Summer Herbal Intensive

I am offering an Herbal Intensive for adults this Summer. It will be once a week (Wednesdays) for seven weeks, 9am - 3pm. I am very excited and I hope some of you can join me.

It will take place where I work, Great Hollow Wilderness School, in New Fairfield, CT. The land is enchanted and we will get to see plenty of it, since this course will not take place indoors. We will be on the land for the entire time aside from snippets where we may need a kitchen. All other heating will be over a campfire.

We will learn first hand from the plants, and use all our senses to gain information. We will hike through different habitats and examine them. We will learn some simple botany, plant families, and practical herbal wisdom. We will teach each other, get wet in the river, harvest and prepare medicinal and edible plants growing in abundance. We will cover a lot of material, yet it will be simple, digestible and applicable in everyday life. Indexing, journaling, and homework will be implemented. We will also be exploring herbal energetics, vocabulary for the herbalist, and probably a few unknown surprises too. :)

Herbal Intensive for beginners, ages 18 + 

Wednesdays June 24 - August 5, 9 am - 3 pm

Fee $ 450, deposit required

For registration go here

To learn more about Great Hollow Homeschool go here

To learn about all of Great Hollow go here

Green Blessings!

VESICLES INFLUENCE FUNCTION OF NERVE CELLS

Tiny vesicles containing protective substances which they transmit to nerve cells apparently play an important role in the functioning of neurons. As cell biologists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have discovered, nerve cells can enlist the aid of mini-vesicles of neighboring glial cells to defend themselves against stress and other potentially detrimental factors. These vesicles, called exosomes, appear to stimulate the neurons on various levels: they influence electrical stimulus conduction, biochemical signal transfer, and gene regulation. Exosomes are thus multifunctional signal emitters that can have a significant effect in the brain.

The researchers in Mainz already observed in a previous study that oligodendrocytes release exosomes on exposure to neuronal stimuli. These exosomes are absorbed by the neurons and improve neuronal stress tolerance. Oligodendrocytes are a type of glial cell and they form an insulating myelin sheath around the axons of neurons. The exosomes transport protective proteins such as heat shock proteins, glycolytic enzymes, and enzymes that reduce oxidative stress from one cell type to another, but also transmit genetic information in the form of ribonucleic acids.

"As we have now discovered in cell cultures, exosomes seem to have a whole range of functions," explained Dr. Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers. By means of their transmission activity, the small bubbles that are the vesicles not only promote electrical activity in the nerve cells, but also influence them on the biochemical and gene regulatory level. "The extent of activities of the exosomes is impressive," added Krämer-Albers. The researchers hope that the understanding of these processes will contribute to the development of new strategies for the treatment of neuronal diseases. Their next aim is to uncover how vesicles actually function in the brains of living organisms.

GBS Rehabilitation

Although many people recover from GBS disease, the duration of your illness is unpredictable, and could require months of hospital care and rehabilitation.
As nerve function returns, patient may require assistance to learn how to use affected muscles. Rehabilitation can include several types of therapy.
Physical rehabilitation. Physical therapy stimulates joints and muscles to rebuild strength, flexibility and flexibility.
Occupational therapy. Occupational therapy concentrates on activities to help patient be as self-sufficient as you possibly can in daily life.
Assistive devices. patient might need to learn to use assistive devices, for example leg or arm braces, canes, walkers and wheelchairs to assist mobility during recovery or, if GBS causes permanent disabilities, for long-term use.
Physiotherapy strategy to GBS disease will:
Regain patient's independence with everyday tasks.
Retrain normal movement patterns by teaching patient how you can achieve activities diversely.
Muscle strength training, exercising as frequently as possible in the correct way.
Stretch tight muscles and stop soft tissue contractures.
Improve patient's posture in lying, sitting and standing and sleeping.
Increase patient's mobility.
Increase balance and coordination.
Increase fitness and levels.
Increased capability to relax.
Promote recovery.
educate about GBS disease and symptoms.
The role of physiotherapy for GBS disease could be divided into three parts -
acute phase
the center phase of rehabilitation
long-term, on-going rehabilitation
The key factor is communication with this particular multi-disciplinary approach with the purpose of the team to help the flow from the treatment of the patient.

The Acute Phase

Within the acute phase most of physio is perfect for respiratory care. Whether it affects the intercostal muscle - the main one between the ribs that lifts in the ribs as we have a breath. Equally when the diaphragm is affected - negligence the body between the abdomen and also the chest - patient possess the inability to take a large breath. So in acute phase regular breathing workouts are necessary.

