allow for approximately a 105-degree angle between the torso and thighs. Sitting too upright increases the pressure in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Leaning too far back will cause the neck to compensate, putting it at risk.
*Adjust the armrests so they are one inch below the forearms. If the patient has any neck issues, bring the armrests up to provide support, without reaching down or up to use them.
Choosing a Keyboard
Design
Most keyboards have a standard design copied from typewriters with a number pad thrown on the right side for increased efficiency. Users typically plop down in front of the computer and center themselves between the side of the keyboard on the left and the mouse on the right. Now the right arm is externally rotated and reaching to use the mouse and then reaching across the mid-line of the body to type, so it is never in a good position.
The best solutions are to move the mouse to the left or use a keyboard that has the number pad on the left side. Workers can then center themselves by lining the bellybutton up with the “B” key.
Angle
Due to the variability of people’s shoulder widths and forearm lengths, many workers cannot use a standard keyboard without sustained ulnar deviation at the wrists. This causes static use and overload of the forearm muscles. A keyboard that allows angle and pitch adjustments is the solution to this problem.
Reach
Reaching to use a keyboard that is too high forces the upper traps to fire continuously, creating tension, fatigue and pain. A keyboard tray is the most helpful of the ergonomic tools, as it can fix problems ranging from excessive reach for the keyboard and mouse to improper wrist angles when typing. Since the proper writing height is several inches higher than the proper typing height, the tray will allow both functions to be performed safely.
Rest Breaks and Task Rotation
To work properly over time, muscles need a break to rid themselves of lactic acid and waste products while delivering oxygen to the tissues to prevent overuse and damage.
Teach patients to take a 15-second micro-break each hour. This is an easy solution for employers to accept, which helps gain compliance. During the micro-breaks, the office workers should shake their arms out or do simple stretches you can provide for them. Computer users should also frequently look away from their screen to focus on something about 20 feet away. This allows a break for the eye muscles. If they can’t seem to remember to take breaks, an egg timer can serve as a reminder. A software program such as RSI Guard can also help workers tailor breaks to the amount of work.
People are always concerned about how it will look if they seem to be taking too many breaks or are unproductive. By spreading tasks, like going to the fax and copier, returning phone calls and meeting with co-workers throughout the day, they can still be productive while giving their body a break from the computer.
Starting with these simple adjustments, your patients who work in an office should feel happier and healthier at their jobs in no time.
This article was in the magazine:
ACAnews: The Official Publication of the American Chiropractic Association
October 2009 edition pp 28-29 by Chris Sorrells
Tags: Back Injury, Chronic Pain, Ergonomics, Neck Pain, Treatment
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Relief for Aching Backs
Posted on September 16th, 2009
Relief for aching backs
Hands-on therapies were top-rated by 14,000 consumers
About 80 percent of U.S. adults have at some point been bothered by back pain. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center recently surveyed more than 14,000 subscribers who had lower-back pain in the past year but had never had back surgery. More than half said pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred through the year. Many said the pain interfered with sleep, sex, and efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
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photo is from photobucket.com
Back pain can be tough to treat. Most of our respondents tried five or six different treatments. They rated the helpfulness of the treatments tried and their satisfaction with the health-care professionals visited.
Hands-on therapies were among the top-rated. Fifty-eight percent of those who tried chiropractic manipulation said it helped a lot, and 59 percent were “completely” or “very” satisfied with their chiropractor. Massage and physical therapy were close runners-up.
Many of those who tried spinal injections found them to be very helpful, although the techniques their doctors used varied. Most respondents had used some type of medication. Forty-five percent of those who took prescription drugs said they helped a lot, double the percentage of those who said they were helped by over-the-counter medications.
Where to go for treatment
“Everyone seems to be selling some kind of gimmick, treatment, or pill for low-back pain,” says neurologist Scott Haldeman, M.D., who co-edited the January/February 2008 issue of The Spine Journal, which reviewed ways of treating low-back pain. But when treatments abound, it’s usually because there’s no clear winner.
A visit to a primary-care doctor is a smart first step when back pain is severe. A doctor can help rule out disease, such as infection or cancer. Although many of our respondents who saw a primary-care doctor left dissatisfied, doctors can write referrals for hands-on treatments that might be covered by health insurance.
Enduring the pain or seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist as a first step might be OK for a recurrent, familiar back problem. Most of the 35 percent of our respondents who didn’t see a health professional had severely limiting pain for less than a week. Many of those with more prolonged pain who didn’t see a healthcare professional said it was because of cost concerns or because they did not believe professional care could help.
Research suggests that chiropractic manipulation can reduce acute low-back pain, and many, though certainly not all, of the respondents who tried it said it helped. Albert McCann, 54, a respondent from Lakeland, Fla., has kept working as a petroleum transport engineer, driving a semi truck and using 20-foot-long hoses several times a day. By following a chiropractor’s recommendations and getting treatment every few weeks—including manual adjustments, electric stimulation, and a spinalator (roller-massage table)—he is able to keep his back pain to a minimum.
