Scientific Living » Inflammation

Prolotherapy Cures Chronic Pain- Part 2 of 5

Scientific Living — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:35:42 +0000

Understanding inflammation is important in understanding how prolotherapy works. Prolotherapy actually intentionally causes inflammation around tendons and ligaments.

Many have the idea that inflammation is a bad thing in every sense of the term. In fact, there is “good” inflammation, and there is “bad” inflammation.

Good Inflammation

Say you sprain something (like your ankle). You have probably had the experience of a joint becoming big and puffy and sore and red and stiff. This is due to the body’s inflammation process. When you sprain a joint, tendons and ligaments can get injured. Tendons are what connect muscle to bone, and ligaments are what connect bone to bone. Inflammation is the body’s way of getting lots of blood flow to the injured area. This allows plenty of nutrition to get to the damage, and repair it well. Without this inflammation process, we cannot heal. This is an example of “good” inflammation. The reason it is good is because the inflammation is productive. It will result in healing an injury, and then go away.

Bad Inflammation

Systemic Inflammation is the “bad” type of inflammation. “Systemic” means it is affecting the entire body. An ongoing process of inflammation throughout the body can be a sign of a serious health problem. No, a person won’t look like their entire body is swollen. Bad inflammation does not have to be visible. When there is systemic inflammation, the body is constantly trying to heal itself of some systemic problem. The experience of Natural Medicine is that systemic inflammation is often caused by food allergies or chronic infections.

We want to allow “good” or “productive” inflammation to do its thing. Stopping or reducing it would impede needed healing. On the other hand, it is the systemic inflammation that we want to eliminate.

Pain Killers

Let’s talk about our favorite pain medications, better known as: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s). These include things like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. These drugs relieve pain temporarily by reducing inflammation. Unfortunately, they do not discriminate between productive and systemic inflammation. If a person takes these drugs while recovering from an injury, he or she can actually prevent complete healing from occurring, by shutting down the body’s healing process (inflammation) before it finishes the job.

The R.I.C.E. Myth

Many people have heard of the time honored recipe for healing injuries, knows as R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate). This is a complete myth with no good evidence to support it. Unfortunately, doing any of those four things will help an injury heal poorly. These all have the effect of reducing inflammation, and lowering blood supply (reducing circulation). An injury is better served by keeping the joint moving, and letting the inflammation do its job right.

Anti-inflammatory Diets

What about eating things that are supposed to reduce inflammation? Foods like fish oil that reduce systemic inflammation are popular. If you come across a supplement or medicine that claims to reduce inflammation, search for it on the internet and make sure it reduces the bad kind of inflammation. Also be aware, that there is theoretically a way to reduce “good” inflammation, while not interfering with healing. This can in theory be done, not by stopping the inflammation process, but by speeding it up, at getting it over with quicker. Some supplements like bromelain claim to help with this.

Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice. This is opinion and is for informational purposes only. If seeking medical advice, consult a licensed physician.

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19 Ways to Beat Cardiovascular Disease Naturally

Scientific Living — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:18:11 +0000

There are many ways to address cardiovascular disease naturally. The best thing to do is to get an integrative physician to help you put together a natural medicine program. Not just any amounts, brands, or combinations of supplements can be haphazardly thrown together. It might even be dangerous. Still, it is important to research options on your own. Also, remember that not all supplements are created equal, and that you should be very stringent when choosing a supplement(s) to ensure both safety and effectiveness. Here is a list of natural supplements and remedies for cardiovascular health in no particular order:

(FYI, since I first wrote this article, I have compiled a list of 21 more items, and 6 common treatments that are dangerous as well as a list of 8 more ways to beat cardiovascular disease naturally)

1. Nattokinase:

Nattokinase is a fibrinolytic enzyme derived from the Japanese food Natto. It is used in alternative medicine to dissolve unhealthy coagulation in blood.
More info: 1, 2, 3

2. Dan Shen (Chinese Salvia)

Dan Shen a traditional Chinese herb that is used to treat blood pressure and strengthen the heart, as well as many other things.
More info: 1, 2, 3

3. CoQ10 Ubiquinol:

Ubiquinol is a form of CoQ10 that may be 8 times as effective as ubiquinone (the common supplement form of CoQ10). It is antioxidant, promotes heart health, helps maintain blood sugar, and has many more benefits.
More info: 1, 2

4. Vitamin C:

Vitamin C has nearly endless health benefits including encouraging collagen formation.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