Phase of Rehabilitation

So then your first part of the rehabilitation phase begins. Whenever we start to get patients moving we must keep in mind the physiotherapy should be graduated. We realize the patients can fatigue quite quickly and thus we try to build up the strength very gradually, deliberately providing a bit more demand each time in exercising the respiratory muscles.
The career of the patient is essential. He/she needs to be nursed so that the lungs are kept clear - laterally and if need be to become "jacked up" with the head down so allowing any secretion within the lungs to be drained out.
Patient struggling with GBS disease often complain of severe pain, which may be managed by applying TENS, IFT along with other pain relieving techniques.
If muscles are saved in a shortened position of sufficient length then there is an increase in the stiffness from the muscle. So there must be "passive" movements, ie aided - with the full range at least once each day. If there is too much movement with weak muscles around some pot, the joint may become quite loose and hang up later some pain. Not enough movement and you get a stiff joint. You could have muscle stiffness after which joint stiffness. It can can become quite painful.
You will find available Resting Splints for wrist/hands as well as for ankles which can be essential in the early stages. Tight leg muscles can later on allow it to be more difficult for one to walk, particularly upstairs and downstairs as well as on a slight slope. You receive too tired.
The key feature at the next phase when patient gets up out of bed is that his/her circulation is very dependent on the muscles in your body.
There will be swelling within the ankles and hands if a person doesn't move around much. So a patient's blood pressure level is monitored at this time to check there is no sudden drop. Such patients wear elastic stockings to push the blood to the heart and also to prevent thrombus. If the blood sits within the legs there is more possibility of clotting.
Some patients with weak stomach muscles may need abdominal corsets. When the patient is getting in the whole effect of the items gravity has on the joints becomes important. The shoulder joint particularly depends on its muscles around it. He/she may require the arms supported in early stages of sitting upright and walking.
You should get good seating. If required one can make do having a cushion, towel or pillow to aid the lumbar spine. Prolonged sitting having a curved spine can result in small damage to the joints inside your upper spine, producing backache. It's similarly important to offer the middle and the surface of the spine as well as the arms.
Stretching the arms such as the hands, legs such as the feet, body (particularly by slumping), helps you to rehabilitate not only the peripheral muscles but additionally, we believe, the associated nerves. This will be significant for GBS and CIDP patients struggling with nerve damage. One must be careful not to overstretch.
Functional tasks of everyday living that involve exercise are usually beneficial. These tasks include walking, repeated sitting to standing, allowing this to continue and moving up and down during sex, putting on and removing clothes. These tasks assistance to restore the patient to normalcy living.

Ongoing Rehabilitation

Hydro treatments are fantastic as patient can float; so how much they weigh is supported as well as can exercise from the graded resistance from the water - the faster they move greater it is, the slower the greater gentle. It does not suit everyone - some discover the heat too much.
You should watch the posture as muscle weakness can impact it. IT is often the physio's role to nag and provide patient advice about posture.
The individual may need balance retraining because we all know the ankles are essential for balance. The individual may find the hips need to be moved to keep the balance.
As patient progress only then do we begin some learning advanced skills of walking down and up slopes and stairs.
Being an ongoing practice you should have regular exercises to help keep stretching muscles which may be at risk of tightening up - leg muscles, hamstrings, arm muscles.
Hydrotherapy, walking, stationary bikes or anything that could possibly get patient's heart rate up are essential for ensuring that your cardiovascular and general fitness have been in good condition.

Are Tens Units Any Good For Neuropathy

Today's post from diabetic2.tophealthychoices.com (see link below) reflects the varying opinions about the benefits of electrical nerve stimulation machines such as Tens, for people with nerve damage. As a result, this article can only be seen as one person's opinion and the best advice would be to consult as many people as possible (including your doctor) and do your own research before  starting using such appliances. That said, if numbers are to be believed, thousands of people across the world do get some benefit from using Tens and others but that can be said from almost all given neuropathy treatments. Do all the research you can but remember, as with all neuropathy treatments, what works for some doesn't work for others - it remains a minefield.

Using Electrical Nerve Stimulation Machine for Diabetic Neuropathy Should Be Considered  

No visible author 18 Jun, 2015

 The most common forms of electro-analgesia is the Tens machine. There has been several clinical reports and ongoing research with regards to the use of Tens machines for certain medical conditions such as arthritic pain, myofacial, lower back pain, bladder incontinence, visceral pain, post operative pain and neurogenic pain. Due to these studies being inconclusive, the question as to whether the Tens are more effective than a placebo in combating pain is still unresolved. The mechanisms currently proposed with regards to the Neuro modulation that Tens produces include pain control, restoration of input afferent, and presynaptic inhibition in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and direct inhibition of an abnormal excited nerve.

Studies revealed that the electrical stimulation reduces pain via nociceptive inhibition in the horn of the spines dorsum horn at a presynaptic level and in turn limits its central transmission and that the electrical nerve stimulation machine on the skin myelinated nerve fibres and the electrical stimuli activates a low threshold. With low frequency Tens a marked increase in met-enkephalin and beta endorphins were noted and also demonstrated antinociceptive reversal effects by naloxone. Through micro opioid receptors the effects were postulated. However, naloxone was not reversed with high frequency Tens analgesia, implicating a dynorphin binding receptor that is naloxone resistant. Increased levels of dynorphin A were revealed in cerebral spinal fluid samples. Pain in interpreted when painful peripheral stimulation occurs as the C fibres carry the information which causes the T cells to open the gate which in turn the cortex and thalamus receive the pain transmission centrally. This theory explains the gate control theory, as the gate is usually closed. A range of both positive and negative outcomes have been noted in a wide range of medical conditions when using the Tens machine. Due to several trials and studies conducted there has been an overall consensus in favour of the use of Tens. Around 70 to 80% of patients experience initial pain relief provided by Tens, and around 20 to 30% success rate decreased after a few months of using Tens. In order to establish the full benefits, the Tens should be applied for at least an hour.

The stimulus preferences differ, and studies revealed that 57% of patients that used the Tens machine daily most definitely benefited as well as displayed different stimuli to particular pulse patterns and frequencies and were found to be adjusting their stimulators in subsequent treatment sessions. Tens has also proved positive for mild levels of pain post operative and post traumatic and proved ineffective for acute pain and tension headaches. However, Tens proved positive for painful diabetic neuropathy and treatment using Tens should be considered for this disorder.

http://diabetic2.tophealthychoices.com/using-electrical-nerve-stimulation-machine-for-diabetic-neuropathy-should-be-considered-31/

Spring Peeks Baby Nettles Monarda and the Littles of the New Season

Spring Peeks

The newest greens of the Equinox!

