By Raquel Martin
It’s refreshing to find a caregiver who sees the person as a whole and
not as just a collection of symptoms to be medicated.
Chiropractors, nutritionists and other natural health care professionals do
not mask symptoms with drugs, but utilize natural alternatives that will release
life and health that is ready and waiting within the body. I have personally
found that a chiropractic adjustment is best maintained when nutritional as
well as hormonal deficiencies are also addressed. I found out the hard way that
education rather than medication makes us more aware of what our body needs.
Just as nerve interference (subluxations) can cause neurological imbalance and
turmoil within the body, hormones can also affect each other—negatively
when out of balance and positively when in balance. Unfortunately, when the
body calls for help, many of us do not know enough to pay attention to its needs
or deficiencies.
For instance, we find studies showing us how high estrogen levels and low progesterone
levels have been shown to be one of the major causes of neuromuscular discomforts
such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and other related problems. Along these
lines, many of us are consuming denatured foods or being subjected to environmental
toxins from chemical waste that ends up in our food, air and water. Even the
National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences knows there’s a public
health threat. They’re spending $10.6 million on what the scientists call
“endocrine disrupters.” Research shows how environmental excitotoxins
can be processed in the body as pseudoestrogens and are exacerbating hormonal
imbalances affecting not only women, but also men, by stimulating cancer cells.
Nutritional
Aspect:
The role in maintaining health has several facets, and the nutritional one cannot
be underestimated. The supply of nutrients defines our body chemistry and that
chemistry can make a great difference in how well the tissues respond to a chiropractic
adjustment. Would it then seem logical for good nutrition (organic raw foods,
etc.) to be an important factor in the functioning of the nervous system at
the cellular level? On the other hand, could we also conclude that toxins in
the body may affect the integrity of the adjustment?
It seems reasonable that if we keep our systems clear of unhealthy chemical
additives, which are foreign to the cells in our body (everything from artificial
sweeteners to polyunsaturated fats, e.g. safflowers, soybean, corn, canola,
etc), we could avoid many disorders and joint problems so prevalent today. These
seed oils extracted from plants are considered non-tropical oils that have intrinsically
harmful properties,# and can cause havoc on our metabolic rate. Our higher body
temperature causes these colder-climate oils (regardless of whether they are
processed or not) to become rancid when ingested and have been clearly identified
in contributing to a variety of diseases, especially breast and prostate cancer.
Bruce Fife, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, tells us in his book, The Healing
Miracles of Coconut Oil, why these devitalized oils break down into dangerous
toxins when cooked.# Raymond Peat, PhD., further explains how these commercially
made vegetable oils synergize with estrogen and increase the tendency toward
diseases.
The British Journal of Nutrition informs weight-training athletes that diets
consisting of soy protein may increase protein breakdown in skeletal muscle.
After reading this study, we might ask ourselves how the daily consumption of
soy will affect chiropractic adjustments? Also, on the one hand we are told
that soybeans are high in protein, but what we are not told is that the phytate
content of soybeans block the action of the enzymes that are essential in digestion
of protein and that the soy’s trypsin inhibitors interfere with many vital
enzymes that manufacture hormones, which are essential to proper thyroid functioning.
Hypothyroidism has been shown in infants receiving soy formula.
Another area of nutrition that is given little attention is explained by Joel
Robbins, M.D., N.D., D.C., who tells us that an imbalance in our alkaline/acid
levels can be a large factor in maintaining health and avoiding the onset of
arthritis, diabetes, cancer and other diseases.# He suggests that approximately
80 percent of our diet should consist of alkaline foods. In other words, we
should eat more fruits, vegetables, almonds and so forth. Unfortunately, the
foods that we normally consume are mostly acidic (meat, sugar, salt, coffee,
tea, processed foods, refined breads and so forth). Hence, the percentage will
almost always rise much higher than the recommended 20 percent. But if we can
keep the alkaline levels around 80 percent, we will utilize the nutrients better
and keep the body at a healthy pH level. This way we can enjoy the foods we
really like the most—the 20 percent from acidic foods such as found in
dairy, cheese, meat, nuts, bread, etc. # We don’t have to give up our
favorite foods entirely if we take into consideration this pH ratio (keeping
in mind, of course, the healthier benefits derived from unrefined/whole grain
foods and organic forms of dairy products and meats free of antibiotics and
hormones).
Nutritional deficiencies are often found when the alkaline percentage goes below
80 percent, and there are not enough vitamins and minerals, which are the catalysts
that keep the cells healthy. The resulting pH imbalance will cause the body
to search for nutrients elsewhere. In the end, the body compensates for this
lack and starts robbing minerals from other areas such as the cartilage, tendons,
ligaments and bones in order to obtain nutrients for the cells to neutralize
this acidic condition. Focusing on this factor as well as other natural ways
to bring all systems back into balance will ultimately allow our body to heal.
