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What’s the Best Mattress for Scoliosis?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:56:00 +0000

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis (from the Ancient Greek word for “bending”) is a medical condition that involves the curvature of the spine. Normal spines have an ‘S’ curve to them; the spines of those with scoliosis also have a curve from side to side.

Scoliosis can be genetic (as a result of vertebral abnormalities developed in utero), “idiopathic” (arising for no apparent reason), or related to another disorder such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy. (Typically, anything that has people staying in one position for extended periods of time or has a condition that hinders mobility increases the risk of scoliosis.) It can develop at any age, although many idiopathic cases of scoliosis develop in childhood and adolescence.

The repercussions from scoliosis are as varied as its manifestations — for milder curves, the condition can be largely asymptomatic. For the most brutally twisted spines, breathing and organ function can be so limited that early death results.

Sleep and scoliosis

Various scientific studies illustrate how important sleeping is to scoliosis. Rates of idiopathic scoliosis, for instance, rises when infants are made to sleep on their backs. In an attempt to prevent SIDS, children are instead put at significantly greater risk of spinal deformity! Moreover, studies of children who have been identified as being predisposed to worsening scoliosis have found that the curvature can be significantly reduced when children sleep in positions that provide gentle resistance to the scoliosis.

For this reason, scoliosis is typically first treated with exercise and postural changes for sleep and daytime activities. If the curve of the spine grows, doctors tend to employ more invasive strategies — typically back braces and, if the curvature continues to worsen, surgery. Spinal fusion, the typical surgical invention, involves straightening the spine and then inserting steel rods on either side in order to keep it straight.

What we care about however: good sleep positioning is an important part of scoliosis treatment and management.

If you suffer from scoliosis, you probably already know this to be true! A bad mattress makes for bad sleep makes for a bad back the next day. Many cases of scoliosis can benefit from having superior sleep positioning. Your doctors and chiropractors can make (or maybe already has made) specific suggestions about how to position your body while sleeping to ensure that you’re not sleeping in pain, can breath well, and are helping your scoliosis.

So… what’s the best mattress for scoliosis?

Because scoliosis is so incredibly unique, it’s correspondingly difficult to make specific suggestions about which mattress will be best for you. Mattress preference is idiosyncratic at the best of times! But scoliosis is particularly resistant to blanket advice because the sufferers frequently find that their mattress preferences change considerably over time, particularly if they have surgery to correct their spines.

How to find the best mattress for scoliosis

That said, here are some broad suggestions:

1. Scoliosis forums frequently recommend memory foam mattresses over other types of mattresses. This is because of how effectively the mattress cradles the body, relieving pressure on the spine. We’re not saying it’ll necessarily be the case for you, but it’s something to think about.

2. As with everyone, however, it’s important to get the right combination of comfort and support in a mattress. For scoliosis sufferers, it’s particularly important, because of common complaint that if the upper layers of the mattress are too soft, it’s difficult for scoliosis sufferers to move out of the “cradle” the body creates in the memory foam. This is particularly an issue for those who have mobility issues.

3. Skip the mattress topper. You’ll get better benefits from a new mattress, assuming your current mattress is several years old. Older mattresses give you (and anyone) aches and pains because their “support” layers have worn out — adding a mattress topper adds “comfort” but doesn’t address the fact the mattress is not adequately supporting your spine in a neutral position.

4. Like back pain, seems that medium-firm is a commonly recommending mattress for scoliosis. But, just as for back pain, this is a one-size fits all solution.

5. Body size: if you’re heavier, you’ll benefit from a firmer mattress; if you’re lighter, a softer mattress. Obviously, particularly for scoliosis sufferers, it’s like the three bears: not too soft and not too firm.

6. Body type: Typically, those with a greater disparity between their hips and their waist, or their hips and shoulders, benefit from softer upper layers of the mattress. The logic extends to scoliosis: if your spine is not straight, then your body will benefit from having it supported more in the upper comfort layers of the mattress. Beneath this comfort layer, the support layer should be on the firmer side.

7. It may be obvious, but don’t forget that using extra pillows to support your body may help you sleep easy.

8. Experiment. When it comes to the best mattress for you, the first mattress you purchase may not be the last mattress you purchase. And it’s not always easy to pick the right mattress during the in-store test. Reputable mattress sellers always allow you to try out a mattress to see if it works for you during an at-home trial period.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info.
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau.
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau.

Things to Remember 22 Truths People with Scoliosis Wish Others Understood

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:53:00 +0000

An estimated six to nine million people in the United States live with scoliosis. The condition, which causes abnormal curving in the spine, is often overlooked and mistaken for common back pain. But if not treated early, scoliosis can cause lifelong pain, decreased mobility and, in more severe cases, decreased organ function.

The Mighty wanted to learn more about the often misunderstood condition, so we reached out to ScoliSMART, an organization dedicated to informing the public about scoliosis and the need to find better treatment. The group asked its readers on Facebook and its Scoliosis Warriors Discussion Group page to share one thing they wish others understood about scoliosis.

This is what we learned:

“People don’t realize just how much scoliosis affects daily life for those who live with it. No one sees it for what it is: a disability. There are times when I have to stop working or driving to calm my body and the spasms and I cry out in pain before I can continue.” — Jaclyn Christine
“I hate being told, ‘Stand up straight’ or ‘Don’t slouch.’ I can’t help it. It will progress for the worse with time. I also hate that my whole right side is different. I always feel so self conscious.” — Ella Clolèry
“Every day can be so different from the last. It’s not just the level of pain. It can occur in different parts of the back, legs, etc. day to day. It can prevent you from doing the most basic tasks, like putting socks on, washing your hair or simply trying to get comfortable. Also, making plans well in advance is not always an option due to not knowing on the day how one is going to be feeling. Most of all, I would like everyone to know what scoliosis is and how it can affect those with it in different ways depending on the degree.” — Paul Lyndon
“From a carer’s point of view, it’s so frustrating when there’s nothing you can do to help ease the pain of the person you’re caring for, apart from just being there for them. It’s about time scoliosis was better publicized in the mainstream media on a regular basis.” — Paul Lyndon
“It’s not just a crooked back for me; it’s one hip that sticks way out. I’m constantly worrying about how crooked I look in every piece of clothing I own. It’s having a stomach that sticks way out because my back curves in. It’s not being able to walk up or down hills straight because my legs are an uneven length. It’s about being so sore at the end of the day all I want to do is lie down… but I can’t even be comfortable doing that. But most people just think, ‘Oh, its just a little curved spine.’” — Tifani Nichols
“It affects me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” — Joanna Bullock
“The constant pain, the lack of ability to do certain activities, the emotional and psychological stress we endure on a daily basis. This isn’t something you can simply stretch out or ‘deal with.’” — Andrea Richardson
“No two people are identical in their scoliosis journeys.” — Amanda Elaine DuPage
“Bras don’t fit right, shirts don’t fit right, pictures where you have your back to the camera are to be deleted, burned and never see the light of day. Your life revolves around what feels comfortable (slouching and uneven shoulders) and what will benefit you in the long run (good posture). Finding a hairdresser who not only knows you have it but also knows you need those few extra seconds to ‘adjust’ in the mirror so you don’t wind up with an uneven cut because they’re using your shoulders as a guide. Your life just becomes this constant struggle of being even and aesthetically pleasing. Nobody wants to be ‘the girl with the humpback.’” — Chelsea Ellis
“It’s more than just a backache.” — Alanna Randall
“Something as simple as a sneeze or hitting a pothole can throw my entire back into a spasm or pop my ribs out of alignment. Activities with impact like running and aerobics are totally out of the question.” — Rachel VanRinsum
“I can’t stand up straight no matter how much I want to, because [my spine] isn’t straight. [It] has three curves.” — Julie Jones
“The pain isn’t caused by ‘sleeping on it wrong.’” — Susan Burkheimer
“When I outwardly express any pain, that means it’s already at the point that I can already hardly bear it.” — Hannah Hippensteel
“Scoliosis is more than not looking normal. I’m a mother of two. I try my hardest to do things regular moms do, but it’s hard. I get tired easy, my back starts hurting during the smallest activities, but still I push through the pain to do as much as I can. I’m not lazy. My house is dirty, but it’s because I don’t have the strength and stamina to get everything done at once.” — Amanda Blake
“No I don’t stick my butt out on purpose to get attention — my lower back has an exaggerated arch. Deal with it.” — Hattie Rose Pacheco
17. “It’s a physical condition, but the emotional toll can be so much worse. People may not notice your curve or rib hump, but just because they don’t see it doesn’t mean you aren’t thinking and worrying about it constantly. Scoliosis and depression can go hand in hand. It can just crush a young girl’s self-esteem. It’s not just about the physical condition.” — Lauren Higginson
“Scoliosis does not define me.” — Bridget Brandon Thompson
“We’re not just making excuses for not being able to do things.” — Alisha Marusa
“It doesn’t only change the way you look, it changes the way you feel about yourself.” — Sandra Marie Lacy
“To show my husband what it’s like to have scoliosis, I once took a plastic straw, stood it upright and tried to push straight down. It took some force to smash it. Now that straw has a crease in it, kind of like my back. When I tried standing it up again, it smashed much easier. That’s the additional force I have to contend with every day. It takes that much more energy for me to just stand up and do normal tasks. That doesn’t mean I’m broken and can’t do those things, but it just takes some extra work.” — Nicole Lynam
“Just because my hips don’t match on the same level and my back looks different from yours doesn’t mean I’m any less beautiful.” — Karen Ashley Stansbury

