Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Integrative Medicine: Proof that It Works!

By J. William LaValley, MD

Recently, a 23-year-old mom of a 6-month-old, nursing infant called my office in desperation: "Please help me, the surgeon is going to remove my colon in a week because I have ulcerative colitis and no treatment is working. I don't want to lose my colon. Can you do anything to help me? The surgery is already scheduled...I'll do whatever is necessary to get better."

Obviously, she had arrived at dire circumstances. Ulcerative colitis is a serious illness that can cause bowel ulceration, bleeding and blood loss, fluid and electrolyte loss, pain, and inflammation. If left untreated, the bowel constricts causing blockages and infection that spread to other portions of the colon along with adjacent muscle and connective tissue.

This woman had been doing pretty well for several years managing her ulcerative colitis with traditional meds – an oral steroid and an anti-inflammatory. But about 3 months into her pregnancy she cut back on her medications, concerned that they could adversely affect the baby.

Now she was in a full, raging flare-up of her disease -- frequent bloody stool, painful spasmodic abdominal pain, mild anemia (due to the blood loss) and unrelenting, intense fatigue. Worst of all, she was faced with the daunting imminent prospect of having her colon removed within a week!

Not surprisingly, this woman's doctor was not trained in integrative medicine. When traditional medical treatment failed to arrest her deteriorating condition he believed the only viable solution was the most radical one -- removing her colon. I immediately decided to assist her in recovery, provided she was willing and able to follow my instructions diligently and completely.

She began following the Medical Wellness Protocol™ for ulcerative colitis, an integrative treatment plan that combines dietary modifications, nutritional supplements, and healthier living practices with traditional medications.

The following list briefly summarizes the action plan she followed:

1. Eating guidelines: Avoid dairy products, gluten, and other foods that worsen symptoms for 3-4 weeks. Eat fresh (and canned) organic vegetables of all types including beans, peas and legumes. Eat fresh fruit -- primarily apples, pears, blueberries, papaya, and pineapple. Eat small amounts of chicken (remove skin) and generous portions of oily, free-swimming (not farmed) ocean fish. (These foods are considered non-inflammatory.) Drink only water or green tea without sugar or sweetener. The bulk of beverage intake should be between meals to avoid diluting desirable stomach acid.
2. Conventional medicines: Begin antibiotic (antibacterial)¹ treatment with ciprofloxacin. (Many of the inflammatory bowel disease flare-ups I have seen over the past 20 years are associated with a large increase of pathogenic microbes -- especially "unfriendly or bad bacteria.")
3. Natural Supplements: Begin taking glutamine³ powder, fish oil,⁴ curcumin capsules, oregano capsules, probiotics, garlic tablets, and borage capsules. These supplements will help to heal the mucosal lining, reduce inflammation, add friendly bacteria to the gut,² and improve intestinal immunity.
4. Physical Activity: Maintain normal daily activities and attempt 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching of legs and core muscles and joints.
5. Mental Emotional Spiritual: Practice breathing relaxation time, twice daily. Each 5-minute "relaxation imagery" session assists in becoming more aware of bodily sensations and the sensory experience of voluntarily relaxing mind and body.
6. Special Products and Procedures: Use only natural dishwashing liquid and make sure that all dishes and cookware are thoroughly rinsed of residual soap that can irritate the intestinal lining. Use castor oil packs on the abdomen for symptomatic relief. Avoid lipstick, lip balm, and fluoride toothpaste.

Within four days all bleeding and diarrhea stopped. By the next day her pain stopped. In another two days, the stools were well-formed and regular. She required no surgery and remains symptom free except for the times she eats foods that cause inflammation. We have not abandoned her steroid medications, we merely leave them on the shelf for times she may actually need them.

References

1. Ewaschuk JB, et al. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2006 Dec;8(6):486-98.
2. Mitsuyama K, et al. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2008 Mar;12(3):301-12.
3. Lai YN, et al., Nutrition. 2004 Mar;20(3):286-91.
4. Lin MT, et al. Nutrition. 2007 Feb;23(2):179-86.

[Ed. Note: J. William LaValley, MD is a physician in Nova Scotia, Canada and Austin, Texas. He practices Integrative and Complementary Medicine as a member of the Canadian Medical Association, serving as the Chairperson of the Complementary Medicine Section of Doctors Nova Scotia. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, and Travis County Medical Society in Austin.]