March 22, 2012 Newsletter

Enjoy! 

xoxox

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New Discovery Curbs Nerve Pain Without Drug Side Effects

Today's post from sciencedaily.com (see link below) is one of those complex technical ones that often leave us scratching our heads to wonder how it could possible affect our own personal situations. However, if you take a little time to read it, you should get the gist of what it's saying and what the implications are. It starts off with a neuropathy-patient-friendly call for treatments that work well on people and not just laboratory mice. We are so used to the newest developments being announced at the rodent-testing stage, that we lose faith that they will ever be translated to human treatment. This article tries to show that the gulf between lab-rats and humans in this case, is not so large after all. Worth a read.

Potent approach shows promise for chronic pain
Inhibitor discovered through human, mouse genetic studies curbs pain without narcotic side effects 
Date:June 17, 2015 Source:Boston Children's Hospital

Non-narcotic treatments for chronic pain that work well in people, not just mice, are sorely needed. Drawing from human pain genetics, an international team led by Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates a way to break the cycle of pain hypersensitivity without the development of addiction, tolerance or side effects.

Their findings, reported June 17 in the journal Neuron, could lead to treatments for chronic pain conditions caused by nerve damage, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), as well as chronic inflammation, like rheumatoid arthritis. Current treatments provide meaningful pain relief in only about 15 percent of patients.

"Most pain medications that have been tested in the past decade have failed in phase II human trials despite performing well in animal models," notes Clifford Woolf, MD, PhD, director of Boston Children's F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and a co-senior investigator on the study with Michael Costigan, PhD. "Here, we used human genetic findings to guide our search from the beginning."

In 2006, Costigan, Woolf and colleagues showed in Nature Medicine that people with variants of the gene for GTP cyclohydrolase (GCH1)--about 2 percent of the population--are at markedly lower risk for chronic pain. GCH1 is needed to synthesize the protein tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and people with GCH1 variants produce less BH4 after nerve injury. This suggested that BH4 regulates pain sensitivity.

"We wanted to use pharmacologic means to get the same effect as the gene variant," says Alban Latremoliere, PhD, also of Boston Children's Kirby Center, who led the current study along with Woolf and Costigan.

In a "reverse engineering" approach, the researchers modeled the human biology in mice. They first showed that mice with severed sensory nerves produce excessive BH4, churned out both by the injured nerve cells themselves and by macrophages--immune cells that infiltrate damaged nerves and inflamed tissue. Mice engineered to make excess BH4 had heightened pain sensitivity even when they were uninjured, suggesting that BH4 is sufficient to produce pain. On the flip side, mice that were genetically unable to produce BH4 in their sensory nerves had decreased pain hypersensitivity after peripheral nerve injury.

"We then asked, if we could reduce production of BH4 using a drug, could we bring about reduction of pain?" says Latremoliere.

The answer was yes. The researchers blocked BH4 production using a specifically designed drug that targets sepiapterin reductase (SPR), a key enzyme that makes BH4. The drug reduced the pain hypersensitivity induced by the nerve injury (or accompanying inflammation) but did not affect nociceptive pain--the protective pain sensation that helps us avoid injury.

Fine-tuning pain relief

Because BH4 is active all over the body, with important roles in the brain and blood vessels, the goal of any treatment would be to dial down excessive BH4 production, but not eliminate it entirely. Latremoliere and colleagues showed that blocking SPR still allowed minimal BH4 production through a separate pathway and reduced pain without causing neural or cardiovascular side effects.

"Our findings suggest that SPR inhibition is a viable approach to reducing clinical pain hypersensitivity," says Woolf. "They also show that human genetics can lead us to novel disease pathways that we can probe mechanistically in animal models, leading us to the most suitable targets for human drug development."

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Boston Children's Hospital. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
Clifford J. Woolf et al. Reduction of Neuropathic and Inflammatory Pain through Inhibition of the Tetrahydrobiopterin Pathway. Neuron, June 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.05.033

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150617135409.htm

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Celiac Gluten And Neuropathy

Today's short post from time.com (see link below), with links to expand your reading, centres on a new Swedish study that shows more evidence of the link between celiac disease and neuropathy. Basically, celiac disease is gluten intolerance and as you probably know, gluten intolerance is one of those buzz-word deficiencies that dominates health forums on the internet at the moment. There has long been an assumed link between celiac and neuropathy but it has been difficult to prove and many doctors dismiss it as patient-driven sickness association (mention one and popular opinion assumes the other). One thing is sure, many people with nerve damage who cut gluten out of their diet, see an improvement in their neuropathy symptoms. That said, taking on a gluten-free diet is no mean feat and for many people proves both 'boring' and difficult to maintain. You need to do your own research, try things out and make your own mind up. A first step would be getting screened for celiac disease but you may need to convince your doctor that that is a reasonable option.

The Weird Link Between Celiac Disease and Nerve Damage
Mandy Oaklander @mandyoaklander May 12, 2015

A new study on every celiac in Sweden

Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes intestinal damage when a person eats gluten, is still something of a medical mystery. But a new Swedish study adds another piece to the puzzle.

People with celiac disease have a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing neuropathy, or nerve damage, found a new study published in JAMA Neurology. In the new nationwide study, pediatrician Dr. Jonas F. Ludvigsson, professor of clinical epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and his team wanted to look at the risk of developing neuropathy in a sample of people diagnosed with celiac disease. They gathered data from every person diagnosed with celiac disease in Sweden between 1969 and 2008—28,232 celiac sufferers in all. Each of them had been tested with a small-intestine biopsy.