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr. Kevin Lau's Interview by Senatus Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:34:00 +0000

Scoliosis Expert Dr. Kevin Lau on Managing Spinal Well-Being

26 December 2014

With professional training from United States of America and Australia, combined with a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Kevin Lau advocates comprehensive natural solutions for treating scoliosis, promoting the merits of non-surgical treatment as the first resort.

He has been honored with the "Best Healthcare Provider Award"from the Straits Times.

His book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment is a best-seller on Amazon.com, and the series is rounded off with Your Natural Scoliosis Treatment Journal and Your Scoliosis Treatment Cookbook. For parents-to-be, there is also An Essential Guide for Scoliosis and a Healthy Pregnancy, a path-breaking and pioneering compilation of practical knowledge on how to handle conception and pregnancy in scoliosis.

Finally there is also The Complete Scoliosis Surgery Handbook for Patients, a wealth of information and a handy resource for those wanting to understand more about invasive procedures.

Under Dr. Lau's approach of Health in Your Hands, patients are encouraged, guided and advised to treat and prevent scoliosis through diet, exercise to improving daily living habits. Integrating technology into his healthcare practice, he also offers a comprehensive The Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD as well as ScolioTrack, a top-ranking app on iTunes and Google Play (under Android for Medical Apps) as well as Scoliometer, an app to keep track of spinal deformity and progress monitoring.

We speak to Dr. Lau as he launches his newest book, Your Scoliosis Treatment Cookbook, and find out about his unique methods and how his patients and readers come from far and wide through his innovative use of new media channels.

Describe scoliosis in layman’s terms for us, if you will…
In basic terms, scoliosis is the curvature of the spine, however it’s more than just a "sideways bend" of the spine.

There’s many ways people develop this condition such as congenital scoliosis - which people are born with, and there's idiopathic scoliosis - which people develop in their adolescence.

Does this second group of individuals develop scoliosis as a result of their lifestyles? Through exercise, sports, improper posture, etc?
By and large, the condition still has an unknown cause, and therein the "idiopathic" (i.e., unknown pathogenesis or apparently spontaneous origin). But there are clues to suggest that genes are involved as well as hormonal and growth factors.

And it kicks in during adolescence?
Yes, during the growth spurts. So one of the ideas I brought through in my very first book, was that nutrition plays an important part of this condition. It goes into the field of epigenetics, which is understanding that while people are genetically predisposed to certain conditions, it doesn't mean that it is a life sentence for them.

So the way they eat, and their lifestyles, can turn genes "on" and "off".

The conventional way of treating scoliosis these days is via bracing or surgery, which is just pushing the deformity.

Whereas I cover all the bases with my holistic approach, taking into consideration genes, hormones, diet, etc. I hope people who are going through those growth spurts, during those formative years, are supported with options and information.

But you do still prescribe bracing and surgery?
I still believe that there is a need for bracing, and a space for surgery.

By and large, this wait-and-see approach which is what a lot of people tend to adopt, is not a good solution. They can do something proactive about it.

And chiropractic treatment as well?
There's a very big misconception when it comes to scoliosis treatment that standard chiropractic adjustments can help... they don't help to improve scoliosis and even might make it worst due to joint instability. Scoliosis is such a complex condition to treat, that (chiropractic) manipulation wasn't getting the results I was expecting.

About 10% of the therapy I do for my scoliosis patients is chiropractic (related) the rest come from methods I studied from around the world which showed to positively impact scoliosis.

Tell us about how you got started on the books.
The initial purpose of my books was to teach and educate my own patients with scoliosis. There is a lot of information and misinformation on the Internet, but a lot of the times the information tends to be from many different sources and it's very hard to find reliable sources which people can trust. So the initial concept was to empower my scoliosis patients in understanding their own condition.

Oftentimes when people go to see a doctor, the doctors don't have enough time to explain what procedures and options there are available.

I wanted to give people both the information and tools so they can take care of themselves.

So it cuts both ways on the Internet...
There's definitely information overload on the Internet for most people. They get conflicted. They get confused. A lot of my patients before seeing me come very educated, but unfortunately most come with misinformation which come from secondary sources, from sites which aren't "research-based" or validated. While the Internet is fantastic and a great tool to have, it tends to confuse a lot of people these days.

Which of your books is the most popular so far?
My first book, Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment was a bestseller in its category on Amazon even to this day. It targets an audience base that was looking for something to do apart from bracing, or surgery, or waiting-and-seeing. The readers and patients wanted to explore what they could do themselves about their condition and ultimately help them feel more empowered.

And you have addressed the changing consumption of information with your books, available in digital formats, as well as releasing apps? Tell us more about these digital tools.
With these apps, patients can monitor their own conditions in between their scheduled yearly doctor's visits. There's ScolioTrack which help a person track their curvature visually and measurement. While Scoliometer App helps to measure scoliosis using the Adams test.

Both are available on iPhone and Android devices.

And you’re reaching even more people with your books, besides running a successful practice here in Singapore.
I do get a lot of emails from readers from around the world, who travel to Singapore for treatment with me personally. Others want me to fly over to see them because they can’t afford to come to Singapore which unfortunately I can't. Although I make sure I answer all emails and questions from my readers around the world.

The most random place where you’ve received emails from?
A small city in South Africa which I didn't even know my book was available in.

And your books are published in different languages?
9 languages: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Italian, German, Spanish, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean.

What takes us most of your time on a daily professional basis, besides writing the books?
I'm taking care of my clients in Singapore for the majority of the time. I do get a lot of overseas clients coming in.

It's still early in the process but I've been working with an American educator/professor to formulate an accredited course so that I can teach others how to do the methods I'm doing.

At least with this, people around the world can go to someone they can trust locally and I can trust.

So were you always interested in cooking and hence the latest book?
I've always been fascinated about nutrition and how the body works. It’s about going back to basics, not just taking supplements to get healthy.

And I've always been passionate about food.

I took inspiration from chefs and nutritionists and customised the recipes based on Paleo Typing. I believe everyone has a particular genetic predisposition on what sorts of food they need to eat; some are more protein-based and high fat, whereas others are carbo-based and closer to vegetarians, and there are those in between.

It's understanding which foods help to switch the good genes “on” while turning the bad ones "off" which can predispose a person to conditions like scoliosis.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Epigenetics and Scoliosis: Stop Blaming Your Genes!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 16:21:00 +0000

Scoliosis has traditionally been believed to be a genetic condition that an individual is predisposed to before birth. According to this belief, if you have the misfortune of developing scoliosis, then it was written into your DNA and there is nothing you or any doctor can do about it.

However, the emerging field of epigenetics suggests that we are not solely a product of our heredity. Recent studies have shown the connection between genetic diseases like scoliosis, and environmental influences. It is now coming to light that we can directly affect the development of our genes through our lifestyle choices. For many people, this puts control of their heath back into their own hands. Epigenetics tells us that by making good choices about what we expose our body to, we can fight the genetic predispositions that seemed previously set in stone.

