A Book Review: Overcoming Arthritis - Holistic Treatments for Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and CFS

As with other books I have reviewed (Iodine and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders), Brownstein provides his readers with valuable information regarding the nature of a number of related conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and others. He explains the various symptoms and underlying causes. Based on the particular underlying causes, he uses a combination of therapies including natural hormones, vitamins and minerals, allergy elimination, detoxification, diet and water.

One unique aspect of his approach to treating arthritis is that he has observed a connection between arthritis and infection. So in addition to a number of natural therapies, he may combine with them a low dose of antibiotics. He listed a number of diseases that he suspects of having an infectious etiology (cause): Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, Vasculitis, Reither's Syndrome, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Graves Disease, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Polymyositis, Juvenile Arthritis, Sjogren's Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. In addition, he lists 14 different infectious causes of arthritis.

From the Greek, arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Also a chronic disorder, fibromyalgia is a condition of poor sleep, muscle pain, stiffness and tender trigger points on the body. Those with fibromyalgia often have the diagnosis of other disorders including arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms include: impairment of short-term memory or concentration, sore throat, tender cervical or axillary nodes, muscle pain, multi joint pain without redness or swelling, headaches of a new pattern or severity, unrefreshing sleep, and postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

Brownstein tests his patients' hormonal levels (thyroid, adrenal, ovarian and testicular), for infection, nutritional deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity and allergies. Dr. Brownstein devotes two chapters on Natural Hormones and refers the reader to his own book, The Miracles of Natural Hormones.

In his chapter on diet, he talks of the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates and proteins) and points out how Americans have become obese from the pyramid recommendation of low fat and high carbohydrate diet. (Now replaced with http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov). While he does not agree with Dr. Barry Sears in every point, he recommends much of what he says in Enter the Zone. Brownstein also recommends Sally Fallon's treatment of dietary fats in her book, Nourishing Traditions.

Dr. Brownstein refers to a study that lists the food allergies that can cause arthritic symptoms (listed from most frequent to less frequent): Corn, Wheat, Pork, Oranges, Milk, Oats, Rye, Egg, Beef and Coffee. Environmental allergies include animals, pollens from trees, grass, weeds etc., chemicals and others. He uses NAET (Nambudripod's Allergy Elimination Technique) to diagnosis and treat allergies. It is a combination of applied kinesiology and acupuncture. I believe that allergies may result from consuming these foods or from ingredients used in the growth/production of these foods. There may be multiple reasons why this happens.

Further, Dr. Brownstein outlines general guidelines for nutritional supplements and ways to detox heavy metals. Truly, Brownstein's approach to arthritis and related conditions is holistic, in that it is comprehensive.

In addition to his own extensive medical practice and the data he has gathered over the years, he references other esteemed medical colleagues. In his chapter on Water, he recommends and quotes: F. Batmanghelidj, M.D author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water and ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus. Further, he references Jonathan V. Wright M.D. who wrote the Foreword of this book and is author of numerous books. Throughout the book, Brownstein gives ample case studies to illustrate his approach. He also quotes Thomas Edison who said, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest the patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Books mentioned in the review can be purchased on http://www.amazon.com.

History of Crohns Disease

Crohn?s disease, a disease belonging to the larger group of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), is named after an American gastroenterologist, Dr. Burrill B. Crohn. Crohn's disease initially came to be known as a medical entity when it was referred to by Dr. Crohn, Dr. Leon Ginzburg, and Dr. Gordon D. Oppenheimer in 1932. The first description of this condition was earlier made by the Italian physician Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682?1771) in 1769, when he diagnosed a young man with a chronic, debilitating illness and diarrhea.

Successive cases were reported in 1898 by John Berg and by Polish surgeon Antoni Lesniowski in 1904. In 1913, Scottish physician T. Kennedy Dalziel, at the meeting of the British Medical Association, described nine cases in which the patients suffered from intestinal obstruction. On close examination of the inflamed bowel, the transmural inflammation that is characteristic of the disease was clearly evident. Abdominal cramps, fever, diarrhea and weight loss were observed in most patients, particularly young adults, in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1923, surgeons at the Mt Sinai Hospital in New York identified 12 patients with similar symptoms. Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, in 1930, pointed out similar findings in two patients whom he was treating.