5. Resveratrol:

Resveratrol sold as a supplement is primarily derived from Japanese Knotweed. It has effects on heart disease, cholesterol, cancer, and it seems just about every disease on the planet.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

6. Hawthorn Berry:

Hawthorn berry has been used as a cardiovascular tonic since the early 19th century.
More info: 1, 2

7. D-Ribose:

D-ribose is a naturally occuring sugar found in all living cells. It is a precursor of ATP, the body’s universal energy molecule. It promotes cellular metabolism, which can treat a variety of illness such as cardiovascular disease and chronic fatigue.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

8. Cordyceps Sinensis:

Cordyceps Sinensis is a fungus used to fight hypertension, abnormal blood clotting, and atherosclerosis. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has many other benefits such as, immune system strengthening, detoxification, and increased stress tolerance.
More info: 1, 2

9. Reishi:

Reishi contains plant sterols and gonoderic acids which help maintain healthy blood pressure, lower triglyceride levels, and remove excess cholesterol. It also regulates platelet stickiness. Reishi reduces inflammation by stimulating the production of white blood cells.
More info: 1, 2, 3

10. L-carnitine:

L-carnitine is an amino acid that helps the body metabolize fat for energy. It has been shown to reduce blood and tissue lipids and increase ability to sustain cardiac contractions.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

11. Seanol:

Seanol is a molecule derived from cava Ecklonia algae that may be 100 times more powerful than any single other antioxidant. It also has actions relating to blood thinning, hypertension, and inflammation.
More info: 1

12. Dark Chocolate:

Scientific evidence shows that eating dark chocolate my reduce cardiovascular risk.
More info: 1, 2, 3

13. Green Tea:

Green tea contains the antioxidant quercetin, and the the flavanols called catechins, which is known to help prevent inflammation.
More info: 1, 2

14. Alpha Lipoic Acid:

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant and helps reduce the buildup of cholesterol.
More info: 1

15. Chlorella:

Chlorella is a micro algae touted to have countless health benefits. It improves heart elasticity, reduces serum cholesterol, and helps prevent atherosclerosis.
More info: 1, 2

16. Garlic

Garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure, decrease platelet aggregation, as well as decrease triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Garlic also may increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
More info: 1, 2, 3

17. Ginseng:

Ginseng is anti-inflammatory and improves circulation.
More info: 1

18. L-arginine:

L-arginine is an amino acid that compensates for a cardiovascular risk factor called ADMA.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

19. Magnesium:

Magnesium can be used to treat irregular heart beat, lower blood pressure, and prevent angina.
More info: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Anyone have any cardiovascular success stories?

Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice. This is opinion and is for informational purposes only. If seeking medical advice, consult a licensed physician.

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51 Supplements for Chronic Pain

Scientific Living — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:31:14 +0000

Getting to the bottom of chronic pain requires and integrative outlook. There are many components involved in pain, and different supplements work towards addressing different components. Some of these are:

Decreasing systemic inflammation
Improving circulation
Increasing body’s stress tolerance
Strengthening the immune system
Removing dead tissue
Reversing free radical damage
Inhibiting collagen destruction
Stimulating collagen formation
Providing basic constituents of connective tissue (building blocks)
Lubricating joints

Some supplements do have contraindications and cannot be taken indefinitely. Always be careful when choosing a supplement. Always try to consult an integrative physician before starting any supplement program. They can help you find the root cause of the pain:

Curcumin

Ginger

Turmeric

Proteolytic enzymes (i.e. bromelain)

Pycnogenol

Proanthanol

Coq10 or CoQH (ubiquinol)

Seanol

Vitamin C

Quercetin

Vitamin E

B-complex vitamins

Selenium

Zinc

Silicon

Copper

5-Loxin

Aquamin

Avocado-soy unsaponifiables

Green tea extract

Glucosamine

Chondroitin

MSM

Hydrolyzed collagen (amino acids)

Amino acids

Whey protein (amino acids)

Carnitine

Cod liver oil

Fish oil

Gamma-linolenic acid

Magnesium

Manganese

Potassium

Gotu Kola

Horsetail grass

Activin

Fo-Ti

Ginseng

Capsaicin

Cayenne

RNA

Malic Acid

Hyaluronic acid

Pumice flour

Multivitamins

Essential oils

Devil’s claw

Feverfew

Kava

Niacinamide

White willow

updates: http://www.healthiertalk.com/no-more-pain-3808
and also CMO and liposomal colostrum

Many underlying disease processes can cause pain such as cancer, AIDS, gallbladder disease, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and stomach ulcers. However, many physicians note that the single most common cause of chronic pain is injury to tendons and ligaments. Clinical experience indicates that the best treatment for these chronic painful conditions is prolotherapy.