Traditional View of Scoliosis Treatment

Scoliosis effects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. While it has yet to be proven what causes the onset of the condition, certain genetic traits responsible for spinal development have been directly linked to the disease. Because these genes are identifiable in our DNA and can be passed to us by our parents, scoliosis is called a hereditary disease. Despite advances in modern medicine, there is still almost no viable treatment for scoliosis.

Degrees of Scoliosis

When considering treatment options, doctors look at the degree to which the spine is curved, and the likelihood of the condition to progress. If the vertebrae curvature is less than 25°, no treatment is perused. The patient is placed under careful observation, and examined every four to six months to see if the condition worsens. If the spine is curved more than 25° but less than 40°, a back brace is recommended for treatment. In severe cases, when the curve exceeds 45°, the only current option is back surgery.

Surgery for scoliosis entails fusing of vertebrae to correct the spinal curve. Rods may also be inserted to hold the back in place. None of these options are ideal. They are often minimally effective and painful.

Epigenetics' Findings

There is now scientific proof that we are not necessarily doomed by our DNA. Sometimes during cell division, something occurs that was not written into our genetic code. Epigenetics studies show traits can develop, not only from our body’s predisposition, but also in response to environmental influences. This is the opposite of what mainstream science has told us about how our bodies develop. Rather than simply forming according to the specific blueprint found in our genes, we can literally alter how our traits are expressed. Epigenetics has found that because our cells can respond to environmental stimulus, by introducing positive stimuli, we create positive changes. This includes our tendency to develop genetic diseases like scoliosis. Environmental influences include anything that we expose our body to. From diet and exercise, to thoughts and emotions, or even how much sunlight we get. These are aspects of our lives that we have control of. According to epigenetics, we can improve our own health by making better lifestyle decisions.

Social Control

With such ground breaking discoveries in science, how is it that the average person doesn't know what epigenetics is? It seems as though the powers that be don't want the word getting out. This is because it goes against everything that science and medicine previously believed about genetics. In the recent past, the field of genetics was believed to be the key that would unlock the secrets of the universe. Governments and Industries have put millions of dollars and man hours into researching the genetic makeup of anything you can think of.

The human genome project for example, was meant to predict precisely how a person would turn out just by looking at their DNA. Similar projects have examined all types of genes in hopes of identifying or potentially altering specific traits. If it can be shown which genes are responsible for certain positive or negative outcomes, than we can make an effort to dictate any desired result. This has been a long and very expensive pursuit. It had the potential to be a very profitable concept, but the findings of these genetic inquisitions have been less than impressive.

The ideas behind epigenetics give people hope that they can be the master of their own fate. However, this new school of thought threatens the current order of things. Governments and large industries stand to lose more than the money they invested and the profits they were hoping for. If people learn to heal themselves through changes in their lifestyle, they will be less reliant on traditional medicine and more concerned about the environmental influences around them.

Take Control of Your Health

You can begin taking control of your own health today. Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle help determine your genetic expression. Our bodies have the ability to turn genes on and off. By engaging in positive behaviors, like eating right, exercising, avoiding stress, and getting enough sleep, we are encouraging our bodies to express positive traits. We can train our bodies to create healthy cells that can develop normally and fight disease. In the case of scoliosis, this means that even if you are genetically predisposed to developing the condition, that doesn't mean that you will. Your body can choose to turn off the genes that cause the onset of scoliosis. By living a healthier lifestyle, you are helping your body to remember its proper function at a cellular level. This can lead to the prevention of any number of diseases including scoliosis.

Choices

Everyday we make choices about what we put into our bodies. Epigenetics is teaching us that these choices are more important than many of us think. This becomes especially important when facing a health challenge such as scoliosis. If you are suffering from the condition, there is a resource available which provides “Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment”. This book provides a completely natural, safe, tried and tested exercise program, for treating scoliosis. To help with your natural treatment you can also purchase supplemental materials including “Your Scoliosis Treatment Cookbook” to learn helpful recipes, “Your Natural Scoliosis Treatment Journal” to track your progress and the Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD to demonstrate exercises you can implement.

Recent studies have shown you have the power to change the way genetic traits are expressed, now with a change of priorities and some guidance, you can take control of your health.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Do experienced surgeons have better outcomes with scoliosis surgery? 5 findings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 11:17:00 +0000

An article recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery examined whether surgeon experience had an impact on outcomes for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis correction.

The researchers examined posterior-only surgical procedures for AIS from 2007 to 2008 and followed patients for a minimum of two years. There were nine surgeons in the study total — four who had less than five years of experience and five surgeons who had five or more years of experience. Around 165 patients were included in the study.

The researchers found:

1. Less experienced surgeons fused an average of 1.2 levels more than the more experienced surgeons.

2. Patients in the less experienced surgeons' group reported more than twice as much estimated blood loss as the experienced group. Patients in the young surgeons' group reported 2,042 mL of estimated blood loss, compared to 1,013 mL for the experienced surgeons' group.

3. Surgical time was 458 minutes for the less experienced surgeons and 265 minutes for the more experienced surgeons.

4. Overall SRS-22 scores were significantly worse in the less experienced surgeons' group than the more experienced surgeons' group. The average score was 4.1 for the less experienced group, compared with 4.5 for the more experienced group.

5. Pain, self-image and function had significant differences between both groups. However, complication rates were relatively the same between the less and more experienced surgeons.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Unexplained Post-Op Pain in Adolescent Scoliosis Cases

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 01:58:00 +0000

Unexplained pain after the six-month postoperative period occurs in 7% of patients undergoing surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of Spine.

Tracey P. Bastrom, from Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, and colleagues reviewed data from a prospective registry to identify AIS surgical patients with minimum two-year follow-up and two-year Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) scores. Results from the SRS-22 outcomes questionnaire were compared for patients reporting pain or not to the surgeon/clinical team postoperatively.

The researchers found that, of the 584 eligible patients, 11% reported pain at sometime between two weeks and two years postoperatively. Of the 48 patients reporting pain between six and 24 months postoperatively, 41 (7% of the total cohort) had no obvious cause for their pain. They also had significantly decreased two-year SRS scores in the domains of Pain, Self-Image, Mental Health, and Total score despite referral for physical therapy, a pain specialist, or further imaging in 26 of the 41 cases. There was significantly greater pain preoperatively in the patients with postoperative pain, so for this group the pre- to postoperative SRS pain scores did not significantly change.

"Study into causes of pain in AIS and whether preoperative education and expectations targeted at this population would positively impact outcomes is warranted, especially because, on average, patients after AIS surgery have less pain," the authors write.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info.
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau.
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau.

Researchers Find Online Scoliosis Info Is Poor Quality

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 01:15:00 +0000

The quality of web-based information on scoliosis is poor, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of Spine.

FRIDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The quality of web-based information on scoliosis is poor, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of Spine.

Shaun Wellburn, from Teesside University in Middlesbrough, U.K., and colleagues evaluated seven websites for scoliosis-related content. Three reviewers used DISCERN, a validated information assessment tool, to evaluate the sites. Websites were also assessed for quality assurance certification with the Health On the Net code.

The researchers observed significant correlations with the DISCERN scores between reviewers 1 and 2 and reviewers 2 and 3. Forty-nine was the highest mean cumulative score for all items achieved by any of the evaluated websites (range, 15 to 80). The Health On the Net code was displayed by only one site.

"Health care professionals should be aware of the content of websites that they recommend to patients," the authors write. "Websites should be maintained such that content is up to date, evidence-based, impartial, and written in plain language."

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info.
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau.
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau.

Starving Cancer to Death by Removing one Food: Refined Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 03:38:00 +0000

While all of our cells need glucose (a form of sugar which is turned into energy), cancer thrives on a body full of simple carbohydrates (which become sugar in the body) and refined sugars that come from processed foods and overly sweet goodies. If you or someone you know is suffering from cancer, one of the best things they can do is take away the disease’s favorite food – sugar.

Sugar – Cancer’s Fuel
Dr. Otto Wartburg and other health experts have been talking about how cancer loves sugar since the 1920s, but surprisingly many doctors don’t tell their cancer patients that as long as they continue to eat processed foods full of the stuff, they will likely have a more difficult time fighting this disease.