Massage and physical therapy were other treatments rated very helpful by 48 and 46 percent of consumers, respectively. “My back pain was unrelenting,” says survey respondent Charlene Mower of Fayetteville, Ark. “Before physical therapy, I thought I was done for.” Mower, 51, hurt her back while trying to lift her bedridden mother. She credits the training in lifting and bending techniques that a therapist gave her and continued exercise for her long-term success in staving off pain.
Lifestyle changes can help .
Cindy Pickett developed low-back pain at age 22, when she was building a bookcase and suffered two slipped disks. Over the years back pain and other factors led to a 100-pound weight gain. At 59, Pickett, a schoolteacher from Flagstaff, Ariz., retired and decided to make weight loss and exercise her full-time job. She credits her improvement to the combination of weight loss and abdominal-strengthening exercises that reduced pressure on her lower back. Pickett reports that she has not had to take pain relievers for months.
Forty-four percent of our survey respondents found exercise helpful, making it the top self-help measure. And a surprising 58 percent of respondents wished that they had done more exercises to strengthen their backs in the past year. That is more than twice the number who told us they wished that they had reduced or avoided activities that might make the pain worse.
Use caution with surgery
Your doctor might suggest you see a surgeon if back pain is unrelenting and no other treatment seems to work. We conducted a separate survey of almost 1,000 consumers who have had back surgery in the past five years.
Those who had back surgery had tried nine to 10 treatments and described themselves as much more impaired by their pain than people with back problems who did not have surgery. Just 60 percent of the back-surgery respondents were completely or very satisfied with the results, compared with 82 percent of respondents who were satisfied after hip- or knee-replacement surgery in our 2006 survey.
But satisfaction depended on the diagnosis and the type of surgery. Those with degenerative disk disease (arthritis of the spine) were far less likely to be highly satisfied with surgery (54 percent) than those with a herniated disk (73 percent) or spinal stenosis (71 percent).
Alfonso Sanchez, 38, a state senatorial aide from Sacramento, Calif., was highly satisfied with his lumbar discectomy. His back pain turned excruciating when he was canvassing door-to-door in the hills of San Francisco last June. After failing to improve with acupuncture, physical therapy, and chiropractic treatments, Sanchez underwent a microdiscectomy last August. Remarkably, as soon as he woke up from the anesthesia, his pain was gone. He is now back to gardening and riding a bike to work.
But not everyone does so well. More than 50 percent of respondents reported at least one problem with recovery, finding it lengthier and more painful than they had expected. Indeed, 16 percent of back-surgery respondents said that their back pain did not improve, and half of those said it became worse after surgery. The most common regret was that more post-surgery rehabilitation was not planned.
If you’re told you need surgery, get a second opinion from another practitioner, preferably one who is not a surgeon. If you decide that surgery is the best approach, ask whether the surgeon is board-certified and find out how many operations he or she has done.
For more guidance, see our free diagnostic tool for back pain at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org. More detailed information is available to subscribers to that site, including consumer ratings and the medical evidence for 23 back remedies
Who helped the most?
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The percent of people highly (completely or very) satisfied with their back-pain treatments and advice varied by practitioner visited.
Professional - Highly satisfied
Chiropractor 59%
Physical therapist 55%
Acupuncturist 53%
Physician, specialist 44%
Physician, primary care 34%
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Differences in Ratings for physical therapists and acupuncturists were not statistically significant.
Article is from “Contents: Consumer Reports” Magazine
May 2009 pages 12-13
Tags: Anti Inflammatories, Back Injury, Chronic Pain, Spinal Decompression, Sports Injury, Treatment
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FOOT PROBLEMS: FLat Feet
Posted on September 16th, 2009
Pes Planus (Flat Feet)
A true flat foot is rare. Generally, a flat footed-person is only suffering from a functional flat foot caused by excess pronation. Excess pronation causes the foot’s arch to collapse and elongate giving the appearance of a flat foot. A functional flat foot is quite common and generally exhibits symptoms ranging from sore/tired feet to general leg fatigue and body aches.
Treatment
Orthotics (foot supports) control excess pronation by preventing excess calcaneal eversion during the contact phase of gait. This prevents secondary unlocking of the mid-tarsal joints during the mid-stance phase of gait which is commonly representative of Pes Planus (flat feet)
In other words:
Our Foot Supports (Orthotics) and Treatment Programs are designed to control excess pronation which is the common cause of functional flat feet; thereby restoring the foot’s arch to normal. We have an 85% success rate!
