Proprioception

Close your eyes and stick both of your arms out in front of you. Now, with your left index finger touch the tip of your nose, and now with the right finger. Easy enough, but how is it so easy even with your eyes closed? The answer is proprioception. Proprioception is a constant cycle of messages being sent from the body to the brain allowing the brain to know where our body parts are in space and what those body parts are doing. The process starts with movement of our skin, muscles, and joints. Sensors in these areas detect movement and send a signal to the brain relaying that message. This allows our bodies to coordinate movements and to move freely throughout space.

            A good example of proprioception working to our benefit is when we stumble and catch ourselves before falling to the ground. When we slip our body, using proprioception, recognizes that we are slipping and the body responds by trying to correct our feet and sticking out our arms to catch ourselves.

            Someone with decreased proprioception may experience balance issues with frequent slips and falls, uncoordinated movements, poor posture and general clumsiness. This person may also avoid certain activities that require coordination such as climbing up and down stairs, or walking on uneven ground.

That Time Again

Every year around this time I send out this reminder of the importance of Vitamin D.  Ideally, the essential vitamin is released into the blood from the skin with exposure to the sun.  Because of this, people in this part of the country around this time of the year often are deficient.  However, numerous recent studies have led experts to believe that many more are deficient in this nutrient than previously anticipated and supplementation may be necessary year-round.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include bone pain and muscle weakness, kidney and lung problems, psoriasis, gum disease, and frequent flu symptoms.  Low energy levels, weight gain, and depression are also implicated with deficiency.  Chronic deficiencies have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive problems, asthma, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, 17 different cancers and even multiple sclerosis.

Outside of sun exposure, you can get some Vitamin D from fish oils, egg yolks and beef liver.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get enough D from diet alone as you would need to eat two servings of mackerel every day to get the recommended dosage.  Couple this with low sun exposure and Vitamin D supplementation is often a good idea.  The only question is how often and how much are you supposed to take.

While it is impossible to get too much D from the sun, since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin when you’re taking it orally as a supplement, you can get toxic levels over time.  Typically, as long as you’re taking under 5000 I.U.s per day, you will be o.k.  The only accurate way to know if you’re deficient or to know when you have enough is through periodic blood testing.  Fortunately, many doctors have recently become aware of the importance of the vitamin and are recommending regular testing to their clients.  If you should find that you are deficient and decide take a D vitamin, make certain you’re supplementing with D3.  Learn more about the importance of this vitamin and talk to your doctor about blood testing.

DNA & Positive Thinking

For those of you who are regular followers of this article, I hope that you’ve grasped the concept that health exists on a continuum and that everything you do; everything you eat, drink, or breath are all either moving you toward health and away from dis-ease or moving you toward dis-ease and away from health.  I found an outstanding article that suggests that one of the biggest factors on this continuum is our own thoughts.

The article identified several research studies that show how we think can actually change the behavior of our DNA.  In one study performed by the military, DNA from white blood cells was taken from people, placed in a vial and moved to be monitored in another room.  The people were subjected to different emotional stimuli while their DNA was monitored.  As the donors were stimulated, they found that their DNA exhibited similar electrical responses at precisely the same time in the other room.

In a similar study done by the Institute of Heartmath, 28 scientists took DNA from other people and were taught to generate strong emotions in the presence of the DNA samples.  When the scientists generated feelings of joy, love, and gratitude, the DNA relaxed, unwound, and lengthened.  While they generated feelings of anger, fear, and frustration, the DNA tightened, shortened and shut off many of its codes.  The researchers applied this discovery to HIV-positive patients and discovered that when the AIDS patients generated feelings of joy, love, and gratitude their immune systems became 300,000 times more resistant to the virus than when they were not feeling this way.  Put simply, our thoughts affect our physiology and can have as great an impact on our health and wellness as any other factor.  Think about what you think about!

Curious About Supplements?

In our office, we recommend numerous different supplements to help balance body chemistry and physiology based on the need of the individual.  But since this column is about promoting wellness, what supplements could we all benefit from to enhance overall health?  Most sources I’ve encountered agree on a fairly short list. 