The German physiologist, leading biochemist, medical doctor, and Nobel laureate was convinced that you could starve cancer right out of the body. While it may not always be that easy, this is something that could significantly change the game.

His theory was that malignant cells and tumor growth was caused by cells that generated energy via adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through a nonoxidative breakdown of glucose (sugar). The recycling of the metabolite from this process called glycolysis and the circulation of adhA back into the body caused anaerobic respiration. This is the reverse of what happens with healthy cells. Healthy, non-cancerous cells generate energy for the body to use through the oxidative breakdown of pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, which leads to oxidized mitochondria. He therefore concluded that cancer was really a mitochondrial dysfunction. The normal process of respiration of oxygen in the body is changed to the fermentation of sugar. If you remove the sugar, the body should not develop cancer.

The connection between sugar and cancer development is certainly not new.

Most people can easily remove the obvious culprits that are full of refined sugar – cakes, candies, cookies, etc. The problem is that many foods which are packaged and sold in the US and in other countries are full of refined sugar, but just very sneakily hidden in the packaging labels. Things like ‘healthy’ yogurt, cereals, whole wheat or whole grain breads, and even ‘low-calorie’ items can be full of sugar.

The easiest way to eliminate unwanted refined sugars is to stop buying ‘convenience’ or pre-packaged foods, and at least temporarily, don’t eat out at restaurants – many dining establishments source their food from big companies that ‘season’ their food with lots of sugar and salt to make it more palatable after being frozen and shipped across the country in trucks. Even salad dressings can be loaded with sugar. To deal with cravings for sugary foods, increase your plant-based and healthy animal based proteins (no red meat) and eat more nutrition-packed foods.
By: Christina Sarich

About Dr Kevin Lau

Scientists Finally Discover The Function of the Human Appendix

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 05:57:00 +0000

It has long been regarded as a potentially troublesome, redundant organ, but American researchers say they have discovered the true function of the appendix.

The researchers say it acts as a safe house for good bacteria, which can be used to effectively reboot the gut following a bout of dysentery or cholera.

The conventional wisdom is that the small pouch protruding from the first part of the large intestine is redundant and many people have their appendix removed and appear none the worse for it.

Scientists from the Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina say following a severe bout of cholera or dysentery, which can purge the gut of bacteria essential for digestion, the reserve good bacteria emerge from the appendix to take up the role.

But Professor Bill Parker says the finding does not mean we should cling onto our appendices at all costs.

“It’s very important for people to understand that if their appendix gets inflamed, just because it has a function it does not mean they should try to keep it in,” he said.

“So it’s sort of a fun thing that we’ve found, but we don’t want it to cause any harm, we don’t want people to say, “oh, my appendix has a function”, so I’m not going to go to the doctor, I’m going to try to hang onto it.”

Attractive theory

Nicholas Vardaxis, an associate professor in the Department of Medical Sciences at RMIT University, says the theory put forward by the Duke University scientists makes sense.

“As an idea it’s an attractive one, that perhaps it would be a nice place for these little bacteria to localise in, a little cul-de-sac away from everything else,” he said.

“The thing is that if we observe what’s been happening through evolution, the higher on the evolutionary scale we are and the more omnivorous animals become, then the smaller and less important the appendix becomes and humans are a good example of that.

“The actual normal flora bacteria within the appendix, as well within our gut, are the same, so we’ve lost all of those specialised bacteria.

“So it doesn’t have that safe house type of function anymore, I don’t think.

“It’s a vestige of something that was there in previous incarnations, if you like.”

Koala appendix

Unlike the human, the koala is famous for having a very long appendix.

It is thought to aid digestion on a diet made up exclusively of eucalyptus leaves.

Professor Vardaxis says that is not likely to change any time soon.

“Unless of course we have a massive blight and we get the eucalypt on which the koala thrives dying, then we may find some mutant koalas out there perhaps that will start eating other things, and as they start to eat other things, then over generations and hundreds of thousands of years of time, then surely, yes, the koala’s appendix will shrink as well,” he said.

Professor Vardaxis says it is possible that at that point, koalas might be afflicted by appendicitis and have to have it taken out at times.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Deficient vitamin D levels result in early aging of bone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 09:31:00 +0000

Friday, July 12, 2013. In an article published online on July 10, 2013 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers from University Medical Center in Hamburg, Germany and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report a link between deficient levels of vitamin D and premature aging of the bone. The vitamin is needed for the absorption of calcium by bony tissue, as well as playing a role in many other processes.

Björn Busse and his associates compared bone obtained from 15 normal individuals and 15 men and women with deficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels of less than 20 ng/mL and bone surface osteoidosis indicating the transition to osteomalacia. "The hallmark of osteomalacia is an excessive amount of unmineralized collagen matrix," Dr Busse and his colleagues explain. "The cause of this pathological accumulation of osteoid is difficult to determine and may result from a combination of an increased rate of bone formation, low serum calcium and phosphorus, and/or direct effects of the excess osteoid on osseous cells accompanied by changes in the bone matrix, either in the collagen or in the ground substance. As a consequence of the marked reduction in mineralized bone mass and increased amounts of osteoid, vitamin D–deficient bone represents a complex composite structure that is highly susceptible to fracture."

Bone quality was analyzed on a scale ranging from nanometers to micrometers via the use of micro computed tomography. The researchers found that the increase in osteoid-covered surfaces in bone derived from deficient subjects impaired the remodeling of mineralized bone tissue underneath due to isolation from osteoclasts. These areas of bone continued to age and mineralize, exhibiting the structure of older bone tissue, which is more brittle than young bone. Further testing revealed that being deficient in vitamin D increased the initiation of cracks by 31% and their growth by 22%.

"The assumption has been that the main problem with vitamin D deficiency is reduced mineralization for the creation of new bone mass, but we've shown that low levels of vitamin D also induces premature aging of existing bone," stated coauthor Robert Ritchie of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Materials Sciences Division.

"Our study expands the current clinical understanding of the pathophysiology of vitamin D deficiency and helps explain why well-balanced vitamin D levels are essential to maintain bone's structural integrity," the authors conclude.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Beyond Calcium and Vitamin D—How to Really Build Strong Bones

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:05:00 +0000

By Dr. Mercola

One of the important strategies for healthy bones is to eat the right kind of foods. A diet full of processed foods will produce biochemical and metabolic conditions in your body that will decrease your bone density, so avoiding processed foods is definitely the first step in the right direction.

Eating high-quality, organic, biodynamic, locally-grown food will naturally increase your bone density and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis. Along with your foods, your omega-3 fat content also has a major role in building healthy bone. I recommend krill oil, as I believe it’s a superior source of omega-3s.

Other nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and K2, and magnesium, are also critical for strong bones—as is exercise, especially weight-bearing exercises.

Recent research presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco suggests that the timing of calcium and vitamin D supplementation may actually influence how your bones adapt to exercise, and help decrease exercise-induced calcium loss.

As reported by Medical News Today:1

"The timing of calcium supplementation, and not just the amount of supplementation, may be an important factor in how your skeleton adapts to exercise training... Previous research has shown that a year of intense training is associated with substantial decreases in bone mineral density...

Experts believe that this kind of exercise-induced bone loss could be related to the loss of calcium during exercise. As blood calcium levels drop, the parathyroid gland produces excess parathyroid hormone, which can mobilize calcium from your skeleton."

How Bone Adapts to Exercise May Be Affected by Timing of Supplementation

The featured research study indicated that taking calcium prior to hitting the gym may help keep your blood levels of calcium more stable, compared to taking calcium after your workout. However, the study did not assess the long-term effects this might have on your bone density, and this, of course, is of utmost importance for anyone interested in building healthy bones.

According to the featured article:

“[E]xercise-induced decrease in blood calcium occurred whether calcium supplements were taken before or after exercising. Pre-exercise supplementation, however, resulted in less of a decrease.

Although not statistically significant, parathyroid hormone levels increased slightly less among cyclists who took calcium before exercising... The timing of calcium supplementation did not cause a difference in blood levels of a compound that is a biological indicator of bone loss. Both the before- and after-exercise groups exhibited 50 percent increases in the level of this compound, called CTX...”