Article is from: Performance Through Innovation: Practitioner’s guide to dispensing Vasyli Orthotics by Phillip J. Vasyli (p. 35)
Tags: Foot Pain, Orthotics, Treatment
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A Glimpse of an Invisible Illness
Posted on September 10th, 2009
I completed some statements that I received from one of Facebook.com’s group called “Understanding Invisible Illnesses.”
30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know
1. The illness (and chronic problems) I live with are: Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Bilateral Anterior Displaced Menisci, Anterior dislocation of the Anterior (right) disc and Articular disc (left)/ Allergies/ Myofascial Pain Syndrome/ Arthritis in Jaw and Neck/ Visual Migraines/ High ear sensitivity/ subject to regular Migraines, yet have Headaches 24 hours a day/7 days a week/ IBS / Cervical Vertigo/ stomach problems which make it hard to eat many foods/ severe TMJ, etc… There is a lot more, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. ha-ha lol.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2001
3. But I had symptoms since: 1995, symptoms started after a head injury and increased through the years.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: (this one is a hard one because there are so many) Wearing ear plugs all the time/ Not being able to go places or do things that my friends are able to do. / The first time I said I am going to go to college and make something of myself; after I went for a couple of months, I had the head injury which has made it to where I have a hard time comprehending. I had to drop out for a little bit, and then only was able to take 2 classes at a time, and now, I am lucky if I finish one at a time. / Also not being able to go to church all the time, is really hard.
5. Most people assume: if I say that I am okay or fine, then they think I am doing great and not in pain.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Getting up…I have a hard time moving in the morning, like hard to walk / I have ‘fibro fog’/ colon is messed up/ painful joints/ try to wake up from a horrible night sleep of tossing and turning. (Before my injury and illness, I was a morning person and would be the first one up and ready to go)
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House and Dr. Oz
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my earplugs (everyday sounds are like a trumpet blowing in my ear) and also my sunglasses (have sensitivity to brightness). I have a new love for foot orthotics.
9. The hardest part about nights is: Getting to sleep/staying asleep and tossing and turning.
10. Each day I take (how many) pills & vitamins: a bunch
11. Regarding alternative treatments: I am having success with chiropractic although, I did try acupuncture and it caused severe muscle spasms throughout my body. (They say that doesn’t usually happen)
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: (that’s hard to answer because I know that when I do have a brace on my arm, people sympathize with me, yet that brace I wear only at different times and that pain is no way near the pain I have daily. Also when I use my handicap card people kind of look at me different because they see me as someone who doesn’t look like I have pain.) So yes I guess sometimes it would be nice that I would have a visible illness instead of an invisible one.
13. Regarding working and career: let’s see, in 1995 had to stop working for several months due to a head injury, then I did many years of part-time work because the pain was so bad, and had to stop working in 2001 because symptoms increased.
14. People would be surprised to know: that there are times that I just need a hug and for people to actually be there for me when I really need it. (I have a couple of my friends who do, but a lot of people say they would do anything for me, but they disappear).
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: not being able to go to church all the time. I need that network or contact of friendly hugs. Facebook is great, but I so miss the physical contact.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: hmm, I don’t know. Maybe keep on going no matter what.
17. The commercials about my illness: within the last couple of years there are a few that has popped up about Fibromyalgia: like Lyrica and then there are those IBS commercials which I dislike. They always show ladies with flat tummies who have IBS, and that is so not true.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: singing in the church choir, just hanging out with my friends at any time of day, and driving whenever I want to.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: singing and eating foods I like. I kept trying several times to sing again, but with severe TMJ and headaches which lead to migraines, it’s kind of hard to do that. I tried throughout the years, but it just led to migraines and major muscle spasms in jaw. Not so much fun.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: drawing, and painting,
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: go to church, hang out with my friends, maybe go to a Christian concert, and eat ice cream. Oh, buy a car and drive forever, I haven’t been able to drive on a regular basis because of all the health and visual problems I have.
22. My illness has taught me: live minute to minute, trust in God, be my own advocate; keep standing up for what I believe in- if it’s medical rights or God. I have also learned that when someone says that they are doing okay, I know they are usually hurting or in pain.
23. Want to know a secret? I like encouraging cards and phone calls, just to say hi or being there for me, is so important.
24. But I love it when people: I do appreciate the ones who contact me on Facebook.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: “Jesus wept.” Jesus had compassion for Lazarus; even though he knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, he still wept. That shows compassion and it shows me that He has compassion for me.
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: I know what you are going through; if you need to talk or need prayer, contact me; stand up for yourself; set boundaries, and lean on God.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: I am learning that I can handle anything that comes my way and that God has brought me through so much.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: brought me dinner and sent me a card.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I know what people are going through.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: that you do care or you or someone you know has some sort of chronic illness or pain.
Find out more about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and the 5-day free virtual conference with 20 speakers Sept 14-18, 2009 at www.invisibleillness.com
Tags: Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Invisible Illnesses, Tanya's Blog, Treatment
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Standard Process: Whole Food Supplements
Posted on September 6th, 2009
Call for more information or for a consultation to learn more about Standard Process: Whole Food Supplements.