Unless you’re always eating the 5-13 servings of fresh fruits/vegetables recommended daily, a quality multivitamin is in order.  Everyone could benefit from an Omega 3 source such as fish oil.  A probiotic to normalize the healthy bacteria in the digestive tract and boost the immune system is a good idea.  And Vitamin D should be supplemented at least in the winter months when sun exposure is low.  We regularly stock all of these CORE 4 supplements from Metagenics in our office.

I recently came across an article reminding me about a supplement that I used to take and need to add back to my regimen.  Chlorella comes from green algae and is known for its ability to detoxify heavy metals, including mercury, from your system.  Heavy metal toxicity is not found in standard lab tests but is thought to be a contributing factor to everything from allergies, to Alzheimer’s and M.S., to cancer.  Exposure to these toxic metals comes from many different environmental sources including the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. 

In addition to eliminating these toxins, Chlorella is known to repair nerves, enhance immune function, reduce cancer risk, improve digestion, reduce acidity, increase energy and concentration and it can even help normalize blood pressure and blood sugar.   For the best results, look for a Chlorella that has “broken cell walls” and is combined with another green algae known as Spirulina.  Research for a quality brand and try this supplement for a month and let me know how you do!

 

Dealing with Depression

In the past, I’ve discussed two neurotransmitters (hormones) in the brain that are related to addiction and depression.  These hormones are dopamine which is associated with our sense of reward and pleasure and serotonin which is associated with general happiness and feeling good.  I also referenced that depression and its traditional treatment is associated with maintaining higher levels of serotonin but I made mention of the Toronto study that determined the deepest levels of depression are linked to very low levels of dopamine.  This week, I’d like to add to the discussion and cover treatment options for these difficult and potentially devastating conditions.

The standard modern treatment for depression has been the prescription of what are called SSRIs or serotonin inhibitors.  These drugs function to block the reabsorption of serotonin in an attempt to keep the levels of this “happy hormone” high in the brain tissue.  This method makes sense and in some instances can be very effective.  This has been the accepted approach to depression since the early 1980’s.  However, with more aggressive marketing and wider usage, the drugs came under scrutiny in the year 2000 as medical research and case studies made a link between the use of SSRIs with aggression, suicidal tendencies, and violent behavior especially in children and teens.  In fact, in 2003, the British government banned the use of several of the drugs in citizens under the age of 18.  The FDA followed in 2004 by placing a black-box warning on the drugs alerting parents to watch for any signs of these behaviors.  Over the years they’ve expanded these warnings to include side effects of increased risk of bone fractures, sexual dysfunction, panic attacks, mania, cognitive disorders and loss of contact with reality, and increased feelings of depression and anxiety!  I remember when all of this was coming out in the medical literature and I’ve always wondered what the mechanism was that could make the drugs helpful to some people but dangerously harmful to others.  In researching this article, the aforementioned Toronto study of 2005 provided my answer.  Because our brains and chemistry are all different, some of the SSRI drugs on some of the people result in a deficit of dopamine some of the time.  The study showed in the bad reactions the drugs seemed to “hijack” the dopamine transporters causing levels to plummet.  As I mentioned in past posts, everything we do is tied to dopamine and this lack is the major cause of addictive behavior and the deepest depression. 

One of the best seminar courses I ever attended was about the stress response and how it related to brain chemistry including these two potent neurotransmitters.  As it turns out, we are supposed to maintain normal levels of serotonin and dopamine through healthy lifestyle habits such as adequate sleep, physical exercise, loving relationships, positive thoughts and even the vitamins and minerals we receive from fruits and vegetables.  So if you’re looking to prevent depression and addiction this is your best strategy – place your focus on health and happiness.  However, if you’re already dealing with these conditions, I still recommend the lifestyle approach, but I recognize that it may take more as the subconscious and hormonal patterns are already established.  If you’re using the SSRIs, just be aware of the side effects and don’t settle until you find one that is agreeable as there are several different options.  I also need to mention that you should not try to go off these on your own – have your doctor or pharmacist help you wean off them safely.  Even though it’s not as popular as it used to be, a qualified counselor can help you work through these problems and eventually uncover the underlying cause of your depression or anxiety which the drugs will never do.