The Critical Role of Vitamin K2 for Bone Health

There’s plenty of controversy on the issue of using calcium supplementation to ensure strong healthy bones. It’s important to realize that calcium works synergistically with vitamins D and K2, so taking calcium supplements alone may actually end up doing more harm than good. Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue has authored a comprehensive book on this topic titled: Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life.

Dr. Robert Thompson M.D. also addressed this important issue in his book, The Calcium Lie. One of the tenets of his book is that bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals, and if you focus exclusively on calcium supplementation you are likely going to worsen your bone density.

Additionally you will actually increase your risk of osteoporosis. Interestingly, he proposes that one of the best practical alternatives is the use of natural, unprocessed salts, such as Himalayan salt, as they are one of the best sources of a wide variety of trace minerals.

So, while the featured research is interesting, I believe it falls far short in terms of making a health recommendation that will result in improved bone health. And while the researchers argue that timing, and not just dosage may play a significant role in bone adaptation to exercise, I would add that nutrient ratios and combinations may be even more important...

The researchers did combine calcium with vitamin D, which is important, but they did not address vitamin K2, which is critical. I say critical because the biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues.

Furthermore, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you also need to increase your intake of vitamin K2, because when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins—the proteins that help move the calcium around in your body. But you need vitamin K2 to activate those proteins. If they're not activated, the calcium in your body will not be properly distributed and can lead to weaker bones and hardened arteries. In fact, vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries.

In a nutshell, it’s important to maintain the proper balance between all three of these nutrients: calcium, vitamin D and K2, as well as magnesium. Lack of balance between these four nutrients is why calcium supplements have become associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke...

The optimal amounts of vitamin K2 are still under investigation, but it seems likely that 180 to 200 micrograms of vitamin K2 daily should be enough to activate your body's K2-dependent proteins to shuttle the calcium to and from the appropriate areas. Most Americans get nowhere near this amount though. In fact, an estimated 80 percent of Americans do not get enough vitamin K2 in their diet to activate their K2 proteins, which is similar to the deficiency rate of vitamin D.

How Can You Tell if You're Lacking in Vitamin K2?

There is no test for vitamin K2 deficiency, but you can get an idea of whether or not you may be lacking in this critical nutrient simply by assessing your diet and lifestyle. If you have osteoporosis, heart disease or diabetes, then you're likely deficient in vitamin K2 as these conditions are all associated with K2 deficiency. If you do not have any of those health conditions, but do NOT regularly eat high amounts of the following foods, then your likelihood of being vitamin K2 deficient is still very high:

Grass-fed organic animal products (i.e. eggs, butter, dairy)

Certain fermented foods such as natto, or vegetables fermented using a starter culture of vitamin K2-producing bacteria. Please note that most fermented vegetables are not really high in vitamin K2 and come in at about 50 mcg per serving. However, if specific starter cultures are used they can have ten times as much, or 500 mcg per serving.

Goose liver pâté

Certain cheeses such as Brie and Gouda (these two are particularly high in K2, containing about 75 mcg per ounce). While cheese from grass-fed milk would be an added boon, it’s not necessary for the cheese to be grass-fed because the K2 is not derived from the milk itself; it’s derived from the bacteria in the cheese. So what’s important is how the cheese was made.

Fermented vegetables, which supply beneficial bacteria to your gut, can also be a great source of vitamin K if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture. We recently had samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture tested, and were shocked to discover that not only does a typical serving of about two to three ounces contain about 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, but it also contained 500 mcg of vitamin K2.

Note that not every strain of bacteria makes K2. For example, most yoghurt has almost no vitamin K2. Certain types of cheeses are very high in K2, and others are not. It really depends on the specific bacteria. You can't assume that any fermented food will be high in K2, but some fermented foods are very high in K2, such as natto. Others, such as miso and tempeh, are not.

Mind Your Sodium-Potassium Levels as Well

Two additional nutrients that play an important role are sodium and potassium—you want the optimal ratio between these two in order to maintain your bone mass. If you eat a diet loaded with processed foods, there's a good chance your potassium to sodium ratio is far from optimal, which is typically done by consuming a diet of processed foods, which are notoriously low in potassium while high in sodium.

An imbalanced sodium to potassium ratio can contribute to a number of diseases, including osteoporosis. To ensure you get these two important nutrients in more appropriate ratios, simply ditch processed foods, which are very high in processed salt and low in potassium and other essential nutrients. Instead, eat a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, ideally organically grown to ensure optimal nutrient content. This type of diet will naturally provide much larger amounts of potassium in relation to sodium, which is optimal for your bone health, and your overall health. If you find it difficult to eat the recommended amount of vegetables, give vegetable juicing a try.

Exercise Also Builds Strong Bones

The other component you can’t ignore if you want strong, healthy bones is weight bearing exercises like strength training. Bone-building is a dynamic process, so you want to make sure you exert enough force on your bones to stimulate the osteoblasts to build new bone. Further, bone is living tissue that requires regular physical activity in order to renew and rebuild itself, so you should make exercise a lifelong commitment.

Peak bone mass is achieved in adulthood and then begins a slow decline, but exercise can help you to maintain healthy bone mass as you get older, without having to resort to dangerous bisphosphonate drugs.

Weight-bearing exercise is actually one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis, because as you put more tension on your muscles it puts more pressure on your bones, which then respond by continuously creating fresh, new bone. In addition, as you build more muscle, and make the muscle that you already have stronger, you also put more constant pressure on your bones. A good weight-bearing exercise to incorporate into your routine (depending on your current level of fitness, of course) is a walking lunge, as it helps build bone density in your hips, even without any additional weights.

Ideally, though, your fitness program should be comprehensive, providing the necessary weight-bearing activities for bone health while also improving your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities with high-intensity exercises. For a more complete, in-depth explanation of my Peak Fitness regimen, please review my previous article, The Major Exercise Mistake I Made for Over 30 Years. Implementing Peak Fitness -- with its array of weight-bearing exercises for bone health and Peak Exercises for disease prevention, fat loss and more -- may be one of the best lifestyle changes you could ever make.

The Power Plate—A Valuable Exercise Tool for Prevention and Treatment of Brittle Bones

Acceleration Training, a.k.a. Whole Body Vibrational Training (WBVT) using a Power Plate has also been shown to be a safe, natural way to ward off osteoporosis, and it’s gentle enough even for the disabled and elderly. For example, in one six-month long study, WBVT was found to produce a significant increase in hip area bone density in postmenopausal women, while conventional training was only able to slow the rate of deterioration.2 A total of 90 women, aged 58 to 70 years old, were divided into three groups:

The first group did up to 30 minutes of WBVT three times a week. Static and dynamic exercises for the upper leg and hip area included squats and lunges.

The second group did 60 minutes of conventional weight training three times per week.

The control group did not exercise at all.

The researchers concluded that Acceleration Training might be a solution for reversing bone loss and eliminating osteoporosis, stating that:

"The whole body vibration group got positive results: strength increased as much as 16 percent in upper leg muscles, while bone density at the hip increased by 1.5 percent. In addition, the whole body vibration group showed an improvement in postural control and balance, increased muscle strength and lean mass while losing body fat and fat mass. The conventionally trained subjects were able to slow the rate of bone loss, which is consistent with previous published studies on weight training and bone loss. The control group subjects continued to lose bone mineral density at the average rate."

NASA has also tested vibration platforms to help prevent the bone loss that occurs during space travel. According to a 2001 article in NASA Science:3

"...NASA-funded scientists suggest that astronauts might prevent bone loss by standing on a lightly vibrating plate for 10 to 20 minutes each day... The same therapy, they say, might eventually be used to treat some of the millions of people who suffer from bone loss, called osteoporosis here on Earth.

...Although the vibrations are subtle they have had a profound effect on bone loss in laboratory animals such as turkeys, sheep, and rats. In one study (published in the October 2001 issue of The FASEB Journal), only 10 minutes per day of vibration therapy promoted near-normal rates of bone formation in rats that were prevented from bearing weight on their hind limbs during the rest of the day."