(Most of them, interestingly, were women. About 60% of people with celiac disease are women; more females than males are diagnosed with autoimmune disorders, Ludvigsson says, for a reason researchers haven’t yet determined.)

For every celiac patient, Ludvigsson also found five people identical in age, sex, birth year and place of residence in Sweden as controls. He followed them for an average of 10 years to see who developed a diagnosis of neuropathy.

MORE: You Asked: Do I Have a Gluten Allergy?

The researchers found that having celiac disease was associated with a significant increased risk of developing nerve damage later. “It’s quite a high figure, compared to many other outcomes in celiac disease,” Ludvigsson says. Having a diagnosis is automatically a risk factor for getting a diagnosis for any other disease, he explains, since going to the doctor for one thing boosts the chances the doctor will find something else—a phenomenon known as surveillance bias. But the increase here is too high to merely be due to bias, he says. “There is a real association between celiac disease and neuropathy…we have precise risk estimates in a way we haven’t had before.”

Previous work has shown that in the U.S., 39% of people with celiac disease also had symptoms of neuropathy. About 1% of the population has celiac disease, and that number is similar in Sweden and the U.K.

“I think this paper could actually change clinical practice somewhat,” Ludvigsson says. When a neurologist diagnoses a patient with neuropathy but finds no obvious cause, he might consider screening that patient for celiac disease, Ludvigsson says. “Some of these patients will be diagnosed with celiac disease, will have a gluten-free diet and will actually feel better and be healthier.”

http://time.com/3854589/celiac-gluten-neuropathy/

Ozark Shrub!

I've had this on my to-do list for probably two years and I can't believe it took me that long. I first learned this from one my favorite herbalists/teachers, Tina Marie Wilcox, who i have mentioned previous.
This old favorite of the Ozark healers is a veritable panacea. It's used for tummy aches, colds, the flu, sore throats, coughs, and basically any common household ailment. AND, it's really yummy!
I made some today with my Microscouts, little 4-6 year old nature explorers who I teach every other week, and they were part amazed, grossed out, and giddy with fun. They really did taste it!

ALL it is, is half herbal infused honey, and half herbal infused vinegar. That's it!

Puurrrrfect for the chili weather.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR RETINOPATHY

Retinopathy is persistent or acute damage to the retina  of the eye . On going inflammation and vascular remodeling may occur over periods of time where the patient is not fully aware of the extent of the disease. Frequently, retinopathy is anocular manifestation of systemic diseases as seen in diabetes and hypertension. Diabetic retinopathy  is the leading cause of blindness in working-aged people.

Causes---Causes of retinopathy include but are not limited to:

Diabetes mellitus, which causes diabetic retinopathy

Arterial hypertension, which causes hypertensive retinopathy .

Retinopathy of prematurity due to prematurity of the newborn (under the 9 months of human pregnancy).

Radiation retinopathy due to exposure to ionizing radiation.

Solar retinopathy due to direct sunlight exposure.

Sickle cell disease

Retinal vascular disease such as retinal vein or artery occlusion.

Trauma, especially to the head, and several diseases may causePurtscher’s retinopathy 

Hyperviscosity-related retinopathy as seen in disorders which cause paraproteinemia

Many types of retinopathy are proliferative, most often resulting from neovascularization  or blood vessel overgrowth. Angiogenesis  is the hallmark precursor that may result in  blindness or severe vision loss, particularly if the macula  becomes affected.

Retinopathy may more rarely be due to ciliopathic genetic disorders such as Alstrom syndrome or Bardet – Biedl syndrome 

Retinopathy is diagnosed by an opthalmologist   during eye examination. Treatment depends on the cause of the disease.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

APIS MEL 30-Recent cases. Swelling of the lids and general dropsical conditions. Stinging pain through the eye. Oedematous swelling of the lids. Detachment of retina.

AGARICUS MUS 30-Atrophy of optic nerve

ARNICA MONTANA 30-Retinal haemorrhage

ARSENICUM ALB 30- Retinitis with restlessness especially after midnight. Thirst for small quantities of water. Urine scanty and albuminous

AURUM MET 1M – Upper half of  objects invisible. Retinitis with opacities. Pain and soreness in the head and around the eyes. Detachment of retina

BELLADONNA 30-Congestive headache with apoplexy of the retina. Optic neuritis with inflammation. Photophobia

BRYONIA ALBA 30-Severe inflammation of the retina. A bluish haze before the vision and severe sharp pain through the eye and over it. Worse from motion.

CONIUM MACUALTUM  200-Severe pain deep in the eye. Retina oversensitive to light.

CROTALUS HOR 30- Absorbs rapidly extravasation of blood in the retina. Inflammation of retina

DUBOISIA 30-Hyperamia of retina with with weakness of accommodation. Retinitis with blood vessels full and tortuous . Pin over eye , between it and eyebrow

GELSEMIUM 30-Inflmmtion of retina. Dimness of vision appears suddenly . Detachment of retina due to injury or myopia

KALI IODIDE 30- Due to syphilis. Oedema around the eye

LACHESIS 200- Haemorrhages in to the retina with inflammation. Reabsorption of effused blood

MERC COR 30- Retinitis with renal diseases .Sensitiveness to the glare of a fire . Extravasation of blood from the weakened vessels

NAPHTHALIN 30- Detachment of retina. White patches on retina of oxalate sulphate and carbonate of calcium . Exudation in the retina, choroid and ciliary body

PHOSPHORUS 30-Eyes are sensitive to light . Halo around the light. Inflammation of retina. Craving for cold drinks

PLUMBUM MET 200- Inflammation of retina with renal diseases

PULSATILLA NIG 30- Hyperaemia and inflammation of optic nerve . Severe pain in head , better in open air

RUTA GRAVEOLENS 30- Disturbances of accommodation. Dim vision

SANTONINE 3-Retinal hyperaemia from over strain

SPINACH EXTRACT DECREASES CRAVINGS AIDS WEIGHT LOSS

A spinach extract containing green leaf membranes called thylakoids decreases hedonic hunger with up to 95% -- and increases weight loss with 43%. This has been shown in a recently published long-term human study at Lund University in Sweden.