List of Whole Food Supplements
A-C Carbamide®_____ Adrenal Desiccated_______ A-F Betafood®__________ Albaplex®____________ Allerplex®___________ Antronex®______________ Arginex®_______________ B6 Niacinamide_______ Betacol®____________ Betafood®______________ Betaine Hydrochloride____ Bio-Dent®_____________ Biost®______________ Black Currant Seed Oil____ Cal-Amo®______________Calcifood®______________ Calcifood® Powder____Calcium Lactate__________ Calcium Lactate Powder__ Cal-Ma Plus®__________ Calsol®_____________ Cardio-Plus®____________Cardiotrophin PMG®______Catalyn®______________ Catalyn® Chewable____Cataplex® A_____________Cataplex® A-C__________ Cataplex® A-C-P_________ Cataplex® B__________Cataplex® B12__________ Cataplex® C____________ Cataplex® D____________ Cataplex® E__________Cataplex® E2____________Cataplex® F Perles______ Cataplex® F Tablets________ Cataplex® G__________Cataplex® GTF__________Cayenne Pepper_________Chezyn®_______________ Chlorophyll Complex™________________________ Chlorophyll Complex Ointment™___________________
Cholacol®____________Cholacol® II_____________ Cholaplex®_____________ Choline________________ Circuplex®___________ Collagen C™____________Collinsonia Root__________Congaplex®____________ Congaplex®Chewable__Copper Liver Chelate™____ Cruciferous Complete™___Cyrofood®_____________ Cyrofood® Powder_____Cyro-Yeast®____________Cyruta®________________ Cyruta® Plus__________ Dermatrophin PMG®___ Diaplex®________________Disodium Phosphate______Drenamin®___________ Drenatrophin PMG®____Echinacea C™__________ E-Manganese™__________ Emphaplex®_________________ e-Poise®____________ Fen-Cho®_______________ Fen-Gre®_____________Ferrofood®__________________ Folic Acid B12_________For-Til B12®____________ Garlic__________________ Gastrex®_________________
Gastro-Fiber®________Ginkgo Synergy®_________ Glucosamine Synergy®______Hepatrophin PMG®___
Hypothalamus PMG®__Hypothalmex®____________ Immuplex®________________ Inositol_______________
Inositol Powder_______ Iodomere®______________ Iplex®____________________ Lact-Enz®__________
Lactic Acid Yeast™____Ligaplex® I______________ Ligaplex® II________________ Linum B6____________
Livaplex®___________ Magnesium Lactate________ Mammary PMG®____________ Manganese B12™_______
Min-Chex®__________ Min-Tran®_______________ Multizyme®________________ Myo-Plus®____________
Myotrophin PMG®____ Neuroplex®______________ Neurotrophin PMG®__________ Niacinamide B6_________
Nutrimere®__________Oculotrophin PMG®_______ Okra Pepsin E3_____________ OPC Synergy®____________
Orchex®____________Orchic PMG®____________ Organically Bound Minerals___ Ostarplex®____________
Ostrophin PMG®_____Ovatrophin PMG®_________ Ovex®___________________ Ovex® P____________
Palmettoplex®_______ Pancreatrophin PMG®_____ Paraplex®________________ Parotid PMG®__________
Phosfood® Liquid____ Pituitrophin PMG®_________ Pneumotrophin PMG®_______Prolamine Iodine___________
Prostate PMG®______ Prost-X™________________Protefood®________________ Renafood®____________
Renatrophin PMG®___ Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)____ Rumaplex®________________ Senaplex®____________
Sesame Seed Oil____ Soybean Lecithin__________SP Cleanse®______________ SP Complete™____________
SP Green Food™____ Spanish Black Radish Organically Grown _______________ Spleen Desiccated ________
Spleen PMG®_______ St. John’s Wort-IMT™______ Super-EFF®______________ Symplex® F____________
Symplex® M________ Thymex®________________ Thymus PMG®____________ Thytrophin PMG®__________
Trace Minerals-B12™_________________________ Tuna Omega-3 Chewable____ Tuna Omega-3 Oil__________ USF Ointment®_____Utrophin PMG®____________ Vasculin®_________________ Wheat Germ Oil____________ Wheat Germ Oil Fortified™_____________________ Whey Pro Complete_________Whole Food Fiber___________ Zinc Liver Chelate™___________________________ Zinc Test™_______________ Zymex® Capsules_________ Zymex® Wafers_____Zymex® II_________________ Zypan®____________________________________________
Standard Process: Purification Products:
• Purification Product Kit with Gastro-Fiber
• Purification Product Kit with Whole Food Fiber
Standard Process: StandardBars:
• Berry StandardBar®
• Cocoa Cherry StandardBar® (High Protein)
• Cocoa Crisp StandardBar® (High Protein)
• Peanut Butter StandardBar® (High Protein)
• Soy Almond Crunch StandardBar®
Advanced Injury Center
Dr. Mike Trudeau
4695 Hallmark Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407
909-648-3551
Tags: Nutrition, Standard Process, Treatment, Vitamins, Whole Food Supplements
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Reflexology – “Foot Focus”
Posted on September 4th, 2009
Feeling Tired?