Build Strong, Healthy Bones the Natural Way

To recap, your bones are actually composed of several different minerals, and if you focus on calcium alone, you will likelyweaken your bones and increase your risk of osteoporosis as Dr. Robert Thompson explains in his book, The Calcium Lie. Remember, calcium, vitamins D and K2, and magnesium work synergistically together to promote strong, healthy bones, and your sodium to potassium ratio also play an important role in maintaining your bone mass. Ideally, you’d get all or most of these nutrients from your diet (with the exception of vitamin D). This includes:

Plant-derived calcium: raw milk from pasture-raised cows (who eat the plants), leafy green vegetables, the pith of citrus fruits, carob, and sesame seeds

Magnesium: raw organic cacao and supplemental magnesium threonate if need be

Vitamin K2: Grass-fed organic animal products (i.e. eggs, butter, dairy), certain fermented foods such as natto, or vegetables fermented using a starter culture of vitamin K2-producing bacteria. Goose liver pâté, and certain cheeses such as Brie and Gouda

Trace minerals: Himalayan Crystal Salt, which contains all 84 elements found in your body, or other natural, unprocessed salt (NOT regular table salt!)

Vitamin D: Ideally from appropriate sun exposure (or a safe tanning bed), as it’s virtually impossible to get sufficient amounts from food. As a last resort, you could use a supplement, but if you do, you may also need to supplement with vitamin K2 to maintain ideal ratios

The bottom line?

One of the best ways to achieve healthy bones is a diet rich in fresh, raw whole foods that maximizes natural minerals so that your body has the raw materials it needs to do what it was designed to do. In addition, you need healthy sun exposure along with regular, weight-bearing exercise.

About Dr Kevin Lau

How to use ScolioTrack and Scoliometer App on iPhone and Android

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:24:00 +0000

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uc.scoliometer

Scoliometer - Health In Your Hands Pte Ltd

About Dr Kevin Lau

Scoliotrack is a Safe and Innovative Way to Track One's Scoliosis Condition: Now Available for Android and 17 Languages!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 31 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Singapore

23 May 2013

www.ScolioTrack.com

FEATURES VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkmn8Edu3yc

Announcing to a global audience, innovation, technology, and clinically proven method of tracking your Scoliosis condition. Scoliotrack who’s technology and innovation was recognized and invited to the Wall Street Journal 2011 Asia Innovative Awards, is now in the hands of those that need it. By consumer demand, easy, affordability, and designed for patients, Scoliotrack has now been released as an App.

Functions include:

- New easy to use design.

- Monthly reminders for scoliosis for simple scoliosis monitoring.

- Designed and compatible for iPhone 4 and 5 with retina display compatibility.

- Compatible with iPhone and Android.

- Expanded help and tutorial video to provide the ultimate in ease and convenience of use.

- 17 new languages supported: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Finnish, Russian, Swedish, Vietnamese, Thai, Brazilian, Portuguese, and Portugal Portuguese.

The power of the App and the system lies in the technology. In lieu of the costly and most cases unaffordable Scoliometers, Scoliotrack was designed for immediate and affordable use. Scoliometers ranged in cost of $50.00(USD). Now with Scoliotrack, you can own yours for $4.99(USD). Now you can safely, easily, and affordably diagnose, monitor, and track your monthly progression. Dr. Lau, with this clinically tested and proven App shows that anyone, from any walk of life, with no medical training can use this App and ensure their health and progression in dealing with Scoliosis.

Scoliotrack, safer than x-ray technology, can be used in between doctor visits to accurately access the progression of condition. From the abnormal spine curve, rib humps, hip protrusion, body alignment, or spinal deviation on your phone. All your data is securely saved for future use, with all the up to date information you need.

Proven, ease, life changing. All of the adjectives used to describe this innovation. Do not delay. Go to www.ScolioTrack.com today and download this app from the iTunes store or Google Play. Dr. Kevin Lau’s books and DVD on Nautral Scoliosis Treatment and Prevention having been empowering the lives of scoliosis sufferers worldwide, and this App is the an important extension to your treatment option to keep Health in Your Hands.

About Dr Kevin Lau

An Alternative Scoliosis Treatment Seem too Good to be True are Often Scams

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 May 2013 07:11:00 +0000

Alternative scoliosis treatment options vary greatly and can offer promising results but buyers beware. Websites that offer exciting new methods of treating scoliosis demonstrating results that seem too good to be true are often scams. The best way to discover whether or not a website offering alternative scoliosis treatment which is defined as treatment other than a medical standard of care such as rigid bracing or surgery is to conduct further research. A great place to start is to determine who is selling the treatment. If the treatment is not provided by a licensed healthcare professional such as a medical doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist then quickly move on your child's health is not worth the risk. The next step is to do a personal Google search of the provider of these scoliosis treatment methods to see what their background is and what kind of training or education is involved. In addition search any publications by the provider and read their material which is an excellent way to familiarize you with their approach. The last step is to forward your clinical information directly to the provider and ask for a phone consultation to determine whether or not you feel confident in choosing this person to care for you or your child. In some instances you may even request to speak with others who have received scoliosis treatment and see if they had a good experience and outcome.

The interesting thing about healthcare is that when it comes to procedures and not just prescribing a medication, there is a significant difference in results based on skill level and knowledge of the clinician. This couldn't be truer when choosing an alternative scoliosis treatment provider for your child. The majority of alternative therapies are performed outside the medical profession by chiropractors and physical therapists. So digging pretty deep and trying to find the most experienced leader of the pack is worth the extra time rather than just settling for the clinic next door that may provide that treatment method. Practitioners who have leadership and teaching roles are more likely to be up to speed on the latest advances in procedures and have more experience in general.

When choosing an alternative technique check to see if case studies are available, some methods may not have published research based on many obstacles like funding and length of time data has been collected. The fact that they are not published in a journal doesn't necessarily mean the program of care is not valid. Look for doctors and therapists that have innovated new procedures or equipment relative to scoliosis, again this sets them above the general pack that may have just gotten the certificate for completing the required courses and aren't as invested in their name remaining reputable, especially nationally. Clinics that have clients from outside their region are also a good indicator that they may know more than other centers closer to you and may be well worth the drive or flight.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Researchers identify link between GPR126 gene and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:07:00 +0000

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan have identified the first gene to be associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (also called AIS) across Asian and Caucasian populations. The gene is involved in the growth and development of the spine during childhood.

Their study is published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

AIS is the most common pediatric skeletal disease, affecting approximately 2% of school-age children. The causes of scoliosis remain largely unknown and brace treatment and surgery are the only treatment options. However, many clinical and genetic studies suggest a contribution of genetic factors.

To understand the causes and development of scoliosis, Dr Ikuyo Kou, Dr Shiro Ikegawa and their team have tried to identify genes that are associated with a susceptibility to develop the condition.

By studying the genome of 1,819 Japanese individuals suffering from scoliosis and comparing it to 25,939 Japanese individuals, the team identified a gene associated with a susceptibility to develop scoliosis on chromosome 6. The association was replicated in Han Chinese and Caucasian populations.

The researchers show that the susceptibility gene, GPR126, is highly expressed incartilage and that suppression of this gene leads to delayed growth and bone tissue formation in the developing spine. GPR126 is also known to play a role in human height and trunk length.

"Our finding suggest the interesting possibility that GPR126 may affect both AIS susceptibility and height through abnormal spinal development and growth," explain the authors.

"Further functional studies are necessary to elucidate how alterations in GPR126 increase the risk of AIS in humans," they conclude.

Source: RIKEN

About Dr Kevin Lau

Is There a Orthopedic Conflict of Interest?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:46:00 +0000

Do orthopedists fail to suggest early-intervention or alternative scoliosis treatments because of a conflict of interest?

Why do orthopedists discourage alternative scoliosis treatments even if patients show improvement from them?

The medical approach to scoliosis treatment is to watch and wait, brace and then operate. During the “wait and see” period Orthopedists generally do not advise patients of alternative treatment options and some even laugh or scoff at the slightest suggestion. Patients are made to feel absurd if they want to pursue proactive or preventative treatments during this pre-brace/pre-surgery period and instead are advised to just sit idly while their curves progress until bracing or surgery become “necessary”. Some parents choose to research treatment and opt to try alternative treatments anyway and upon re-evaluation by their doctor are told they are wasting their time! Parents are belittled and made to feel negligent and are even harassed by their orthopedist.

