Can Chiropractic Improve fertility?

In August 2003, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research highlighted a case of a 32-year old woman with chronic colitis (a digestive disorder) that dramatically improved under chiropractic care. Shortly after the colitis cleared up, she was able to become pregnant�something she had struggled with for years.

Was there a relation between the chiropractic adjustment and her ability to conceive?

When she first consulted her chiropractor about the colitis, the woman did not mention that she and her husband had been unable to have children for seven years. Nor did she disclose that during that time she had undergone unsuccessful medical treatment for infertility. In fact, one year prior to her making chiropractic adjustment a part of her lifestyle, she and her husband had given up on trying to become pregnant. And now she was pregnant.

Studies show us that stress is often times the beginning of muscular tension--and resulting spinal misalignment--that can lead to a blockage of the nervous system. This blockage begins to affect the body�s natural ability to maintain health and normal body function. In the case of this woman, she suffered many forms of stress, which is believed to be linked to her inability to conceive. When chiropractic care was introduced to her lifestyle, blockage of the nervous system began to reduce and in time the colitis disappeared and ultimately she regained the ability to become pregnant.

The body is a powerful thing, able to heal and procreate on its own. That�s why it�s so important to make sure our spines are free of health hindering misalignment. If you�re struggling with infertility or other health problems, make chiropractic a part of your lifestyle and watch your health begin to improve.

Quercetin-Fish Oil Combination Found Effective for Colitis

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, June 8, 2006, abstracted from “Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of combined quercitrin and dietary olive oil supplemented with fish oil, rich in EPA and DHA (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, in rats with DSS-induced colitis” printed online May 15, 2006 in Clinical Nutrition

As a condition that affects more than one million Americans, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory condition of the intestines that has no known cause but is thought to involve an immune reaction of the body to its own intestinal tract. The two major types of IBD are ulcerative colitis (UC), which is limited to the colon, and Crohn’s Disease (CD), which can involve any part of the digestive system.1

Although the current treatments for IBD aim at decreasing inflammation through prescription medications,(2,3) numerous side effects that include acne, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, psychological disturbances, cataracts, growth failure in children, and bone cell death4 make them very undesirable.

Fortunately, safer ways to help deal with IBD are starting to surface such as limiting sugar and fat intake5 while increasing dietary fiber6 and probiotic7 intake. Now a new study8 has found that a combination of supplements may help protect against IBD. The first, quercitin, is an antioxidant in plants recently found to be effective against type 2 diabetes.9 The second, fish oil, is an anti-inflammatory supplement10 essential for a number of health issues, from preserving heart health11 and vision12 to helping relieve back pain13 and stress.14

In the study, researchers divided rats into five groups. Three of the groups received a soybean oil diet. The other two groups received a fish oil diet comprised of 96% olive oil and 4% fish oil, providing the rats with 6 mg of fish oil per day. Finally, one of the two fish oil groups and one of the soybean oil groups also received quercetin in amounts of 1 mg per kg of bodyweight per day.

Two weeks after the start of the experiment, four of the groups (one soybean oil group, the soybean-quercetin group, and both fish oil groups) had colitis induced while the third soybean oil group remained the control. To measure colitis severity, researchers measured the levels of three enzymes known to play a key role in IBD: LTB4,15 TNF-alpha,16 and IL1-beta.17

The researchers found that fish oil reduced TNF-alpha levels by 49%, IL 1-beta levels by 31%, and LTB4 levels by 39.5% compared to the soybean oil group. When quercetin was added to the fish oil group, TNF-alpha, IL1-beta, and LTB4 levels fell by 57%, 62%, and 45%, respectively, compared to the soybean oil group.

While attributing some of these results to the antioxidant properties of olive oil (18), they gave more of the credit to the quercetin-fish oil combo and concluded that “this new treatment may have the potential to play a role in the treatment of IBD, not only owing to their anti-inflammatory effect but also for its ability to [decrease oxidative damage].”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 “Ulcerative Colitis” posted on the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse website http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/

2 S.P.L. Travis and D.P. Jewel, Salicylates for ulcerative colitis-their mode of action, Pharm Ther 63 (1994), pp. 135–161

3 R. Bratts and M. Linden, Cytokine modulation by glucocorticoids: mechanisms and actions in cellular studies, Aliment Pharmacol Ther 10 (1996), pp. 81–90.

4 R.B. Stein and S.B. Hanauer, Comparative tolerability of treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, Drug Safe 23 (2000), pp. 429–448

5 Sakamoto N. Dietary Risk Factors for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicenter Case-Control Study in Japan. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Feb;11(2):154-163

6 F. Fernandez-Bañares, J.L. Hinojosa and J.L. Sanchez-Lombraña et al., Randomized clinical trial of Plantago ovata seeds (dietary fiber) as compared with mesalamine in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis, Am J Gastroenterol 94 (1999), pp. 427–433

7 R.B. Sartor, Therapeutic manipulation of the enteric microflora in inflammatory bowel diseases: antibiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics, Gastroenterology 126 (2004), pp. 1620–1633.