Stressed Out?
Feet Hurt?
It’s time for some Reflexology with “Foot Focus.”
The Theory is that your feet mirror your body. If you placed an image of your body over your feet, you can see how the toes correspond to the head area. Where the toes join the foot is the shoulder line and so on down the body.
Each foot has over 7,200 nerve endings (reflex points) that directly correspond to every organ and part of your body. Over time, crystalline deposits form wherever there is a blockage of blood or energy.
Benefits of Reflexology
*Stress Reduction- Doctors agree that over 75% of our health issues are stress related.
*Stimulated Nerve Function – encourage the opening and clearing of neural pathways. Reduces pain by interrupting pain pathways.
*Improved Circulation – Results in better oxygen and nutrient supply to all cells in the body.
Reflexology is the “drugless” way to better health, requiring no exercise and no expensive equipment. Reflexology is an effective technique for regaining better health, but it IS NOT intended to replace the care of your physician.
Fun Foot Facts
*Our feet bear a cumulative weight of 1,000 tons a day.
*They cushion as much as a million pounds of pressure during only one hour of strenuous exercise!
*The average person walks over 115,000 miles during their lifetime!
*One-fourth of all the bones in your body are in your feet!
Reflexology uses a specific touch technique of applying pressure to the reflex areas which breaks up those deposits and releases them into the bloodstream for proper elimination. This type of therapy creates a physiological change in the body by naturally improving circulation, which reduces your body tension and stress.
Welcome to Foot Focus where I can improve your wellness by improving your circulation and reducing your body stress!
Foot Focus offers you an inexpensive, relaxing foot treatment in the comfort of your own home of office.
A one hour session consists of a consultation, warm foot bath, reflexology session and ends with a soothing oil treatment.
Give it a try…. Your feet will love you for it!
Call and make an appointment with Cindy Hauk (Certified Reflexologist).
Advanced Injury Center- A Wellness Clinic
4695 Hallmark Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407
909-648-3551
Tags: Chronic Pain, Foot Pain, Reflexology, Sports Injury, Treatment
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EWOT: Exercise with Oxygen Therapy
Posted on August 18th, 2009
The Benefits of Oxygen
The three basic nutrients without which planet earth could not exist as a home for living things are light, water, and oxygen. Everybody knows that walking in fresh air does you good. It promotes the capacity of thinking and improved efficiency. A deep breath raises our energy levels within a short time. Even after physical exercises we feel more active and fresh although a lot of energy has been used up.
One major reason for aging is the failure of enzymatic systems that are responsible for our body’s uptake and utilization of oxygen. When our cells don’t get enough oxygen, they degenerate and die. Lack of mobility, infections and toxins make our oxygen status worse and this worsening produces illness. This degeneration is connected with a noticeable reduction of physical and mental powers, especially in old age.
Lack of oxygen causes a critical decrease of the cardiac output; less oxygen is transported through the body. For example, the oxygen supply of 80 year old person can go down as far as 66% of the maximum amount. Human beings can take a lot of punishment, mentally and physically, so these frequent drops in our ability to utilize oxygen efficiently are not going to kill anyone immediately. But each level of oxygen deprivation takes its toll, and if a few cells die here and there due to constant external (or internal) stress, it begins to add up. The end result is due to premature aging. So if a simple system can be used that constantly provides the body with additional oxygen, these stress factors can be, to a certain extent, neutralized. With EWOT that system is easily available. EWOT (pronounced ee-watt) stands for Exercises With Oxygen Therapy. This method of prolonging your life is so simple that it’s hard to believe it could work, but it does.
Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT)
EWOT was invented by Manfred von Ardenne, physicist, researcher and inventor, state award winner of the USSR, national award winner of the GDR… Von Ardenne was one of the pioneers of the television, developing the broadband amplifier and the electron ray tube in its modern form. At the Radio Exhibition of 1931 Ardenne presented the first worldwide television set. Professor Von Ardenne was also the inventor of the raster electron microscope. Later in life, he turned to medicine, and developed two classic EWOT techniques (‘Oxygen Multi-step Therapy’ and ‘Systemic Cancer Multi-Step Therapy.’)