Hedonic hunger is another term for the cravings many people experience for unhealthy foods such as sweets or fast food, a common cause of obesity and unhealthy eating habits. The study shows that taking thylakoids reinforces the body's production of satiety hormones and suppresses hedonic hunger, which leads to better appetite control, healthier eating habits and increased weight loss.

"Our analyses show that having a drink containing thylakoids before breakfast reduces cravings and keeps you feeling more satisfied all day," says Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson, Professor of Medicine and Physiological Chemistry at Lund University.

The study involved 38 overweight women and ran for three months. Every morning before breakfast the participants had a green drink. Half of the women were given 5 grams of spinach extract and the other half, the control group, were given a placebo. The participants did not know which group they belonged to -- the only instructions they received were to eat a balanced diet including three meals a day and not to go on any other diet.

"In the study, the control group lost an average of 3.5 kg while the group that was given thylakoids lost 5 kg. The thylakoid group also found that it was easier to stick to three meals a day -- and they did not experience any cravings," said Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson.

The key is the feeling of satiety and suppression of hedonic hunger, vs homeostatic hunger that deals with our basic energy needs. Modern processed food is broken down so quickly that the hormones in the intestines that send satiety signals to the brain and suppress cravings cannot keep up. The green leaf membranes slow down the digestion process, giving the intestinal hormones time to be released and communicate to the brain that we are satisfied.

"It is about making use of the time it takes to digest our food. There is nothing wrong with our digestive system, but it doesn't work well with the modern 'pre-chewed' food. The thylakoids extend digestion, producing a feeling of satiety. This means that we are able to stick to the diet we are meant for without snacks and unnecessary foods like sweets, crisps and such," says Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson.

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Tests and Diagnosis of sciatica

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

Tenderness
• Mid reason for line joining the PSIS & Ischial tuberosity.
• Half way between your GT & Ischial tuberosity
• Along the back of thigh

Nerve stretch tests
• Used to detect nerve root irritation, usually as a result of prolapsed lumbar disc

Straight Leg Raising
• Lie the individual on their back with knee extended
• Elevate the lower limb (Normal 80-90degrees of flexion isusually possible)
• Repeat and match up against other leg
• A positive test would show pain within the sciatic nerve between 60-70 degrees flexion
• (Felt in the posterior surface of the buttocks towards the foot)
• Sensitivity of 91%
• Specificity of 26%

Lasègue’s test
• •Lasègue’s test is performed whenthe leg is elevate using the knee relaxed
• Flexion from the knee
• would hence stretch
• the Sciatic nerve and
• if pain exists,
• Sciatica may be present

Bragard test
• Pain is gone through by dorsi flexing the foot
• Sensitivity of 91%
• Specificity of 26%

Cross Leg Raising
• Cross leg raising happens when the lifting from the healthy leg while using SLR method is painful in the affected leg.
• Sensitivity of 33%
• Specificity of 98%

• Patients which have a disc prolapse and nerve root irritation will probably have a positive SLR but so might be a significant number of patients who don’t have this problem
• However a positive crossed SLR test argues for any disc prolapse and nerve irritation

Others
• •Other physical examination findings for example muscle weakness, sensation and reflexes ought to be used in a neurological study of the bac

MOTOR EXAMINATION
•  Myotomes testing

SENSORY EXAMINATION
• Dermatomes testing

IMAGING TESTS

In case your pain lasts more than four weeks or is severely, or you have another serious condition for example cancer, you may have a number of imaging tests to assist identity why the sciatic nerve is compressed and also to rule out other causes for the symptoms.
These tests include:
• Spinal X-ray. Ordinary X-rays can't detect herniated disk problems or nerve damage. A spinal X-ray might help pinpoint the cause of sciatica.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This might be the most sensitive test for assessing sciatica. Instead of X-rays, MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your back. Most MRI machines are large, tube-shaped magnets. Throughout the test, you lie on the movable table within the MRI machine.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan. This test utilizes a narrow beam of radiation to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the body. When CT is used to image the spine, you might have a contrast dye injected to your spinal canal prior to the X-rays are taken - a process called a CT myelogram. The dye then circulates around your spinal-cord and spinal nerves, which appear white around the scan.

Can Osteopaths Improve Nerve Pain Symptoms

Today's post from health.clevelandclinic.org (see link below) is both helpful and should maybe carry a health warning to people with long-term neuropathy. We're all looking for ways of reducing the symptoms without resorting to bucketloads of pills but whether, as suggested here, an osteopath is the answer, is an important question. Typically, osteopaths treat joint and muscular pain but more and more nerve pain patients find their way to the osteopath, having unsuccessfully tried just about everything else. As the article suggests; both acupuncture and massage are genuine ways of relieving  inflammatory pain with out medications. Similarly, diet and exercise are important components of treating nerve pain and possibly most importantly, most neuropathy patients are begging for doctors to treat them holistically (looking at the whole body and history of the patient before treatment). However, purely because of an osteopath's specialisation and concentration on muscles and joints, that may not be the best way forward for people with nerve damage - in fact it may make matters worse. Many doctors are dismissive of osteopaths and rightly or wrongly, you should still consult them as to whether visiting an osteopath will help you or not. Try to get your doctor to explain to you why they are anti osteopath if that's the case and armed with that information, you may be able to make a better decision for your own body.