The vast majority of headaches are related to emotional stress, toxicity (just ask anyone who has experienced a hangover!), and/or structural (and body usage) issues. They may be painful and annoying, but most headaches are not emergencies that require immediate medical attention.*

With that said, here is a plan of action you can safely apply in five minutes or less that may help your head feel better.

Go get a glass of good quality room temperature water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the water. Drink the water.

Know that it is your intention to heal and to feel better. Believe that this can happen for you over the next few minutes.

Put a drop of LAVENDER oil on the following spots: the top of the back of the neck, the center of the forehead, and both temples (make sure to stay away from the eyes).

Take off your shoes and socks; lie down on your back with your knees bent, so that the bottoms of your feet are lying flat on the ground (if you can do this outside on the grass, so much the better).

Close your eyes.

As you do this, RECALL or IMAGINE a time before you had this headache -- a time when you felt fantastic! Get as specific and vivid as you can with your "felt sense" of this.

Keep your eyes closed and put both of your hands on your lower belly. Begin to take some slow gentle deep breaths so that your hands go UP toward the sky on your inhale. Breathe in through your nose and then let the air out through your mouth by simply opening the back of your throat.

Between each breath, smile INWARDLY with your mouth and eyes, and SAY (either silently or aloud) "Alert Mind, Calm Body".

Simply be with your breath. If your mind wanders, just notice that and then gently but firmly bring your attention back to the breath.

Do this for the next three minutes.

Now move your left hand so that it is behind your head (your head is now resting in the palm of your left hand).

Put the pad of your right middle finger right on the center of your pubic bone (the bone that is just above your genital area). Use moderate pressure. Continue breathing with your hands in this position for another 30 seconds.

Now allow yourself to become aware of something that you COULD feel grateful for ... and let yourself FEEL the gratitude as you take another deep breath ... Repeat this two more times.

Now gently and slowly allow your eyes to open and return to your day.

Unless you have an allergy to lemon or lavender, this protocol is completely safe and will often help a great deal.

It would take more space than we have in this article to explain all the reasons WHY this protocol is so helpful, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try.

*If you have a headache with any one of the following warning signs, seek medical attention immediately: Recent head trauma, especially associated with any loss of consciousness; fever of over 104°; vomiting that lasts more than 4 hours; diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days; ANY change in vision; unexplained weight loss; bleeding; high blood pressure; shortness of breath; confusion; dizziness; loss of balance; slurred speech.

[Ed Note: David Kamnitzer, D.C. is an expert at helping people achieve high levels of health and well-being -- far beyond what is available simply through drugs and surgery alone. He combines his 20-year clinical experience and extensive knowledge in structural, nutritional, and energetic balancing to offer individuals cutting-edge approaches to healing. To learn more, click here.]

This shake is an excellent breakfast option, but can be enjoyed as a snack, a post-workout re-builder, or an any-time meal replacement. Not only does it taste great, it's great for you too.

Whey: Immune building, muscle building, and mood lifting benefits.
Berries: Packed with brain-protective antioxidants.
Cinnamon: Supports glucose regulation.
Flax seeds: Source of omega 3 fats, fiber, and lignans. Lignans protect against breast and prostate cancer.^1-2

Excellent source of calcium (25% DV), vitamin D (25% DV), vitamin E (53% DV), and manganese (20% DV).
Good source of vitamin A (12% DV), vitamin C (18% DV), phosphorus (10% DV), and magnesium (15% DV).

Ingredients:
8 oz. almond milk
½ cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries
1 scoop Jay Robb vanilla whey protein powder
2 T. organic ground flax seeds
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Mix in a blender with a few ice cubes if desired.

Nutrition:
257 calories, 8 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 1 g. monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 13 mg. cholesterol, 340 mg. sodium, 19 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. fiber, 6 g. sugar, 29 g. protein, 600 IU vitamin A, 11 mg. vitamin C, 100 IU vitamin D, 16 IU vitamin E, 33 mcg. folate, 254 mg. calcium, 60 mg. magnesium, 4 mg manganese, 1.3 mg iron, 100 mg. phosphorus, 731 mg. potassium.

References

1. McCann SE, et al. Int J Cancer. 2004 Sep 1;111(3):440-3.
2. Hedelin M, et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2006 Mar;17(2):169-80.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more, click here.]

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