Diseases

Celiac disease is the body allergically reacting to wheat. It is a portion of the wheat kernel that the body responds against. A crazy little molecule called zonulin normally responds to immune challenges by opening up the gut wall and pulling in irritating chemicals or molecules. Unfortunately when it pulls in the gluten particles there is a rush of lymphocytes to the area. This causes a significant cascade of  chemical responses which, when maintained,  severely damage the surrounding tissue. Commonly diarrhea or constipation result. If that was not enough the lymphocyte(white blood cell) response can occur anywhere in the body! -Especially in the brain and liver. Biopsies of the brain, liver and gut show damage occurring due to the in-rush of lymphocytes. I have witnessed MRI changes to the white matter in the brain from gluten exposure. Do you see the implications? ALS (lou gherigs disease), multiple sclerosis and Ahlzeimer’s can be brought on by celiac disease. In fact, gluten sensitivity, not just gluten allergy has been implicated in ADHD , ADD, and autism. Journal articles support this very clearly. How do you find out if you are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease? Come in for a simple blood draw. There are new tests coming out for saliva and stool sample testing . We look for antibodies and tissue breakdown in your system. We will walk you through the process of eliminating wheat. It is a permanent life change. It can permanently improve your life!

There are some great websites for help with getting gluten free.

theglutensyndrome.net looks very helpful.

celiacdisease.org is good too.

There is an incredible prevalence of gluten sensitivity. It has been implicated in the most obscure, previously misunderstood diseases. Mayo Clinic came out with a list of the diseases potentially associated with the exposure to gluten. In  Heptology , Vol. 46, No. 5

They list:

 cryptogenic cirrhosis,

 autoimmune liver disorders such as primary biliary cirrhosis, auto immune hepatitis type 1 & 2, autoimmune cholangitis

primary sclerosing cholangistis

chronic hepatitis C

hemochromotosis

non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

acute liver failure

and hepatocellular carcinoma

regenerative nodular hyperplasia

all these are associated with Celiac disease!

Also well known associations are migraine headaches,fibromyalgia, and autoimmune reactions of many kinds!

Roughly 30% of patients do not respond to becoming gluten free. They need additional help: Such as lymphocyte calming and repair of the damaged tissue before feeling better. We have the right stuff to help you repair!

If you have been suffering with a problem that seems dietary sensitive but you have been unable to diagnose it or find relief… come in and let us test you for sensitivities or gluten allergy.  630-322-9522.

You wake up and can hardly put your heels down. To walk, you have to tip-toe or the pain is severe. Right? This can last a very long time. It may occur without an obvious reason. It may fade during the day but it comes back every morning. Some of you do not have the daytime relief.

 The only consolation here is that it is very popular to have heel pain. Lets understand one thing here. There are many causes of heel pain. Not everyone has the same thing. Swelling that dissipates during the day is often a smaller amount of swelling that is draining into the heel from somewhere else. For example, knee or hip injuries above that heel may “drip” down to the foot. Another example is when someone has high blood pressure. Their swelling seeps down through the body ending up around the ankles and heels. It is often first seen in as socks leaving an impression.  Swelling (inflammation) control is your answer. Find the leak and fix it.

Still others of you may have a bone spur in the foot under the calcaneus bone. Pain here is right on a single point and the harder you press the worse it is. The point of pain is on the bottom of the foot, slightly forward of the heel bone – almost where the arch starts. Cushion your foot with an orthotic and/or  ultrasound may help(we do this all in the office). If not, get thee to a Podiatrist.

OK, plantar- fascitis people, thanks for waiting….It’s your turn! Pain for you is linear, burning and starts at the heel radiating forward toward the toes. Even pressing on the ball of the foot can hurt.  Your arch is falling. You need arch support and repair of the fascia ( the fibers that connect the muscle to bone).  Chiropractic adjusting the foot is wonderfully helpful here. Your arch is restored to it proper position and supported to retain and re-train. Exercises will be given to help strengthen intrinsic foot muscles after that.  Anti-Swelling techniques are still part of your first steps(no pun intended).