Von Ardenne found that stress of any type can cause a decrease in the ability to absorb oxygen into the blood, which can result in decreased oxygen to the tissues. EWOT can help reverse this by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and plasma, and also in the tissues. This increased level of tissue oxygen has several beneficial effects. It has been used successfully for a multitude of conditions, including:
• Heart failure
• Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Wellness and anti-aging
• Emphysema
• Stress of all types
How and Why EWOT Works
Exercising while breathing oxygen dramatically increases the amount of oxygen in the blood plasma (the portion of the blood outside the red and white cells). The oxygen content of plasma fluid can be dramatically increased and oxygen pushed into the body’s cells without the aid of the red cells. It’s called the Law of Mass Action. If the concentration of a certain component in a chemical mixture is high enough, the chemical combining will take place with other elements of the mixture that ordinarily wouldn’t happen.
After 15 minutes of EWOT, there is a dramatic ‘pinking up’ of a patient’s skin. This can be seen easily by simple observation, and illustrates that the tiny capillaries (vessels tinier than a strand of hair) are carrying extra oxygen to cells in the body. Presumably every organ is being bathed in these extra amounts of life-sustaining oxygen.
EWOT technique is very simple to employ. You should wear light, comfortable clothing with EWOT. Your doctor will first determine your level of physical fitness. If you are quite fit, you might begin by exercising on an upper body ergometer (UBE) which is like a bicycle for the arms, or on an elliptical exerciser for 15 minutes while breathing oxygen from an oxygen concentrator. If you are less conditioned, you may have to work up to using the UBE or elliptical exerciser, very often by beginning EWOT with vibration instead. Before and after treatment we will monitor your heart rate, oxygen concentration, and blood pressure. For the prescribed period of time, you simply perform your exercise, all the while breathing in 90-95% oxygen from an oxygen concentrator.
After EWOT, you’ll find yourself invigorated, renewed, and clear-headed. EWOT can be used therapeutically via multiple sessions over a short period of time for acute therapy, or employed periodically over a longer period of time to treat chronic stress, injury or illness.
Tags: Oxygen Therapy, Treatment
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Oxygen Therapy for Headache Pain
Posted on August 17th, 2009
Oxygen Therapy for Headache Pain:
Safe and Natural Solution for Stubborn, Painful, Chronic Headaches
Michael Bennett, MB, BS, MD (University of New South Wales)
Alexander Mauskop (State University of New York in Brooklyn)
Special from Bottom Line’s Daily Health News (December 11, 2008)
Of the nearly one million Americans who suffer from cluster headaches, relief may be just a breath… of pure oxygen… away. Cluster headaches are acutely painful headaches that come in waves… with several short headaches a day over a period of weeks or months. It’s not known what causes them nor what might cure them… but a recent review of research suggests that oxygen therapy, in particular what’s known as “normobaric” (normal pressure) oxygen therapy (NBOT), can effectively relieve the pain. This is good news for sufferers of cluster headaches, as NBOT is an easy and natural alternative — and, perhaps most importantly, it works really fast.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
The lead author of the meta-analysis, Michael Bennett, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, explored the effectiveness of two kinds of oxygen therapy for prevention and treatment of headaches — NBOT, which involves breathing 100% oxygen from a portable oxygen tank with a mask… and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves breathing oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure in a sealed chamber. Dr. Bennett reviewed nine small clinical trials involving 201 participants, noting that 76% of patients experienced relief when treated with NBOT for their cluster headaches and not much from HBOT. He also found evidence, though nowhere near as strong or compelling, that HBOT relieves migraine headaches. While NBOT is “cheap and easy to apply” as a therapy for cluster headache patients, Dr. Bennett expressed caution about the use of HBOT for migraines, given its “high cost, poor availability and inconvenience,” saying more research needs to be done. The study was published July 16, 2008, in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Alexander Mauskop, MD, a board-certified neurologist and director of the New York Headache Center, who uses oxygen therapy in his practice, explained why this treatment is helpful to people who suffer from these very particular headaches. (Note: Oxygen therapy is not currently recommended for relief from any other kind of headache and should never be attempted on your own.)
OXYGEN USE
According to Dr. Mauskop, up to 70% of cluster headache patients can attain relief within five to 10 minutes of breathing in 100% oxygen. For oxygen therapy to work, the oxygen must be inhaled through a mask at high flow (between 8 to 10 liters per minute). It is believed that oxygen helps by offsetting metabolic changes that cause pain and vasospasms due to oxygen depletion.
Effective as it is for cluster headaches, Dr. Mauskop notes that this therapy probably will not be helpful in alleviating any other kind of headache pain. Visit a neurologist for a headache evaluation if you think you may have cluster headaches and might benefit from NBOT. And by the way, it should be noted that NBOT is distinct from other oxygen therapies that are available in spas and at trendy oxygen bars. In those, the concentration of oxygen is likely to be much lower than 100% — in fact, those “oxygen treatments” are typically just a few percent points more than the usual 21% we breathe in the air.
Michael Bennett, MB, BS, MD, is an associate professor in the faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Dr. Bennett is an experienced clinician and researcher in both Anesthesia and Diving/Hyperbaric Medicine.