If there are far less risks involved with alternative treatments, they are received while patients are in the “wait & see” period, and if these treatments show improvement to the patient’s scoliosis, then why is the medically community so against them?

In Scoliosis and the Human Spine, a book written by Martha C. Hawes, Ph.D, Dr. Hawes (a research scientist who herself has a large scoliosis) outlines what appears to be a “conflict of interest”. The conflict of interests center around the medical community’s lack of regard for an exercise based program of scoliosis care and correction.

Martha C. Hawes, Ph.D, author and patient.

DO NOTHING

There has been a tremendous movement in the country to screen for scoliosis. Why? So that it may be detected early in an attempt to intervene and treat before it progresses. But if the goal is early intervention, why are we “waiting”?

“…we have the wherewithal to diagnose spinal deformity at a Cobb magnitude of ten degrees or less, before it progresses to a serious problem that may cause pain, deformity, psychological dysfunction, and pulmonary problems throughout the patient’s lifetime. But instead of making an effort to diagnose the underlying condition and take steps to stabilize or reverse the curvature at this relatively benign state (and despite longstanding basic and clinical research consistent with the hypothesis that this is entirely feasible), patients and parents formally are told to do NOTHING: Just keep coming in to an orthopedic surgeon’s office every few months for another X-ray, and wait to see if it gets worse.” (Martha Hawes PhD, Scoliosis and the Human Spine, 2010)

DON’T TRY ANYTHING ELSE

Not only are patients advised to do nothing, but they are also discouraged from seeking alternative treatments or just informed that there is nothing that they can do.

“If individuals insist on searching out help on their own they are treated to condescension and insinuations that they are being irresponsible by trying ‘scientifically unproven’ treatments and refusing to accept the advice of professionals who know best (e.g. Keim 1987, Lonstein 1995a).”

If scoliosis screening is not geared at finding the curvature in it’s early stages and treating it before it progresses, then what is the intent? To merely refer more patients to orthopedic surgeons?

SCREENING LEADS to SURGERY

Since screening has begun there has been an increase in the number of scoliosis surgeries performed. If the goal was to decrease the number of adolescents subjected to spinal fusion surgery, then why are said patients only referred to orthopedic surgeons?

In our jurisdiction of New York, positive results of scoliosis screening can only be reported to pediatricians or orthopedists. By law, the schools nurses are prohibited from referring students to exercise based scoliosis care programs!

Since screening has been mandated the average curve for which surgery is carried out decreased from a Cobb angle of 60 degrees to a Cobb angle of 42 degrees (Lonstein et al. 1987). This was done as a means to operate sooner rather than later under the assumption that moderate curves will inevitably become severe curves but, as Hawes points out, “there are a lot more moderate (42° curves) than severe (> 60° curves) curvatures in the population”.

SURGEONS WOULD BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS

“…if proactive therapies were found to be effective, orthopedic surgeons would be put out of business of spinal fusion surgery because there would be no progression to levels where such intervention might be warranted.” (Hawes 2010)

Why isn’t there more research on alternative treatments to scoliosis? Why don’t insurance companies cover these treatments?

ORTHOPEDISTS LOVE TO DO SURGERY

There are many upsides to performing spinal fusion surgery as opposed to other forms of surgery. Especially since, for many, the surgery is elective and most of the times the surgery is arguably “cosmetic”.

“Orthopedists as a group relate the degree of satisfaction in their practice to the amount of surgery they get to do, and elective reconstructive surgery like spinal fusion (implanting rods in the spine for scoliosis) is at the top of the list: High-skill, high-tech, very costly, covered by insurance, and no need to get up in the middle of the night to to set messy fractures after car wrecks and suicide attempts (Clawson 2001, Heckman 2001).”

SOME ORTHOPEDISTS ARE PAID TO DEVELOP TECHNIQUES & DEVICES FOR SCOLIOSIS SURGERY

There is the added bonus of money and grants received by selected “Leading” surgeons by the companies that supply the instrumentation they use during spinal surgery.

“..some scoliosis surgeons receive royalties and research grants from the biomedical companies who make the ever-evolving array of spinal implantation devices (Shufflebarger, 2001).”

What is an even more alarming is the rate at which these surgeries fail and require further medical intervention in the form of secondary surgical procedures, known amongst orthopedists as “salvage surgeries”. This surgery can hardly be called “elective” as patients experiencing extreme pain and impairment often are left with no alternative but to undergo further procedures.

“What is more, the worst that can happen is that the surgery will fail (as it does, often), and additional costly, elective reconstructive surgery covered by insurance (or the personal savings of desperate parents) will be required. Such ‘salvage’ surgeries cost $100,000.00 or more.” (Hawes 2010)

TOO MANY SURGEONS

Another major concern in the field of spinal fusion surgery is the large increase of orthopedic surgeons operating within the United States.

“The ratio of orthopedist to U.S. population has increased, predictably, from 1 surgeon per 110,000 people in 1941 to 1:25,000 in 1980 to 1:15,150 in 1999 (Clawson 2001). Surveys have shown that when the ratio increases to 1:15,000 or more, there is a significant increase in the number of operations being performed per 100,000 people, with concern that more elective surgery is being done than necessary.” (Hawes 2010)

The concern being that, in some regions, there is literally “not enough elective surgery to go around”. Shockingly, the author writes that spinal fusion surgery for teenagers with scoliosis was actually advertised on the radio in California in 2001.

“An Appearance of conflict of interest does not necessarily mean a conflict exists, and the vast majority of scoliosis surgeons undoubtedly are conscientious souls with a compassionate interest in their patients’ welfare which overrides issues of personal gain. Indeed, leaders in the discipline have taken a strong stand in favor of the urgent need to establish and enforce clear ethical guidelines (Shufflebarger 2001).”

This is not to say that orthopedists or orthopedic surgeons are to vilified for their practices. As Dr. Hawes also points out, one of the greatest contributors to scoliosis research, the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), is comprised of several hundred orthopedic surgeons. Not only do they conduct research to better understand and treat scoliosis, but in addition they report issues and dilemmas within the field of surgical intervention for scoliosis.

DO SOMETHING!

So if patients are instructed to “wait & see”, what alternative is there?

Do your own research!

Research your treatment options, read the scientific articles, check the blogs and forums, read the testimonials, talk with the patients and their parents. Do the work that the medical community won’t do for you.

Become an “expert” in your own condition so you are prepared to discuss these topics.

Take a proactive approach to your health care!

Don’t be intimidated by your orthopedist.

There may be a conflict of interest motivating their disapproval of alternative exercise based scoliosis care programs!

Source:

http://www.hudsonvalleyscoliosis.com/orthopedic-conflict-of-interest/

About Dr Kevin Lau

Straightening Out the Problem: King Richard III Went Through Traction Torture Treatments to Fix Hunchback

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:38:00 +0000

Let's set the record straight: King Richard III may not have been a hunchback, as commonly portrayed by Shakespeare. However, scientists believe that he did suffer from scoliosis, a spine-curving condition that can cause complications standing or sitting for long periods of time. Scientists now think that he may have undergone painful medical treatments to straighten out this health problem.

In February, archaeologists excavated bones from underneath a parking lot in Leicester, England, that belonged to the medieval king. Since his confirmation, examiners have continued to look for bones and historical records.

Previous work showed King Richard III likely developed severe scoliosis, a painful condition, in his teen years. [Image Gallery: Photos Reveal the Discovery of Richard III]

Now, Mary Ann Lund, of the University of Leicester's School of English, has looked into the types of scoliosis treatments available when Richard III was alive, finding one would have been widely available for those who could afford it, such as the nobility.

Even so, there is no evidence on his bones to support the treatment.

"It wouldn't necessarily be possible to distinguish such signs," Lund told LiveScience. "Richard had idiopathic adolescent onset scoliosis, which means that the cause for it is not apparent, and that it developed after the age of about 10. So he would probably have been treated as an adolescent as well as during his adult life."