On May 13, 1932, Dr. Crohn and his colleagues, Oppenheimer and Ginzburg, presented a paper on ?Terminal Ileitis?, describing the features of Crohn?s disease to the American Medical Association. This was published later that year as a landmark article in the Journal of the American Medical Association with the title "Regional Ileitis: A Pathologic and Chronic Entity." The JAMA article was published at a time when the medical community was interested in new findings. The findings were given significant recognition, while the Dalziel article in the British Medical Journal of 1913 was not. It is by virtue of alphabetization rather than contribution that Crohn's name appeared as the first author. This was the first time the condition was reported in a widely-read journal, and the disease came to be known as Crohn's disease.

Are You Breaking Down? Signs and Symptoms of Nervous Breakdown

Having a mental breakdown is a mental illness triggered by depression or anxiety and is faced by people worldwide. It is also termed as a mental breakdown. There are a lot of factors contributing to such a dilemma but social isolation is the major cause and is quite irreparable.

A person might feel one or more of the symptoms listed below simultaneously or in an exaggerated form depending from one infidel to the next, from one's mental stability and past history of mental disorders.

Symptoms of a Nervous Breakdown

1. Physical. A brain that is experiencing excessive stress like, feeling of lethargy, constant pains and aches is showing signs of a nervous breakdown. Skin feels scratchy and inflamed, lowered body resistance and repeated sensations of vomiting. Major gastric problems come about like stomach cramps, gastrointestinal ulcers, colitis and diarrhea over extended periods of time are indicative of a nervous breakdown.

2. Hostile behavior. An individual exhibiting signs of a nervous breakdown displays antisocial behavior like gambling, vandalism and alcoholism. Some might even use drugs as an escape to lessen the pressure, though not a rule.

3. Amnesia. Cases of short term memory loss like forgetting appointments and schedules, showing signs of confusion on the past order of events that describes amnesia, if left untreated leads to frustration, an added pressure to the brain, which results to rage and powerful displays of outbursts.

4. Delirium. People show signs of delusions and visualize hallucination by tasting, seeing, feeling and hearing things that are not there. They make have extreme cases of nightmares and are obsessed with terrors. Panic attacks, sleepwalking and morbid thoughts like harming or destroying other people, even committing suicide. Being very vain to the point of adoring oneself also is a person suffering from a nervous breakdown.

A person suffering from a nervous breakdown has a totally different personality from what he used to be. This absolute disruption of personality from a fixed normal and functional routine switches to a chaotic and disruptive lifestyle. They cry and feel sad the whole time; they have low energy levels that are why they feel desolate. They suffer from insomnia so they can't think

Straight and they have lost the will to find pleasure in mundane jobs. They feel insignificant and are very sad people.

Having a nervous breakdown is not a disease; they just need to be comforted a lot.

Herbal Remedies and Treatments You Might Want to Try For Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease, which affects the alimentary tract, anywhere from the mouth to the anus. This inflammation can extend throughout all the layers of the stomach wall and can occur in patches, or in normal tissue. The exact cause of Crohn's disease is yet unknown, but many have recognized a link to stress and family history. Crohn's disease is a chronic disease for which there is no cure, but only treatments.

Diet is an important factor in Crohn's disease and with the right food and supplements, your body can begin to heal itself naturally, causing your Crohn's disease to go into remission for an extended period of time, sometimes even permanently. In conjunction with natural treatments from your Ontario chiropractor, and the right diet, together with natural herbs and supplements, your body may be able to heal itself naturally from this chronic disease altogether. Here are some natural treatments and supplements for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Herbal and homeopathic remedies can be effective in treating symptoms of Crohn's disease and address the underlying causes of the illness, while aiming to restore the body's natural healing properties. They can help to restore harmony and equilibrium in the body, and provide a supportive platform to bring natural healing remedies into the affected body systems. These remedies will be specifically tailored by your Ontario wellness physician, to meet your specific needs, and to address specific symptoms.

Some examples of these herbal remedies used in conjunction with treating Crohn's disease include Filipendula ulmaria, Ulmus fulva, and Matricaria recutita just to name a few. These herbs may be recommended alone, or in combination with another, depending on the individual's specific health needs. These herbs can help to strengthen the digestive health of the patient, as well as decrease inflammation in the bowel walls. These herbs can be a natural option for the treatment of Crohn's disease, without all the dangerous side effects associated with prescription drugs and steroids currently used for the treatment of this illness.