Figure out what you have and treat it properly. If you want to do something at home, make it anti-inflammatory techniques: elevate your foot, ice your foot, wrap your foot, rub the foot(like you are squee-gee-ing out the swelling). Arnica, enzymes, bromelain, or niacinamide are helpful to reduce swelling. Call us to help in dosage and frequency of these products: 630-322-9522

Hypertension means that there is more pressure in your arteries than is normal. It increases your risk for stroke, heart trouble and anurysms. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers. One number is recorded over the other. Normal blood pressure needs to be under 140 in the top number and under 85 in the bottom number. The top number represents how much pressure is in your arterial vessels during a heart- muscle contraction. The bottom number represents the pressure in between heart contractions. Lower numbers generally mean your heart is more efficient and the vessels are not stiff (giving resistance to blood movement). Blood pressure can also be elevated due to an organ (liver, kidney, spleen ,lung) being in some distress. Knowing why you have blood pressure trouble should determine how to treat it. There is no cure-all. However, we believe there are some healthy alternatives:

There are numerous things causing pain about the elbow but one dominates all  the others. A nagging, tenacious elbow pain when gripping or lifting an object. It can last for months. It is easily aggravated. Over the counter meds can’t eliminate it. It often shifts higher or lower on different days. It is near the elbow on that outside edge where it can get bumped so easily. If this sounds way too familiar, I suggest that you might have lateral epicondylitis aka tennis elbow. I call it “the pit bull” of tendonitis because of its tenacity: once it gets hold of your elbow, it is hard to get rid of it. You might discover a reason for it , however many patients don’t recall the day it started or cause. It often lasts for months before they seek help.

I grade its severity on a functional testing: If it hurts to stretch it(elbow is straight and then bend the wrist down), and it hurts when you grip something, it is a grade two (out of three). If it only hurts when you grip something(often more sensitive with your elbow straight), it is a grade one.  Grade three is reserved for the rare full tear of the tendon -which is strangely non-painful but terribly weak.

“How do you get rid of it?” you ask… The best way is a combonation of icing, cross-friction massage and ultasound. You will need my help on the last two therapies, however you can reduce its severity by bracing it right below the elbow, with a tennis elbow brace. Icing is crucial. You put ice right on the pain,in 10 minute episodes, three to four times each day(especially after exercise). I know it hurts. Do it.

 Call soon to get your elbow function back: 630-322-9522

Do you find yourself sleepy after meals, having poor concentration, urinating frequently- day and night,… you may be having trouble with your blood sugar. Your pancreas is the organ that responds to the sugar you ingest. If you eat mostly breads, pasta, rice , potato, even corn, peas or carrots, they are high in carbohydrates. “Carbs” are the simple energy producers in our diet. There are complex(good) carbs and simple (not as good) They are the easiest energy we can eat. Unfortunately, these energy resources are hard on the pancreas. With time the pancreas response can become altered or ineffective. That leaves the sugar in the blood and not getting to the muscles and nerves -where it needs to go. So , you are left with an energy problem: you eat enough to function but you cannot get going  due to overwhelming fatigue.

I use the “four C’s” to help with blood sugar trouble.

First- carb modification. Lowering your simple carb intake is essential.

Second-Calorie burning . Exercise helps use up extra blood sugar that is hanging around. It also has a benefit in pushing sugar (glucose  is its name at this point) into the tissues.

Third- There are some nutrients which assist the pancreas in it’s function. Chromium and cinnamon are two of the major ones we use. We will help you in the dosage.

Fourth and finally, Chiropractic adjusting at the level which controls the pancreas may help normalize your sugar response. It is very comfortableto do. Many people with this issue discover they have had a “tender point ” at the area anyway. (It is centered between the shoulder blades! )

Want that old energy back? Come in and find out how we can get you up and going again!