You Can Manage Your Pain Without Medications
Contributor: William Welches, DO, PhD 

 Diet, exercise and gentle ‘manual medicine’ can help 

Too often, we treat pain with medications. Unfortunately, many pain medications have bad side effects. They also can be addictive. As a pain management physician, I encourage patients struggling with pain to consider all of their alternatives before resigning themselves to long-term medication use.

Many of my patients are able to achieve significant relief of pain throughout their body (back, neck, shoulder, knees, chest and more) with osteopathic manipulation therapy (OMT) and acupuncture. Both are in-office procedures and typically are gentle.

In OMT, the physician uses his or her hands to manipulate patients’ bodies into proper alignment as a way to ease pain. Such “manual medicine” is the hallmark of osteopathic physicians.

OMT generally is covered by insurance. Acupuncture, the strategic placement of very thin needles to stimulate nerves and relieve pain, is not always covered.
 
Diet and exercise

Osteopathic physicians are trained to be holistic in their approach to patients. They try to treat the whole patient, not just one part of the body. As part of my holistic approach to pain, I strongly encourage my patients to improve their diet and exercise. These two acts alone can achieve positive results without medication.

I often suggest an anti-inflammatory diet. This can be a big change from the typical American diet. An anti-inflammatory diet involves eating a lot of vegetables (corn and potatoes don’t count) and fish. The diet includes some fruit and limited amounts of dairy and whole grains and very little red meat, flour or sugar. It is 80 percent to 90 percent vegan.

Following it is a challenge, but it is well worth it. Some patients start to feel much better in as little as two weeks. They have substantial pain relief. They also see lower blood pressure and lower lipid, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. All this without bad side effects.

With these approaches, I have seen patients overcome disabling pain and resume an active life without medications. If you think you might benefit from these steps, consider seeking a referral to a physician who specializes in a holistic approach to pain management.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/09/you-can-manage-your-pain-without-medications/

Muscle cramps

Anything in excess (including love & democracy) will lead to trouble. This is true of muscular contractions too. The muscle usually remains in a partially contracted state to support and give solid appearance to the body. When it gets excessively squeezed or strained or gets deprived of oxygen or nutrients, severe muscular contractions may follow, leading to cramps.
All skeletal muscles work voluntarily under our will, but cramps are involuntary, painful, spasmodic contractions or increased muscle reflex in these skeletal muscles. It may occur during an attempt to move or act quickly or continuing vigorous act without any break or sometimes even at rest or sleep. Children unknowingly jiggle their hands often while writing to get rid of this cramp. Players used to warm up before their game to avoid cramps. Cramp may involve single muscle or a group of muscles. It can also occur in smooth muscles i.e. intestines, in that case it will be called colicky pain rather than a cramp.
Reason for cramp nature of muscle – Cramp pain is the factor which warns us about strain or stretch of the muscle. It also denotes that the affected muscle is out of reach with oxygen or it is loaded with waste products i.e. lactic acid or pyruvic acid. Cramps can also be considered as anti-tear phenomena.
Incidences – Everyone would have experienced cramp in some part of the body muscle at one time or the other. Most commonly, it is experienced in the calf muscle, thigh, hip, hand, neck, etc. Even though it can occur in anyone, it is most commonly experienced by children, players, females, pregnant women and the elderly, when they strain. Also, its incidences seem to be higher, particularly at night, after strained day work or activity.
Causes – In most cases, the cause for cramps cannot been identified. Also muscle cramps have a variety of causative factors, i.e., it may be due to Physiological
Fatigue of Muscle caused by

• Low nutrition – vitamins or mineral deficiency
• Strain or strenuous exertion or exercises or games (especially football, tennis, etc.) – here overloading of waste products also accounts for fatigue and muscle cramp
• Sitting idle for a long time in improper posture where blood vessels get compressed. Here muscle gets low oxygen with reduced blood supply in case of compression of blood vessels.
• Dehydration from diarrhoea, fever or any other diseases or even with overdose of diuretics
• Exposure to extremes of temperature
• High altitudes where there is low oxygen supply

Pregnancy – Here the uterus compresses adjacent blood vessels during first and last trimester of pregnancy where a major part of the pelvis room will be occupied by the enlarging uterus (in first trimester) or descending foetus (third trimester)Excessive sexual activity – Here major part of blood will be naturally deviated to reproductive organs to deprive legs from oxygenated blood.
Pathological

• Nervous disorders
• Muscular disorders
• Vascular disorders
• Hormonal disorders especially of thyroid and diabetes
• Auto immune disorders

Habits of

• Excessive intake of coffee
• Excessive intake of drinks
• Excessive smoking

Symptoms – There will be two main symptoms i.e. pain and contracture (sustained contraction) of the muscles. In addition, weakness and fear of pain will be there for some more time even after complete disappearance of the cramp. It may come in flashes and go in flashes within seconds. Sometimes, it may be present violently up to 10-15 minutes. It also varies in intensity according the nature of muscles, its nutrition, training and straining, i.e. slightest or painless eye twitch to aggressive painful contracture.
Diagnosis – Most of time, there won’t be any requirement for investigation. But, if cramps recur often, then it is better to evaluate the complaint with the following tests, i.e.
Plain X-ray
Blood test – Tc, Dc, Esr, haemoglobin level, sugar, cholesterol, urea, serum calcium, serum potassium, serum magnesium, etc. In children, if one is not sure about the pain to which it is related i.e. either bone or muscles, then it is better to evaluate ASO titre also to rule out rheumatic fever.
Hormones test – thyroid hormones, i.e. T3, T4, TSH
Urine – sugar, albumin and deposits
Finally, if required, one should evaluate with nerve conduction test to rule out nervous disorders, Electromyography to rule out muscular disorders and whole body MRI scan to rule out any other pathology.
Complication – Mostly, there won’t be any complication at all. But recurrent cramps at night may make sufferer sleepless and depressed. Cramps neither remain a serious illness nor let the person free from the fear of having it again. It may also become a hurdle to undertake /do hard work.
Prevention
Take