Another herbal treatment that has shown to have success in treating Crohn's disease is green tea. Green tea has been well known for thousands of years for its soothing qualities as well as its miraculous healing properties. But only until recently, has green tea been used in the treatment of Crohn's disease. Green tea has natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce inflammation in Crohn's patients, as well as reduce pain and provide temporary relief. Green tea has also, in some cases, been found to ward off cancer with long term use, which can be a major concern down the line, with patients with Crohn's disease.

Ginko biloba has also been seen to have positive effects in the treatment of Crohn's disease, and other inflammatory-related illnesses like colitis, and IBS. Ginko biloba is particularly effective in treating inflammatory diseases like Crohn's because of it's rich antioxidant properties. These antioxidant properties help to clear out bacteria in the intestinal wall, reducing inflammation and pain associated with Crohn's disease. Consult your Ontario wellness physician for more information about herbal remedies and treatments available for Crohn's disease.

If you liked this article about an Ontario chiropractor, tell all your friends about it. They'll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don't forget to mention total wellness solution as the original source).

Ulcerative Colitis - Symptoms

Ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease both of which are disorders that come under the category of irritable bowel syndrome have certain common symptoms. The three most frequent symptoms are persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.

Ulcerative colitis is a disorder that is caused due to inflammation of the inner lining of the colon. It is one of the two disorders that fall under the irritable bowel syndrome with the other being crohn's disease.

The symptoms of this condition are similar to crohn's disease and hence, it is difficult to diagnose which disorder of the irritable bowel syndrome a patient suffers from unless detailed medical screening is done. Here is a list of symptoms, some of which are common to both these disorders. These symptoms are also likely to vary depending on the severity of the inflammation or the extent to which the colon is inflamed.

Recurrent diarrhea - Quite often patients refer to loose stools three or four times a day as irritable bowel syndrome. However, it is essential to diagnose the condition to receive proper treatment. Anyone suffering from recurrent diarrhea three or four times a day for several days on end should consult a physician and undergo the prescribed tests for diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.

Abdominal pain - Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis often suffer from cramping in the left side of their abdomen. This is one point of difference from crohn's disease where the pain is usually experienced in the right abdominal region. Persistent abdominal pain in left side warrants medical evaluation to diagnose or at least rule out the disorder.

Fever/fatigue - Since this disorder is caused by an inflammation in the body, a common symptom is fever that could either be mild or very high, but persistent. In some cases, patients suffering from ulcerative colitis could also experience constant fatigue, which is caused by the inflammation and aggravated by diarrhea.

These are the three most common symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome. Additionally, there could be symptoms such as rectal bleeding, loss of appetite, and urgent need to pass stool after every meal. It is important to address the symptoms early as medication can help control the disorder. Common technique used for diagnosis of ulcerative colitis includes colonoscopy based on which a biopsy of the tissue is carried out. Certain other tests could also be prescribed. Once the physician is able to identify which disorder of the irritable bowel syndrome the patient suffers from and rules out crohn's disease, he can prescribe medication to control the inflammation.

Diarrhoea and Vomiting (D&V) - Some Common Causative Agents and Their Management (Part 3)

Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea (Clostridium difficile Infection):

A history of any antibiotic therapy in the 6weeks prior to the onset of diarrhoea can be related to the finding of Clostridium difficile or its toxins in the stool.

This is a potent cause of diarrhoea and can produce life threatening pseudomembranous colitis.

This diagnosis is common in the elderly and treated often with metronidazole (Flagyl) for 10days.

Vancomycin may be used where the organism is unresponsive to metronidazole.

Cholera:

Aetiology & Epidemiology:

Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholera, a bacterium. Serotype 01 causes acute watery diarrhoea plus vomiting.

Following its origin in the Gangs valley, devastating epidemics have occurred, especially during large religious festivals.

Pandemics have spread worldwide.

The 7th pandemic due to the El Tor biotype began in 1961 and spread via the Middle East to become endemic in Africa.

In 1990 it surfaced in Peru and spread throughout South and Central America.

Since August 2000, there has been a massive outbreak in South Africa.

The El Tor biotype is more resistant than the classical vibrio and can cause prolonged carriage in about 5% of infections.

A new classical toxigenic strain, serotype 0139, established itself in Bangladesh in 1992 and started a new pandemic.

Mode of Infection/Transmission:

The infection spreads via the stools and vomitus of symptomatic individuals or through the much larger number of subclinical cases (asymptomatic carriers).

Transmission is through infected drinking water, foods contaminated by flies or through the hands of carriers.

The vibrio microorganism survives for up to 2weeks in fresh water and 8weeks in salt water.