1.Monitor B.P. daily with log

2. Decrease salt in the diet.

3. Add Vitamin B (folate)

4.Bonito Peptides(500mg)TID and Co Q10(100mg(TID)

Gluten can be extracted from the flour of wheat and other grains by washing the starch out. To do this, a simple dough of flour and water is rinsed with plain water and kneaded until the rinsing water remains clear and free from starch and bran. For chemical, non-food purposes, a saline solution provides better results. The remaining lump of gluten should have a stringy, sticky texture reminiscent of chewing gum.

Usage
Cooked gluten becomes firm to the bite and soaks up a certain amount of the surrounding broth and its taste. It is therefore commonly used in vegetarian cuisine, notably Chinese Buddhist and vegan cuisine, where one variety is called seitan. Some consider it a convincing imitation meat (particularly duck) when the broth is flavored accordingly.
In the process of baking, gluten is responsible for keeping the fermentation gases in the dough, allowing it to rise. After baking, the coagulated gluten ensures that the final product keeps its shape.

Occurrence
Gluten is found in some cereals (e.g., wheat, rye, barley) and their end products. No gluten is contained in rice (even glutinous rice), wild rice, maize (corn), millets, buckwheat, quinoa, or amaranth. Oats and teff do not contain gluten, but are sometimes grown directly adjacent to, and/or milled on the same equipment as, other grains that do contain gluten, and so are commonly contaminated. Non-cereals such as soybeans and sunflower seeds contain no gluten.
Other varieties of wheat such as kamut and spelt have slightly different forms of gluten. Many people who are unable to digest gluten for non-celiac reasons are able to digest these varieties. People suffering from coeliac disease are advised to avoid all forms of wheat.

The following grains & starches are allowed:
•    Rice
•    Corn
•    Soy
•    Potato
•    Tapioca
•    Beans
•    Garfava
•    Sorghum
•    Quinoa
•    Millet
•    Buckwheat
•    Arrowroot
•    Amaranth
•    Tef
•    Montina®
•    Nut Flours

Basically, CAAT is an amino acid and carbohydrate deprivation protocol using scientifically formulated amino acids. Research by Dr.Marco Rabinowitz of the National Cancer Institute and Dr. Dr. Albert B. Lorincz of the University of Chicago shows how beneficial amino acid deprivation therapy can be in treating cancer.
CAAT also includes a low carbohydrate regimen that is personalized for each patient. Dr. Chi Van Dang of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported that cancer cells are such sugar junkies that glucose deprivation can contribute significantly to their demise.

What kind of headache am I having?

There are over 100 causes of head pain but the major categories for headaches are
Stress headache
Migraine headache
Sinus headache
Hormone headache
Cluster headaches
Acute headaches

It is important to know what headache type you have to treat it appropriately. Please consult the doctor.
Migraines are vascular. They have some interesting symptoms. If you experience strange symptoms like metallic tongue taste, squiggly lines in your vision, unusual smells, or tingling somewhere in your body prior to head pain, your experiencing an “aura”. These can be early blood vessel changes preceeding the onset of the pain.  Migraine pain is typically one sided. It can have an aura and it usually includes light sensitivity, nausea and piercing-type eye pain. Migraines will not last more than 24 hours. Distinguishing you pain pattern is important because the treatments are very different for each type.

Migraines respond to what I call the “Four C’s “

• Chiropractic adjustments may stop the vessels changes which are the cause of pain. It needs to be done early in the headache for best results.

• Cold pack on the back of the neck (close to the vessels) can stop the vessels from changing so drastically.

• Caffeine can help early on in a true migraine. Late in a migraine this can backfire on you! What is “early” or “late”? My rule: Aura is early. Pain is late.

• Compression points in the hand may give a accupressure-type benefit. These will be taught by your Chiropractor.