Prolotherapists give as a general rule, that if you can press on a spot on your body and it hurts, that indicates tendon and ligament damage. This kind of injury produces a dull, vague, achy pain, sometimes accompanied by a feeling of “numbiness” (i.e. it tingles, but has not actually lost sensation like in the case of numbness). The pain can often be at places other than the site of the injury (called “referred pain”).

In addition, integrative physicians list other factors that may need to be addressed for chronic pain to resolve. These include lifestyle, sleep quality, diet, food and environmental allergies, chronic infections, toxins, and hormonal imbalances. Just taking random supplements without understanding what is at the root cause of the chronic pain might help, but may not stand much chance of solving the problem completely.

Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice. This article is opinion and is for informational purposes only. If seeking medical advice, consult a licensed physician.

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Chronic Pain Cured Naturally with Prolotherapy

Scientific Living — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:20:47 +0000

Prolotherapy is a natural injection treatment given in the doctor’s office that has demonstrated potential to cure 100 percent of chronic pain in an appropriate candidate when given by an adequately skilled physician. (1)

In 400 B.C. Hippocrates would lance the injuries of athletes with hot pins. Strangely enough, he claimed that this treatment worked to heal their injuries. He was perhaps the very first prolotherapist.

Prolotherapists attest that the root cause of most chronic pain is unhealed damage to tendons and ligaments. Tendons are what connect muscle to bone, and ligaments are what connect bone to bone. Unlike muscles, tendons and ligaments don’t heal well because they do not get much blood flow to them. When a person has an injury, the body causes inflammation around the site. This inflammation triggers a series of processes in a “healing cascade” that brings blood to the area and heals the injury in a number of ways. When the inflammation disappears, the body has finished its accelerated efforts at healing. If tendons and ligaments are not completely healed by this time, then chronic pain can set in.

A prolotherapist is trained in locating damaged tendons and ligaments throughout the body by physical examination. Then he or she will inject damaged tendons and ligaments in the needed area(s) with an “irritant” solution. This solution intentionally causes local inflammation just at the site of the injury, signaling the body to kick start a new healing cascade, as if the site has been freshly injured. Typical components of the solution are dextrose, zinc, and sodium morrhuate. A typical treatment may involve anywhere from 10 to over 100 injections. The treatment is typically given 4 to 6 times, each spaced 1 month apart. Soreness for a few days is expected after each treatment. If all the sites of injury were injected with enough solution, then this is usually all that is required for complete resolution of pain.

In addition to healing connective tissue, prolotherapy also can regenerate joints, cartilage, and meniscus injuries.

While receiving prolotherapy, anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen are not allowed, since they would interfere with the inflammation that prolotherapy intentionally creates. These insights from prolotherapy also debunk the popular myth or doing R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compress, elevate) for an injury. Doing any of these would only decrease blood flow and inflammation, which is a recipe for helping an injury become chronic.

Integrative physicians who practice prolotherapy list other factors that may need to be addressed for chronic pain to resolve. These include lifestyle, sleep quality, diet, food and environmental allergies, chronic infections, toxins, and hormonal imbalances. Adjuncts to prolotherapy can be used to increase responsiveness if necessary. These include the addition of “platelet rich plasma” or various growth factors to the injections. Another popular modification is called “prolozone” (injecting ozone gas into the injury).

Modern prolotherapy has been practiced for decades and is one of those rare alternative therapies that is slowly gaining mainstream acceptance. The number of skilled doctors is still relatively limited. The most qualified physicians are usually the ones that do prolotherapy full time. You can google for prolotherapy videos to get an idea about the skill needed to give an effective treatment.

Prolotherapy costs on the order of $500 to treat one area. A course of treatment might then cost about $3000. Considering that chronic pain costs the American public $100 billion dollars a year (and only “manages” pain), and that 50 million Americans are living with chronic pain, this is a cost effective solution.

For an in-depth look at prolotherapy, read this 5 part series:

The Current State of Pain Management
Understanding “Good”and “Bad” Inflammation
The Causes of Chronic Pain
The Technique of Prolotherapy
Researching Prolotherapy

More info:
(1), 2, 3, 4, 5

Disclaimer: This article does not contain any medical advice. This website contains opinion and is for informational purposes only. If seeking medical advice, consult a licensed physician.

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