Signs and Symptoms (Clinical Features):

Severe diarrhoea starts all of a sudden without abdominal pain or colic and is soon followed by torrential vomiting.

After evacuation of normal gut faecal contents typical "rice water" stools follow, consisting of clear fluid with flecks of mucous.

Classical cholera produces enormous loss of body fluids and electrolytes leading to intense dehydration with muscular cramps. Shock and oliguria develop but mental alertness remains.

Death from acute circulatory failure may occur rapidly unless fluids and electrolytes are replaced quickly. This is why the disease is more dangerous in children.

Improvement however is rapid with proper treatment.

It is to be noted however, that majority of infections cause mild illness, with slight diarrhoea and vomiting.

Occasionally, a very intense illness "cholera sicca" occurs, with massive loss of fluids into dilated bowel, killing the patient before typical gastrointestinal symptoms appear.

Diagnosis:

Clinical diagnosis is easy during an epidemic.

At other times, diagnosis is confirmed bacteriologically from rectal or stool swab cultures.

*Cholera is a notifiable disease under international health regulations.

Treatment/Management:

Quick, early restoration of the circulation by replacement of water and electrolytes is very important and is the key to survival.

Early intervention improves the prognosis.

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is effective and safe where vomiting has been controlled by initial intravenous fluid therapy.

The addition of resistant starch to ORS reduces faecal fluid loss and shortens the duration of diarrhoea in adolescents and adults.

Total fluid requirements may exceed 50litres over a period of 2-5days. Ringer lactate is the best fluid for intravenous replacement.

Careful attention to fluid balance is especially important in children and they are prone to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) during the illness.

3-5days treatment with Tetracycline, or Doxycycline or Ciprofloxacin in adults and children helps to reduce the duration of excretion of vibrio and the total volume of fluids needed for replacement.

*Children should not be given Tetracycline because of discolouration of their dentition.

Prevention:

• Strict personal hygiene


• Clean drinking water (pipe borne or boiled)


• Proper food hygiene to deny flies access.


• Parental and oral vaccines provide limited protection (6months at most)


• In epidemics, mass single dose vaccination and treatment with Tetracycline are valuable.


• Public education, control of water sources and population movement are very important.


• Disinfection of discharges and soiled clothing.

Meticulous hand washing by medical personnel reduces danger of spread.

Using Baking Soda to Relieve Acid Reflux

Bad eating habits and eating the wrong types of food, are usually attributed to the large number of Acid Reflux Suffers. Acid Reflux, or Heart Burn, as it is more commonly known, is not a terminal condition. However, if it is left untreated, the condition may become chronic, which in turn may lead to future complications that can be dangerous for a sufferer. There are many types of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines available to help with Acid Reflux problems. Although most of them, offer only short-term relief, as they are designed to calm the stomach's acids on a short-term basis only.

One of the oldest known methods to relieve Acid Reflux, is with the use of Aluminum Free Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda). Although at first the idea of using the kitchen sink cleaner to relieve an Acid Reflux problem may seem unappealing, it is actually one of the most safe and efficient substances that a human can use. Used correctly, Baking Soda will not only put a sparkle on the kitchen sink, but it will also neutralize the acid in the stomach in a more efficient way than if one of the many OTC medicines were used.

Baking Soda is completely safe to be consumed, and will give almost instant relief to any Acid Reflux Sufferer. Although commonly found in the home, Baking Soda is relatively unknown to many sufferers as probably being a better option to relieve Heart Burn than if Antacid tablets were used. Many of the foods that we eat do not get digested properly, and remain in the stomach. This in turn causes the acid in the stomach to rise through the esophagus, resulting in an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest, throat and jaw. Baking Soda neutralizes this acid helping to give the sufferer a sense of relief.

The correct amount of Baking Soda to use, to relieve the symptoms of Acid Reflux, is about one half of a teaspoon mixed into half of a glass of drinking water. The Baking Soda should be left to dissolve completely in the water for a few minutes before drinking it. It is then advisable to drink the water while standing, and stay standing for a couple of minutes while gently walking about. This will allow the gasses that are in the stomach to be released, once they have been neutralized. Much in the same way as when a baby burps after eating.

Although Baking Soda will relieve the symptoms of Acid Reflux in the short-term, it is not a permanent cure. However, many sufferers of Colitis who use Baking Soda on a daily basis as a means to control their condition, have also reported that when they eat in a responsible manner, they no longer suffer from Acid Reflux problems either.