8 Camuesco D. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of combined quercitrin and dietary olive oil supplemented with fish oil, rich in EPA and DHA (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, in rats with DSS-induced colitis. Clinical Nutrition 2006. In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 15 May 2006

9 Collado PS. Quercetin Decreases Oxidative Stress, NF- B Activation, and iNOS Overexpression in Liver of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats. J. Nutr. 2005 135: 2299-2304

10 Kim YJ. Anti-inflammatory action of dietary fish oil and calorie restriction; Life Sciences 2006; 78(21): 2523-2532

11 Fish consumption and the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 study” in the July 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cardiology 2005; 102 (3): 403-409

12 Bazan NG. Cell survival matters: docosahexaenoic acid signaling, neuroprotection and photoreceptors. Trends in Neuroscience. In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 3 April 2006

13 Maroon JC. ù-3 Fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain. Surgical Neurology 2006; 65(4): 326-331

14 Monahan, K. D., T. E. Wilson, et al. (2004). "Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation augments sympathetic nerve activity responses to physiological stressors in humans." Hypertension 44(5): 732-8

15 E.A. Lobos, P. Sharon and W.F. Stenson, Chemotactic activity in inflammatory bowel disease. Role of leukotriene B4, Dig Dis Sci 32 (1987), pp. 1380–1388

16 Camuesco, M. Comalada and M.E. Rodriguez-Cabezas et al., The intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of quercitrin is associated with an inhibition in iNOS expression, Br J Pharmacol 143 (2004), pp. 908–918

17 Y.R. Mahida, K. Wu and D.P. Jewell, Enhanced production of interleukin 1-beta by mononuclear cells isolated from mucosa with active ulcerative colitis of Crohn's disease, Gut 30 (1999) (6), pp. 835–838
18 Ruano J. Phenolic content of virgin olive oil improves ischemic reactive hyperemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Nov 15;46(10):1864-8. Epub 2005 Oct 24

Healthy People also benefit from Chiropractic

Chiropractic adjustments can work wonders for people who suffer with back pain and other physical discomfort, but the power of chiropractic does not end there. Studies show that healthy people can also experience measurable improvement in body function through chiropractic adjustment.

After reviewing over 35 different clinical chiropractic adjustment studies involving both healthy people and people suffering with pain or sickness, evidence shows that everyone’s state of health improved in at least one area or another. Health benefits described included improvements in the respiratory system, improved heart function, enhanced immune system, increased muscle strength, clearer vision and heightened mental function.

This evidence tells us that making chiropractic adjustments a regular part of our lifestyle will always lead to improved health. Don’t wait to feel pain and discomfort before you schedule your next appointment. Make chiropractic a part of your normal routine, and begin experiencing the benefits this year.

Oh my aching, swollen feet; Advice on foot relief during pregnancy

Any new mother will agree, carrying a child is no easy task when you consider the weight and strain it puts on the woman's body. A woman's body will undergo many changes during her pregnancy. Some of these changes will ease the physical strain of childbirth, while others will cause pain and discomfort. Chiropractic care can ease some of the discomfort associated with being pregnant and help make pregnancy a more pleasant experience.

"During pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity shifts forward to the front of her pelvis," said Dr. Robert Striker with Foot Levelers. "As the baby grows in size, the woman's weight is projected even farther forward, placing extra stress on the spine. These natural changes can result in postural imbalances, making pregnant women prone to having awkward trips and falls."

During pregnancy, a woman's body releases hormones that relax the body's ligaments to allow for the birth process. Unfortunately, it also causes the ligaments in the feet to relax. Many women find that with the added weight of pregnancy, their arches collapse and their feet become longer and wider. This collapse and the unbalanced position that results is what cause foot, leg and back pain during and even after pregnancy.

Foot conditions can easily be treated with custom-made Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers by Foot Levelers. Designed to support all three arches of the foot, Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers provide all-day wear and support, leaving "Mom" refreshed and energetic even at the end of the day. The combination of Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers with regular spinal adjustments during pregnancy may help decrease the intensity of morning sickness, help reduce lower back pain, and tend to make the entire delivery process easier and less traumatic for both mother and child.

For more information on maintaining a healthier pregnancy with chiropractic care, visit your local doctor of chiropractic. To find a healthcare professional in your area, visit us on the web at http://www.footlevelers.com/find_professional.php

Music Reduces Pain and Depression

Did you know that listening to music for an hour a day can reduce chronic pain by 21 percent and depression by 25 percent? That’s what England’s Journal of Advanced Nursing reports.

60 patients who averaged the age of 50 and suffered from a range of painful conditions including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis for at least 6.5 years volunteered to be a part of a clinical trial. Patients were divided into two music groups and one control group that did not listen to any music.

Before the study began, each patient rated their pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most intense pain. Pre-study results showed that the group’s usual pain levels averaged around 6 on the pain scale.

The study began with group one listening to their favorite music, which spanned rock and pop to sounds of nature commonly used to promote sleep. Group two chose from five predetermined tapes: orchestra, piano, synthesizer, jazz and harp. All patients kept track of their pain each day.

At the end of the study the results were tallied and the clear winner was music therapy. The type of music listened to did not have much bearing on the outcome, as both music groups experienced significantly less pain and depression during the trial. In fact, both music groups reported a feeling of having more power over their pain, when compared to the control group that did not listen to any music.

Several other studies have also concluded that music promotes many positive health benefits.

To maximize your health and alleviate pain, turn to natural healing remedies like chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy, music therapy, etc. It will do your body good.

[Source: www.topix.net 5/24/06]