Alexander Mauskop, MD, is the director and founder of the New York Headache Center. He is a board-certified neurologist and has published numerous articles in scientific journals. Dr. Mauskop is author of The Headache Alternative: A Neurologist’s Guide to Drug-Free Relief (Dell) and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines (Warner).
Tags: Chronic Pain, Headaches, Oxygen Therapy, Treatment
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Oxygen and Fibromyalgia
Posted on August 6th, 2009
OXYGEN AND FIBROMYALGIA
What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia (FM) is often considered a medical mystery. It need not be. I often hear all laboratory tests are negative in patients with FM. That’s not true. Most physicians are uneasy when confronted with persons suffering with FM. That need not be so. I sometimes hear FM is not treatable. Nothing is further from the truth.
Why are so many people confused about the cause of FM? Because it doesn’t fit into some neat model of a disease category. Why isn’t FM treated successfully by mainstream doctors? Because there are no effective drugs for it.
THREE BASIC FACTS ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA
1. All symptoms of fibromyalgia are caused by cellular oxygen deprivation.
2. Oxygen deprivation is caused by dysfunctional oxygen metabolism.
3. Oxygen metabolism becomes abnormal due to excessive and cumulative oxidative stress caused by sugar overload, antibiotic abuse, undiagnosed allergies, synthetic chemicals, and anger.
Dysfunctional oxygen metabolism is not merely lack of oxygen in the air we breathe, in the blood, or in the cells.
This is a critical distinction. I coin this term for a much deeper problem of oxygen metabolism within the cells that involves failure of enzymes involved in oxygen metabolism.
This also forms the core of my ODD theory of the fibromyalgia/fatigue complex (ODD stands for oxidative-dysoxygenative dysfunction).
3 Rs OF FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia is Real.
Fibromyalgia is Reversible.
Fibromyalgia cannot be Reversed with drugs.
That fibromyalgia is reversible is the second core point of this article. It is regrettable that many fibromyalgia “experts” emphatically state that it is irreversible. (Why would anyone become an expert in a disease that he can never effectively treat?) I strongly disagree with them.
I consider persons with fibromyalgia as human canaries whose oxygen enzymes are more easily injured than other people. They are more vulnerable to unrecognized allergies, sugar overload, excessive antibiotics, and anger, and have been poisoned by synthetic chemicals. Those human canaries are telling us something important about the shape of things to come. What injures their oxygen enzymes eventually will injure the oxygen enzymes of others, unless we find ways to protect the oxygen metabolism.
FOUR MAIN SYMPTOMS OF FIBRO CANARIES
1. Persistent muscle pain and weakness.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation causes muscle pain.
2. Disabling fatigue.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in tissue causes fatigue and exhaustion.
3. Brain fog (problems of mood, memory, and mentation).
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in brain cells causes brain fog and dysfunction.
4. Air hunger.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation within the cells causes air hunger.
The last item requires a special comment. Like other physicians, until some years ago I accepted the prevailing view that the body learns about the lack of oxygen through special oxygen sensors in the brain as well as in the walls of large blood vessels in the chest and neck. My fibro canaries have forced me to look deeper into this issue. The sense of air or oxygen hunger in fibromyalgia cannot be explained merely on the basis of those oxygen sensors. Oxygen levels in the large vessels in those locations are within the normal range in fibromyalgia. Thus, I had to look for some other mechanism. Now I believe oxygen hunger is caused by abnormal oxygen metabolism within the cells —though the evidence for my view at this point is indirect. 
OTHER MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF FIBRO CANARIES
1. Symptoms of weakened immune systems, such as sore throats, swollen neck glands, and painful tissues.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in immune cells causes immune weaknesses.
2. Abdominal bloating, cramps, episodes of diarrhea and constipation, and problems of digestion and malabsorption.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the bowel causes bloating, cramps, and malabsorption.
3. Cold sensitivity and poor circulation.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in skin causes cold sensitivity.
4. Sleep difficulties, restless leg syndrome, and legs.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation interferes with functions of the sleep center and causes other problems, such as restless leg syndrome.
5. Lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, and skipped beats.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the heart and vessel walls causes lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, and skipped beats.
6. Dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, and dry vaginal tissues.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the cells of the skin, eyes, mouth and vagina muscles causes cell shrinkage and dryness skin.
7. Vaginitis, bladder spasms, and bladder infections in women and prostatitis in men.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in genital tissues causes vaginitis, bladder spasms, and bladder infections in women and prostatitis in men.
8. Joint and muscle stiffness and pain.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in joints and muscles causes stiffness and pain.
9. Lack of sex drive in both sexes and menstrual irregularities in women.
Explanation: Oxygen deprivation interferes with the enzyme functions of sexual organs and their hormones.
What Causes of Fibromyalgia?