• Plenty of water with glucose or juices
• Plenty of vegetables, nuts and dry fruits
• A break when you happen to walk/ work / travel continuously
• Rest with legs elevated if there is any swelling or oedema
• Treatment for vascular disorders or varicose veins, if any

Do

• Go for a walk before going to bed
• Jog or shake the part involved to get quick circulation
• Warm up of muscles before straining them
• Stretch or massage the muscles involved
• Regular exercise (mainly stretching type)
• Keep legs warm by covering it with blanket while sleeping
• Wear socks / shoes / stockings in cold climate

Avoid

• Unnecessary medications
• Standing in water or walking or swimming for a prolonged time
• Tight under garments and tight-fitting socks and shoes
• Smoking, drinking and drugs

General treatment – As everyone knows, cramps never complicates, so no one goes for treatment: they just shake away or kick away or massage the part, i.e. most of the time, treatment is neglected. However, if it happens to recur often and upsets normal activities, treatment should be sought. Also, with treatment, only in the case of severe pain, pain-killers are prescribed after ruling out other diseases. Most of the time, supplements (vitamins and minerals) are prescribed with analgesic ointments to ease the pain.
Homeopathic approach – People treat cramps in their own way i.e. some with application of warmth, some with external oil, some with external pain balms or analgesics and some even apply turpentine / kerosene / camphor oil, etc. to sooth / ease the muscle cramp and pain. These measures will not relieve the cramps wholly as such, but just mask the suffering for the time being like a pain-killer, i.e. everything needs to be repeated as routine schedule whenever it arises. This is common to all external therapy with respect to cramps. Also using them continuously or often will make it to become useless in the near future.
Repeated abnormal contraction i.e. cramps, can be rooted out easily with internal Homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy medicines increase blood supply to the muscles, increase stamina and the withstanding capacity of the muscles to tolerate any strain. Instead, just providing a pain-killer for the cramp will help only for that day. Homeopathy can ease discomfort and pain of the cramps amazingly without any recurrences by clearing all possible causes.
Homeopathic medicines commonly used in case of cramps are Acid Benz, Actea racemosa, Arg met, Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Calc carb, Calc phos, Causticum, Colocynth, Cuprum met, Ferrum met, Ferrum picricum, Gelsemium, Kali phos, Kalmia, Lachesis, Ledum, Lycopodium, Mag phos, Nat phos, Petroleum, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, Secale cor, Zinc met, Zinc phos, etc. These Medicines should be taken under the advice and diagnosis of a qualified Homeopath.

for new hope

Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)

Laxmi Homeo Clinic

24 E. New Mahalipatti Road

Madurai, TN 625 001

India

Tel:  +91-452-233-8833 | +91-984-319-1011 (Mob)

Fax: +91-452-233-0196

E-mail:  drcheena@yahoo.com

www.drcheena.com / www.drcheena.in

(Disclaimer: The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)

Finding Possible Neuropathy Treatments By Examining The Spinal Cord

Today's post from sites.utoronto.ca (see link below) is a complex one for the lay reader but maybe you should give it a go anyway, even if you don't understand everything it says. The point is that it gives us as patients, an insight into how scientists are looking into our problems and trying to come up with solutions. It's like peeking through the keyhole and learning something new about what may be coming in the future, something which in itself can make us feel better about our condition because at least we know something is being done! Basically, the scientists here placed electrodes on the spinal cord at different places and measured the electronic activity of the nerve cells simultaneously. In this way they were able to identify where things were breaking down and could block nerve signals if they were causing pain. It's much more complex than this simplistic explanation of course but the potential for future treatments at source, using this sort of intervention, is enormous. Remember as long as you get a vague picture in your mind of what's going on, you're increasing your understanding of neuropathy at the same time.

Different Mechanisms of Spinal Cord Neuron Disinhibition in Neuropathic Pain Models Require Different Therapeutic Interventions
Posted on 18-09-2015 
 
Exciting new research from Dr. Steven Prescott’s lab is working to bridge the gap between basic research on neuropathic pain etiology to possible clinical interventions to treat neuropathic pain. Dr. Steven Prescott is a UTCSP member and scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children. In this paper, lead author Dr. Kwan Lee uses a unique method to measure intact spinal cord neurons from alive, anaesthetized animals, overcoming disadvantages of ex-vivo methodologies. To do this, Dr. Lee placed an array of 16 recording electrodes into the superficial spinal cord, and was able to record the electrical activity of 16 neurons simultaneously.

Using this method, Dr. Lee found that two competing mechanisms of disinhibition (blockade of inhibition that yields net neuronal excitation) of these neurons yielded almost indistinguishable phenotypes, but were differentially sensitive to different pharmacological treatments. First, he blocked the potassium chloride co-transporter KCC2 using DIOA, which leads to a dysregulation of chloride in inhibitory neurons, and thus disinhibition. This resulted in allodynia in the animal, or an increase in response to a previously innocuous brush stimulus. Using the drug ACTZ, he was able to compensate for chloride dysregulation, and restore inhibition, bringing responses to brush stimulus back down to baseline.