The Hormonal Aspect
Many holistically minded health-care practitioners are discovering a wide range
of physiological health benefits for their chiropractic patients when they also
address hormonal deficiencies. This natural approach to health cannot be emphasized
enough in today’s world of fast fixes and enticing drugs, which include
conventional hormone replacement therapy (cHRT) given to women of every age,
and readily available at every turn. As patients we are all vulnerable when
in need, and “organized medicine” is always there for us when we
are not prepared to make our own choices. Granted, medication has a use during
times of trauma or surgery, but it’s the abuse, overuse and the daily
use that is contributing to degenerative diseases.
Sadly, there is on-going misinformation, misdiagnosis and mistreatment in this
area, and when it comes to female disorders in the use of cHRT. As we have learned
from one study after another starting from the year 1970 to the present day,
the chemically altered cHRT is contributing to a variety of reproductive disorders,
coronary problems, venous thromboembolism pulmonary embolism and cancers. Regardless
of the outcome, prescriptions continue to be written—profiting powerful
organization at the expense of our health. Perhaps all this vested interest
is demonstrating another victory for advertising synthetic HRT, over what is
healthier for women in the long run.
In this regard, there is a lack of education concerning the dual relationship
between estrogen and its essential but disregarded partner called progesterone.
We know that in healthy women both of these hormones are produced in the ovaries.
Unfortunately women are not informed that progesterone progressively declines
during stress and during the aging process, and that a ratio of low progesterone
levels to high estrogen levels are bringing on early menopausal symptoms and
joint pain. It is interesting to learn that progesterone does not decline as
readily in men during the aging process.
The New England Journal of Medicine (1996) makes it clear that “excessive
estrogen is associated with most of the risk factors that have been linked to
endometrial carcinoma.” Some important in-vitro studies demonstrate that
“test tube cancers of both the male and female reproductive systems were
stimulated on a genetic level by the addition of estrogen ‘turns on,’
the gene known as Bcl-2, and has a stimulatory effect on cell growth and causes
these cancers to grow. On the other hand, progesterone was found to inhibit
growth—via the gene p53, which when activated results in a remarkable
reversal of excessive cell growth such as that found in reproductive system
cancers in both men and women.”
Needless to say, addressing hormonal imbalance is urgent during these times
as cancer continues to be on the rise.
As Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., tells us, natural progesterone cream is made
from the sterol taken from a plant, which is converted in the lab to exactly
duplicate the progesterone made in the body. Since it is bioidentical to human
progesterone, it has the ability to help the body maintain function and homeostasis.
But beware of the synthetic versions found in progestins (Provera and other
progestations.*) Shealy informs us “progesterone, a major regulator of
estrogen, testosterone and cortisol, is the most versatile hormone in the human
body.” He also found there to be an increase in DHEA blood levels after
supplementing topical progesterone. In its transdermal or sublingual form, it
can prevent and even reverse osteoporosis. Botanical progesterone does this
by stimulating the osteoblastic cells to build bone mineral density,# or reduce
bone loss,# and thus decrease the risk of osteoporosis.
I have learned from my own research and experience that rebalancing hormonal
levels is important in enhancing the integrity of the joints and in turn reinforcing
the chiropractic adjustment. For instance, I used to have chiropractic care
weekly specifically for my knees, but since I have raised my progesterone levels
with the transdermal cream, this has helped my adjustments to hold for longer
periods of time. The result is that while I formerly visited a chiropractor
for an adjustment when my knees or other joint were in a traumatized state,
now I go for prevention—to stay well and strong.
I have documented cases where shoulder and knee pain increased when women stopped
taking this natural hormone replacement. It’s amazing what we can learn
from our body if we just listen. The studies by Lita Lee, Ph.D., and author
of The Enzyme Cure, confirm that taking natural progesterone can help relieve
miserable muscular aches, shin splints and arthritic pain.# In fact, progesterone
plays a major role in reducing nerve disorders. When a doctor found that his
chiropractic patient had signs of early osteoporosis and arthritic pain, he
documented the patient’s response to this natural therapy of addressing
a hormone deficiency. The
results were published in The Internist:
“A 72-year-old female patient was seen on 1/11/93...[A] bone density study
revealed her bone mineral content to be abnormal... divided by bone width was
0.579... She was placed on a topical liquid progesterone 1 ml daily for two
months. After that time, she was treated with 1 ml daily for three weeks, one
week of rest, and then the treatment was repeated each month thereafter in this
manner. On 6/24/95 a repeat bone density study was performed and her numbers
were now 0.646 or a bone density that could be compared to age 63... All of
her symptoms had subsided, and in fact, she had more strength and stamina than
she had had in many years.”
Looking to summarize the above and to transition into the significance of chiropractic
care, author and medical doctor Stuart M. Berger tells us that there is most
likely a complex, interrelated web involving the nervous, endocrine and immune
systems, each acting on its own as well as reacting to the operation of the
others.# And so we come to the essential feature in this area of healing.
Neurological Aspect:
Through chiropractic we have learned that energy flows from the brain cell to
the tissue cell via the nervous system. Life and health are within the body;
but when spinal interference (subluxation) blocks that flow of energy (life
and health), it will result in malfunction. If this is not corrected, the health
of the tissue is affected and will cause our organs to function poorly. James
Gregg, D.C., tells us that nerve impulse is determined at the spinal level and
can result in a systemic disease process affecting all systems within the body.