1. Metabolic oxidants
2. Microbial oxidants
3. Man-made oxidants (Oxidants are substances that damage tissues.)
Three Molecular Mechanisms of Fibromyalgia
1. Oxidosis (too much oxidation)
2. dysoxygenosis (too little oxygen)
3. Acidosis (too much acidity) (Oxidosis is rapid breakdown. Dysoxygenosis [dys-oxy-gen-osis] is abnormal oxygen metabolism.)
Three Levels of Injured Cellular and Organ Ecosystems and an Ecologic Road Map to Recovery
1. The base trio of the bowel, blood, and liver ecosystems
2. The middle trio of the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas ecosystems
3. The top trio of the limbic system, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters.
TOXINS: Metabolic, Microbial, and Man-Made
Of the three main types of toxins identified above that lead to fibromyalgia, the metabolic toxins are the least important in the initial stages, but the most dangerous in advanced stages of fibromyalgia. The reason for that is that all kinds of metabolic havoc are wreaked on the human tissues once oxygen metabolism becomes dysfunctional.
Metabolism (the sum total of all life processes) produces many oxidants as waste products. In health, the detox mechanisms of the body neutralize and clear such oxidants. In illness, such oxidants are produced in such large quantities that the detox systems fail. Excess oxidants accumulate and cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to dysoxygenosis and acidosis. The states of illness that lead to oxidosis and dysoxygenosis include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical sensitivity syndrome, and others.
Microbial oxidants are produced in large quantities by microbes which live in the body in health. Those microbes multiply rapidly in the bowel and blood ecosystems with sugar overload, antibiotic abuse, pesticides, pollutants, and other toxins. All microbial oxidants cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to dysoxygenosis and acidosis. Microbial oxidants include those produced by:
1. Yeasts (mycotoxins);
2. Bacteria (endotoxins and exotoxins);
3. Viruses (oxidants produced by damaged cells); and
4. Parasites (oxidants produced by parasites as well as by cells and tissues damaged by parasites).
Man-made oxidants include designer killer molecules (such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides), industrial pollutants, toxic metal compounds (such as dental mercury amalgams), and synthetic hormones. The toxic burden of chemicals has increased markedly during this century. For example, in the U.S. more than nineteen million pounds of antibiotics are fed to cattle and chicken every year.
THREE FURIES: OXIDOSIS, DYSOXYGENOSIS, AND ACIDOSIS
Oxidosis is the build-up of oxidants in the body that leads to excessive oxidative injury to molecules, cells, and tissues. Oxidosis is the basic mechanism of all cellular and tissue injury. It creates both dysoxygenosis and acidosis. Fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this simple scientific fact. Nor can anyone design a rational and scientific plan of recovery from fibromyalgia without grounding all therapies on this fact.
Dysoxygenosis is my term for abnormal oxygen metabolism. It is not simply a lack of available oxygen in the lungs or tissues. In dysoxygenosis, cells and tissues cannot fully utilize oxygen that is available to them. The symptom-complexes of fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this scientific fact. Dysoxygenosis is caused by oxidosis and, in turn, fans the flames of oxidosis as well as acidosis. Consider the following: A healthy young man sprints two hundred yards on a beach, stops to catch his breath, and within minutes is ready to sprint again. That is not the case with a young fibro canary. If he were ever to sprint (even after a lightning storm, when the beach air has been cleared of pollutants) he will not be able to get out of his bed the next day. Indeed, many fibro canaries may be bedridden for days after such exertion. There will evidently be no deficiency of oxygen in the air by the sea, nor in his lungs. His problem will be abnormal oxygen metabolism.
Acidosis disturbs the delicate balance between acids and alkalies (pH level) in the body. The changes in pH seriously interfere with the activities of enzymes involved in the digestive-absorptive, detox, neurotransmitter, and energy functions of the body. Acidosis is caused by oxidosis and dysoxygenosis which, in turn, feeds the fires of both oxidosis and dysoxygenosis.
FIBRO IS REAL
If you are a fibro canary, you know that fibromyalgia is real. If your physicians doubt that, they cannot help you. Be kind to yourself and find another physician who understands this problem. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often long and difficult. You need not make it much more difficult.
FIBRO IS REVERSIBLE
If you are a fibro canary, please be kind to yourself and shun people who insist fibromyalgia is irreversible. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often long and difficult. You need not absorb the negativity of others.
FIBRO CANNOT BE REVERSED WITH DRUGS
If you are a fibro canary, please know that fibromyalgia cannot be reversed with any drugs. You will learn that sooner or later. No drug at present is known to cure fibromyalgia. It seems highly unlikely that such a drug will be synthesized in the foreseeable future. In this volume, I discuss at length my reasons for that view.
Healing is an energy phenomenon. Hope is another word for healing.
Written by Majid Ali, M.D.
Tags: Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Oxygen Therapy, Treatment
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