Then, when Dr. Lee initiated disinhibition through blockade of GABAA receptors, again yielding increased neuronal responses to brush stimulus, ACTZ was not able to reduce these aberrant neuronal responses to previously innocuous brush stimuli. This indicates that two different forms of disinhibition that lead to the same measurable phenotype of neuropathic pain react differently to pharmacological interventions. This suggests that there should be a shift in the medical field to identifying biomarkers of neuropathic pain etiology or trying several potential treatments before selecting the specific therapeutic intervention for neuropathic pain patients, in order to best treat their symptoms.

To read this article, please visit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26186265

Reference: Lee, KY, Prescott, SA. Chloride dysregulation and inhibitory receptor blockade yield equivalent disinhibition of spinal neurons yet are differentially reversed by carbonic anhydrase blockade. Pain. July, 2015.

http://sites.utoronto.ca/pain/research/articles/684.html

Corydalis Yanhusuo Herbal Remedy For Neuropathic Pain

Today's post from news.uci.edu (see link below) talks about a compound derived from the Corydalis plant that is both effective against neuropathic pain and non-addictive. Everybody is looking for alternatives to opioids as nerve pain analgesics and as such, there has been more investigation into Chinese medicine, where herbal drugs such as Corydalis have been used for a great deal of time. As far as the West is concerned, they are accepting the analgesic qualities but looking for a more 'refined' and scientifically acceptable way of presenting the compound. In the meantime, the herb is available in health shops. However, many health shop preparations are not fully tested and the customer takes a risk if they use them. Maybe it's a question of doing as much research as possible and trying it out for yourself, for a reasonable but relatively short period of time but again...let the buyer beware.

Chinese herbal compound relieves inflammatory and neuropathic pain
 Irvine, Calif., Jan. 2, 2014 
 
UCI study also shows novel analgesic to be nonaddictive

— A compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been found effective at alleviating pain, pointing the way to a new nonaddictive analgesic for acute inflammatory and nerve pain, according to UC Irvine pharmacology researchers.

Working with Chinese scientists, Olivier Civelli and his UC Irvine colleagues isolated a compound called dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) from the roots of the Corydalis yanhusuo plant. In tests on rodents, DHCB proved to diminish both inflammatory pain, which is associated with tissue damage and the infiltration of immune cells, and injury-induced neuropathic pain, which is caused by damage to the nervous system. This is important because there are no current adequate treatments for neuropathic pain.

Moreover, the researchers found that DHCB did not generate the tolerance seen with continued use of most conventional pain relievers, such as morphine.

“Today the pharmaceutical industry struggles to find new drugs. Yet for centuries people have used herbal remedies to address myriad health conditions, including pain. Our objective was to identify compounds in these herbal remedies that may help us discover new ways to treat health problems,” said Civelli, the Eric L. ; Lila D. Nelson Chair in Neuropharmacology. “We’re excited that this one shows promise as an effective pharmaceutical. It also shows a different way to understand the pain mechanism.”

Study results appear in the Jan. 20 issue of Current Biology.

They are the product of a collaboration between two teams separated by the Pacific Ocean. As traditional Chinese medicine gains greater acceptance in Western medical practice, Xinmiao Liang at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China and his group have been working to create an “herbalome” of all the compounds in plant extracts that display pharmacological properties. The UC Irvine team suggested applying “reverse pharmacology” – a novel drug discovery approach that Civelli devised about 25 years ago – to the herbalome project.

Together they screened 10 traditional Chinese medicines known as analgesics, testing nearly 500 compounds for their pain-relief abilities. Only DHCB in corydalis induced a reproducible effect.

Corydalis is a flowering herbal plant that grows in Siberia, Northern China and Japan. People utilize its root extract to alleviate menstrual cramps, chest pain and abdominal pain. It’s been previously studied for its analgesic properties, but this is the first time DHCB has been identified, extracted and tested.

Chronic neuropathic pain affects more than 50 million Americans, yet management of this pain remains a major clinical challenge due to the poor results and severe side effects of conventional analgesics. Civelli said that drawing upon traditional Chinese medical-herbal products could lead to a breakthrough treatment for these patients.

DHCB needs to be evaluated for any toxicity before it can be developed as a drug. It’s also possible that if the compound is chemically modified, a more potent pharmaceutical may be found. While DHCB is not currently available, it is part of the Corydalis yanhusuo root or extracts that can be purchased in health stores or online.

Yan Zhang, Lien Wang, Gregory Scott Parks, Kang-Wu Li, Mi Kyeong Kim, Benjamin Vo, Emiliana Borrelli, Zhiwei Wang, M. Julia Garcia-Fuster and Z. David Luo of UC Irvine;

Chaoran Wang, Xiuli Zhang, Zhimou Guo, Guangbo Ge and Ling Yang of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China; and Yanxiong Ke of the East China University of Science & Technology also contributed to the study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants MH60231 and DA024746), the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia & Depression (now the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation), the Tourette Syndrome Association, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National High-Tech Research & Development Program of China.

About the University of California, Irvine: Located in coastal Orange County, near a thriving employment hub in one of the nation’s safest cities, UC Irvine was founded in 1965. One of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, it’s ranked first among U.S. universities under 50 years old by the London-based Times Higher Education. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.3 billion annually to the local economy.

Media access: UC Irvine maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists/experts/. Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/chinese-herbal-compound-relieves-inflammatory-and-neuropathic-pain/

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart. Truly one of the most moving and vulnerable looking flowers in the whole plant Queendom.