Research confirms how chiropractic corrects the cause (subluxation) of organic
disease.
The reasons for discussing the importance of reinforcing an adjustment are many.
As far back as 1948, David Davis, M.D., spoke out in the American Heart Journal
about the immediate relief an adjustment had on spinal pain often mistaken as
heart disorders. By removing the subluxations, chiropractors often remove symptoms
like angina pectoris and cardiac asthma.# We find that even conditions such
as bronchitis, respiratory problems,# neuralgia, cephalgia, vertigo and other
related peripheral disorders are caused by vertebral misalignments.
Documentation, as well as testimonials, report sustained improvement in ear
infections through chiropractic care. Parents are also relieved to find this
gentle and effective alternative to be the missing link in helping children
with various forms of learning disabilities. Researchers have documented amazing
results when releasing cervical nerve interference in addressing this widespread
dilemma of neurological imbalance. Children are labeled to have Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD), also known as Attention-Span Deficit (ASD) and Attention-Span
Hyperactivity Disorder (ASHD) among other names. Perhaps some day all these
labels to symptoms will be described more accurately as nerve interference (NI).
Clinical
studies also demonstrate a relationship between chiropractic treatment and the
normalization of blood pressure, and even relief from stress and anxiety. By
removing the nerve interference time will once again do wonders in assisting
the body to heal itself,# however, if a subluxation goes on undetected for months
(or even years), the inflammatory process and age-related diseases are well
on their way. This is a time to be open to all natural alternatives in our desire
to not only prevent further degeneration, but complement, or enhance the effect
of an adjustment, which in some cases will actually reverse the degenerative
process.
This brings me to another area of concern in the labeling and mistreatment of
the common diagnoses of arthritis. I learned the hard way that this systemic
disorder is not an isolated disease, and cannot be successfully treated in isolation
from other disorders of the body. The treatment(s) that we choose should take
into consideration the body as a whole, not just the particular joints that
ache. That’s why pain killers and other short term solutions do not fix
the underlying cause and why chiropractic care plays such a major role in this
area providing a powerful aid in relieving symptoms associated with arthritis.
The close relationship between the upper cervical adjustment, reproductive organs
and other physiological responses, was profoundly demonstrated when I learned
that relieving nerve interference did more than correct my back pain, which
was diagnosed as arthritis. To my total surprise, I found that an adjustment
done precisely is so much more significant than patients realize and also more
profound than even some chiropractors may think. The article “Functional
Disturbances of the Vertebral Column in Gynecological Practice” by T.
Novotny, M.D., refers to 496 patients, of whom a significant 96 percent were
relieved of their gynecological problems by chiropractic treatment.
For all these reasons, I have been interested in writing about the close interconnection
between the spinal nerves and the endocrine system, and the need to share this
information with those who suffer so needlessly. If I had known these facts
years ago, I would have avoided a lot of suffering, but then again, I would
not have had the passion to share with patients why chiropractic care is critical
for enhancing nerve transmission to all systems. Fortunately, we are finding
more medical doctors who are working with chiropractors and who are independently
moving beyond the prevailing orthodox medical practice in order to pursue greater
truth for the benefit of humanity.
My personal experience taught me that the beneficial effect of chiropractic
care could be bolstered by means of nutritional and hormonal rebalancing. Although
these three natural approaches (nutritional, hormonal and neurological) may
seem distinctive, I found that each one fortifies the other in performing optimum
results, as they worked synergistically in helping me to achieve overall homeostasis
and increased energy I never thought possible, especially as I got older.
In this vein I’d like to share a quote from Helen Keller, one of my favorite
authors whose incredible insights gave greater meaning to her life. In her book,
Light in My Darkness, she says, “We can drift along with general opinion
and tradition, or we can throw ourselves upon the guidance of the soul and steer
courageously toward the truth.”
About the Author: Raquel Martin is the author of: Today’s Health Alternative:
Back Pain Link to Disease, A Patient Guide to Chiropractic, foreword by Dr.
Medhat M. Alattar; 2nd edition is in the hands of Healing Arts Press, 2000,
Rochester, VT. (pending publication); The Estrogen Alternative: Natural Hormone
Therapy with Botanical Progesterone (2000 the 3rd edition), written with
Judi Gerstung, D.C. (Foreword by John Hart, MD), Healing Arts Press, 2000, Rochester,
Vt.; and Peventing and Reversing Arthritis Naturally: The Untold Story (20000)
written with Karen Romano, D.C. (Foreword by Joel Robbins, ND, DC, MD. Healing
Arts Press, 2000, Rochester, VT.2
ENDNOTE:
* NOTE: If the sterol, diosgenin is converted into hormones such as progestins,
glucocorticoids, and estrogens, by means of synthetic pharmaceutical chemicals,
the altered molecule no longer retains its safe and stabilizing long-term power.
[Reference: S.S. Jick et al, “Risk of Idiopathic Cerebral Hemorrhage in
Women on Oral Contraceptives with Differing Progestagen Components,” Lancet
354 (1999): 302-303.
Complete references to this article may be found at TodaysChiropractic.com or
by emailing the author at r.jmartin@mindspring.com.The Adjustment
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