Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Vitamin B6

Several studies have suggested that Vitamin B6 deficiencies are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, many believe supplementing with Vitamin B6 (25-50 mg, 2 to 3 times a day) helps improve median nerve pain.

Doctors are divided on why Vitamin B6 provides CTS relief. Some think that synovium swelling and inelasticity are caused by B6 deficiency, while others believe Vitamin B6 acts as a diuretic, helping the body to eliminate excess fluid.

*How Vitamin B Can Help Your Carpal Tunnel, Retrieved January 9, 2011, progressivehealth.com, 2011.

 

Turmeric can help reduce chronic Inflammation

 Turmeric, specifically its main active ingredient Curcumin is a very strong anti-inflammatory. It has been used in India for centuries as both a spice and a medicinal herb. Recently, medical science is confirming the validity of its use and finds that the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin easily match the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs – yet without the risks and side effects.

  The inflammatory process is incredibly important as it helps the body fight foreign pathogens and also has a positive role in repairing physical damage. And while this short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and starts to work against the body’s own tissues. It is now believed that long term, low-level systemic inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic, Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative conditions. Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in maintaining our health.

 Given that curcumin is such a potent anti-inflammatory, it makes sense that it could help not only with systemic inflammations, but also with the localized chronic inflammation of arthritis. Many studies are showing this to be true. So while you are working toward a better posture to relieve stress on these joints and retard further fractioning, you might think about using Turmeric/Curcumin to ease the discomfort.

 In one study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug. Another   study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2009 compared curcumin with ibuprofen for pain relief in 107 people with knee osteoarthritis. The curcumin eased pain and improved function just as well as the ibuprofen.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. Finding a supplement that has extracted a high percentage of curcumin might be a good addition to the daily diet. Or there is a great recipe for Turmeric Milk which is delicious.

 

Just take 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup organic ground turmeric and mix on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring the whole time until it thickens into a thin paste. (I grind a good bit of pepper to mine while mixing) This paste will keep well in the refrigerator for a week or more. Then you can take 1-3 teaspoons of the paste and mix with a cup of Almond milk and drink hot or cold. Yum!

 

 

Low Back Pain

 

On any given week new people will come to us seeking relief from low back pain.  And while the lower lumbar region is the area of their discomfort, it is typically a result of tight hamstrings, gluteals (buttocks), psoas and quads (hip flexors).  More and more people are spending more time at their computers and all this sitting keeps the low back under constant attack from tight hamstrings and shortened hip flexors.

Envision the Hamstrings as a continuation of the spinal muscles that run along each side of the spinal vertebrae. And the hip flexors a continuation of the spinal muscles that run deep in the front of the spine. As an individual sits for longer periods, these muscles remain shortened and cause corresponding changes in the spinal muscles in the back. The stiffness most folks experience upon standing is due to this situation where the length:tension ratio of these partner muscles is out of proportion, therefore not allowing the joints of the low back to move properly . 

So to compensate for this temporary dysfunction, the body recruits other muscles to help pick up the pelvic girdle and allow the hip joint to properly function. This recruitment pattern in movement exposes the low back's vulnerability to strain

Scientists have discovered a new body part

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

After centuries of medical science I thought doctors knew every single bit of the human body. Incredibly enough, ScienceDaily reports on the discovery of
a new body element called the anterolateral ligament, which apparently has been hiding all this time in our knees.

According to ScienceDaily "the Anatomical Society praised the research as very refreshing and commended the researchers for reminding the medical world that, despite the emergence of advanced technology, our knowledge of the basic anatomy of the human body is not yet exhaustive."

This ligament was first postulated by a French surgeon in 1879, but it's only been confirmed now by two doctors at the University Hospitals Leuven, in Leuven, Belgium.

They have been the first to identify it using macroscopic dissection techniques. The doctors say that this ligament can be found in 97
percent of all humans.

Not only this is an amazing discovery in an age when we thought we knew all about the human body but, according to the doctors, this ligament appears to be crucial in anterior cruciate ligament injuries so common in certain types of
athletes.

Arthritis is a term for inflammation of a joint. But so many people interpret a diagnosis of arthritis to be the end of the issue and prematurely accept that they will always have that pain. In fact it can easily be treated and improved.

I find that many times, a myofascial strain pattern is compressing the joint, causing friction between the bones that can cause inflammation in that joint. When the muscle strain pattern is released, the joint is decompressed and the inflammation goes away.

Myofascial trigger points can also cause pain deep within a joint. Consider that trigger points are a contraction knot of muscle fibers. These trigger points pull the ends of the muscle in toward the trigger point, pulling on a tendon which has its origin or insertion in the painful joint. It pulls 24/7, causing pain and inflammation, until there is an intervention to release the TrP. Work the trigger point out and the pain diminishes and eventually disappears.

Any Joint pain is most frequently called arthritis ..... except when it is called bursitis, tendonitis, or one of the other "itises" pronounced as diagnosis of the condition, often without ever being tested or touched.

When you discover the strain patterns which are causing your postural imbalances, you can change it and then get on about the task of changing the world.

The cure for arthritis is YOU.

Thursday, June 21, 2012 Massage Therapy Research for the Pain of Osteoarthritis of the Knee Research supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) showed that sixty minute sessions of massage once a week for those with osteoarthritis of the knee significantly reduced their pain. Each massage therapy session follow...ed a specific protocol, including the nature of massage strokes. This is the latest published research study indicating the benefits of massage therapy for those with osteoarthritis of the knee. • The study involved a total group of 125 subjects, with 25 receiving the 60-minute massage over 8 weeks, while others received less massage or usual care without massage. • Previous studies on massage for the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee showed similar results, but were on a more limited number of subjects. Perlman AI, Ali A, Njike VY, et al. Massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized dose-finding trial. PLoS One. 2012; 7(2):e30248 June 6, 2012 Now here's an interesting article I came across recently. More for my Gardening page than about Posture, but health-related nonetheless. Enjoy! Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression

Written by Robyn Francis

While mental health experts warn about depression as a global epidemic, other researchers are discovering ways we trigger our natural production of happy chemicals that keep depression at bay, with surprising results. All you need to do is get your fingers dirty and harvest your own food. In recent years I’ve come across two completely independent bits of research that identified key environmental triggers for two important chemicals that boost our immune system and keep us happy - serotonin and dopamine. What fascinated me as a permaculturist and gardener were that the environmental triggers happen in the garden when you handle the soil and harvest your crops.

Posture Trends

We've been teaching posture correction for over 20 years. Finally it has become the mainstream trend. Everyone is writing books and making videos about how to correct your posture. And I think it is fantastic that the public is being made aware of how important this is in terms of avoiding pain and joint degeneration. I tried for a good while to incorporate this education into the school systems, but they just weren't ready for it way back then. Someone new will have the energy to put that in place in the next decade I feel sure, and if they'd like my input, I'd be happy to accommodate.  But I have a concern about all the new programs that promise you better posture in x weeks if you just follow their program. The real results are going to be attained by addressing the specific needs of YOUR individual body. The assessment is the key. Knowing what applies to you and what doesn't. What you need to strengthen and what you need to stretch. How it all ties in together from head to toe on your particular framework.

Client Comment

I'm not the only one benefitting from practicing a PostureFitness® menu for knee pain. Here's what one of my clients sent me this morning:

"Thanks for checking in.  I have been doing the program you gave me daily and am happy to report that my knees are feeling great.  In fact, I'm planning to go to the Y today--- first time in three months!  So they have paid off for me in a very good way.  I'd love to come in to see you next week for my next installment of e-cises. " 

~ It's a good thing and NNC is happy to help.