Reducing Rust

In the past, I’ve discussed oxidative stress and the accepted theory that the free radicals generated by this oxidative stress are what cause us to age and develop disease.  I like to teach people that oxidative stress is very comparable to rust on metal.  After all, rust is oxidation.  This oxidation in the body is directly linked to arthritis, skin wrinkling, plaque in the arteries, and even damage to DNA that causes cells to age more rapidly.  There are many strategies to try to limit oxidative stress and free radical damage such as diets high in fruits and vegetables, exercise, and stress reduction.  There’s also one strategy that may come as a surprise.   I know improved aging is not what people normally think of with chiropractic care, but I wanted to share a research study that showed how regular chiropractic adjustments were found to reduce oxidative stress while enhancing cellular and DNA repair.

In a landmark study in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, researchers from the University of Lund in Sweden looked to see if chiropractic care could enhance health by reducing the effects of oxidative stress.  The researchers looked at serum thiol levels to measure overall health studies of the subjects being tested.  Serum thiols are primary antioxidants found in the blood that reduce free radical damage and help repair DNA and are widely accepted as markers to correlate with increased lifespan versus accelerated aging.  The goal was to look at the thiol levels of three groups: those under long-term chiropractic care, those under short-term care, and those with no history of chiropractic.  Quite simply, those under long-term care consistently demonstrated higher levels of serum thiol than the other two groups being studied.  The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments, when delivered to reduce the interference placed on the nervous system from spinal misalignment, minimize the effects of physical, chemical, and emotional stressors on the body.  By enhancing the performance of the nervous system, we enhance our ability to heal and adapt to stress in general.  This stress reduction is associated with decreased oxidative stress on the entire body and specifically in the DNA of our cells.

While chiropractic care is accepted as an effective treatment for back pain and headaches, any chiropractor in the country will tell you that there’s much more to the story.  When spinal alignment is restored and pressure from the nervous system is reduced, we see numerous symptoms and conditions improve.  However, the important thing to focus on is not necessarily the symptoms but that the body is functioning better because the nervous system is working more efficiently and coordinating normal physiology and healing.  This is one of the main reasons why we consider chiropractic care a foundation for any program to enhance overall health and wellness.

What Makes This Oil So Special?

I’ve discussed the importance of fish oil in the past.  Fish oil is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids that have been proven to do all the following: improve the heart, normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels, improve memory and concentration while decreasing mood swings and depression, reduce arthritis and joint pain, improve brain and liver function, and support immune function and decrease general aging.  Sounds like pretty great stuff!  You should know that not all fish oils are created equal.  Some lower quality oils are tainted with PCB’s, mercury and other heavy metals.  The biggest complaint of taking some lower quality oils is the “fishy burps.”  While these are unpleasant for the victim (and all those around him), they also are a sign of a rancid oil.  Fish oil does have the tendency to perish and oxidize quickly.  Rancid oil will give off free radicals which are very damaging to the body and undermine the benefits of taking the product in the first place.

What about skipping the oil and just eating more fish?  While this strategy used to be sound, today most fish is tainted with mercury and other toxins.  Unless you’re getting isolated sources of wild Alaskan salmon, many say it’s not even safe to eat fish more than 2 times per week.  Most other fish sources are farm-raised unnaturally and fed on grains.  These sources still contain the toxins and lack much of the omega 3 content that you’re wanting from fish to begin with. 

These omega 3 fatty acids are truly essential because they cannot be produced in the body and must come from outside sources.  Other dietary sources include flax seed, walnuts, most green vegetables, some beans and seeds and other meat sources that were raised “free-range” on grasses.  While it can be accomplished with diet, this is one situation where I find it easier to simply take the pill!