When he was born in 1452, ruling England from 1483 to 1485, only a few treatments were available for the health condition. Reports indicate that scoliosis was generally thought to be caused by an imbalance in the body's humors. "The theory of the humors would mean that this [treatment] would be geared towards Richard's individual humoral complexion," Lund wrote in an email. "Given the severity of his scoliosis, it's likely that treatment would have involved more than the topical application of ointments."

Many of these treatments have been painful, according to Lund. For instance, one involved using the same principle for the so-called Rack used in torture, which was called traction.

For this treatment, rope would be tied under the patient's armpits and around his legs; these ropes would then be pulled at either end to stretch the person's spine.

Richard III would have been able to afford traction treatment, Lund said. In addition, his doctors would have been well aware of the method, which was detailed in treatises on medicine and philosophy by 11th-century Persian polymath Avicenna. (Avicenna's work seems to have been influenced by Greek philosopher Hippocrates, Lund said.) These treatises, including Avicenna's theories on using traction in scoliosis treatment, would have been widely read in Medieval Europe, Lund noted.

Avicenna's treatments for back disorders also included massage techniques done in Turkish baths and herbal applications.

"Hippocratic medicine was based on responding carefully to the individual, so without Richard's medical records we can only make conjectures," Lund wrote. Whether the possible treatment worked is also "impossible" to definitively answer, Lund said. "Historical accounts describe him as an active fighter in battle, so he was clearly able to do strenuous physical activity. On the other hand, it seems likely that the condition was painful and would have restricted his lung capacity."

About Dr Kevin Lau

Randomized controlled trial: Vitamin D and gene expression

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:42:00 +0000

Posted on April 6, 2013 by John Cannell, MD

We know that vitamin D controls from anywhere between 0. 5% of the human genome to up to 5%, depending on what review one reads. New genes are being discovered every day that vitamin D either upregulates or down regulates. That is, vitamin D either increases or decreases the protein that gene transcribes.

However, no one has ever done a gene microarray analysis (a way of looking at a large number of genes) of patients before and after vitamin D administration. That is, no one had ever done it until Professor Michael Holick’s lab reported such a study recently in the Plos Onejournal.

Hossein-Nezhad A, Spira A, Holick MF. Influence of vitamin D status and vitamin D3 supplementation on genome wide expression of white blood cells: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58725.

Doctors Arash Hossein-Nezhad, Avrim Spira and Michael Holick conducted a small randomized controlled pilot trial of 8 patients, doing a gene microarray analysis at baseline and again after two months of either 400 or 2,000 IU per day. The 2,000 IU/day group only increased 25(OH)D by 9.8 ng/ml, while 400 IU per day increased 25(OH)D by 5.6 ng/ml, so the two groups were combined for analysis. The study was conducted in the winter.

First, they found 291 genes in white blood cells that vitamin D affected. Vitamin D affects different genes in different tissues so this is only what low dose vitamin D does in white blood cells. Of the 291 genes, 82 genes were downregulated and 209 were upregulated. They found the affected gene pathways controlled immune function, transcription regulation, cell cycle activity, epigenetic modification, DNA regulation, DNA repair, and cellular response to stress.

Forty-seven of the 291 affected genes had never been reported to be affected by vitamin D. That is, they discovered 47 new vitamin D regulated genes. Even the one person who had a relatively high baseline 25(OH)D (level not given) and who obtained a 25(OH)D of above 40 ng/ml after supplementation with 2,000 IU/day for two months had differential expression of 33 genes, suggesting there is a significant genetic difference between 25(OH)D levels of 30 ng/ml and 40 ng/ml.

The authors concluded:

“These results suggest that to maximize vitamin D’s effect on gene expression may require even higher doses than 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily.”

Yes, we think that at least 5,000 IU/day is required to obtain natural vitamin D levels. If a genetic expression difference exists between levels of 40 and 80 ng/ml, we will only learn it by further studies, similar to this breakthrough discovery by Michael Holick’s lab.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Physical capacity of girls with moderate scoliosis is considerably lower than girls without scoliosis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 06:30:00 +0000

Thursday, 01 Dec 2011 11:29
A new study in the European Spine Journal, published ahead of print, shows that girls aged 10–18 years with moderate scoliosis have considerably lower physical capacity scores than girls of the same age without scoliosis. However, girls with mild scoliosis do not appear to have lower physical capacity scores.

The purpose of the new study was to assess the impact of curvature angle value, the number of vertebrae in curvatures, and the number of curvatures on the physical capacity (by measuring maximum oxygen input and output during the PWC170 test) of girls aged 10–18 with mild or moderate idiopathic scoliosis. This is because, at present, while studies have shown that untreated severe thoracic scoliosis is associated with increased mortality (related to right heart failure due to congestive lung disease), the effect that the earlier stages of scoliosis have on respiratory function is not fully understood.

Overall, 97 girls were included in the new study. Of these, 70 had scoliosis (42 with mild scoliosis, Cobb angle 10–24 degrees; 28 with moderate scoliosis, Cobb angle 25–40 degrees) and 27 did not. All of girls underwent the Physical Working Capacity 170 (PWC170) test on a cycle egometer, based on two five minute submaximum physical effort events.

Compared with the control group, all of the measured parameters were lower in the scoliosis group. However, the only significant difference observed was in output value obtained during the PWC170 test (1.52 PWC170 (W/Kg) for the scoliosis group vs. 1.68 PW170 (W/kg) for the control group; p=0.04). When the data from the scoliosis subgroups were analysed, girls with moderate scoliosis were found to have significantly lower maximum oxygen intake scores than the girls in the control group (1.91 V02max (1/min) vs. 2.02 V02max (1/min); p=0.02). The girls with moderate scoliosis also had significantly lower absolute PWC170 test scores and output value obtained during the PWC170 test scores than the control group (66.07 vs. 77.35, p=0.02; 1.41 vs. 1.68, p=0.003). There were no significant differences between the mild and control groups.

Both the number of vertebrae and the number of curves were found to significantly affect the output value obtained during the PWC170 test. Patients with nine or more vertebrae involved in the scoliosis had a PWC170 (W/kg) score of 1.46 compared with 1.68 in the control group (p=0.01) and patients with a double curve had a PWC170 score (W/kg) of 1.57 compared with the control group figure (p=0.01). However, neither the number of vertebrae involved in the scoliosis nor the number of curves seemed to significantly affect the maximum oxygen intake or the absolute PWC170 test score compared with the control group.

Dariusz Czaprowski, Faculty and Physiotherapy, Jozef Rusiecki University College in Olsztyn, Poland, and his fellow investigators reported: “We might expect the angle value to have a dominant impact on the physical capacity of girls with mild and moderate idiopathic scoliosis.”
http://www.cxvascular.com/sn-latest-news/spinal-news---latest-news/physical-capacity-of-girls-with-moderate-scoliosis-is-considerably-lower-than-girls-without-scoliosis-

About Dr Kevin Lau

Pregnancy and Scoliosis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:13:00 +0000

Since idiopathic scoliosis is common in girls there are concerns about the effects it may have on pregnancy or becoming pregnant. Over the past 40 years, several studies have been conducted with hundreds of women that showed no difference in pregnancy, labor, delivery and fetal complications for women with scoliosis compared to women without. In most cases there are very few risks to becoming pregnant with scoliosis. There is no evidence that scoliosis damages fertility or leads to an increased number of miscarriages, stillbirths or congenital malformations. It does not provide any adverse effects on the pregnancy nor ability to deliver children.

Another major concern is increased risk of progression of the scoliosis. Some studies have shown that patients lost 2, 6, and 18 degrees of correction during their first pregnancies, but curves stayed the same or improved with later pregnancies. Generally, scoliosis does not increase during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones decrease the activity of the immune system and scoliosis is often stabilized during pregnancy. As long as the curve is not still progressing, the weight gained during pregnancy does not increase the curvature.

Aside from a mild degree of restricted lung capacity, individuals with idiopathic scoliosis rarely experience breathing problems during pregnancy. Breathlessness on exertion is common in the early months of pregnancy for all women, to some extent. Shortness of breath is partly caused by the rise in progesterone, which stimulates breathing by increasing respiratory rate and the depth of each breath. Blood volume also increases. These normal physiological changes are well tolerated and only likely to prove a problem if the vital capacity is low or heart function is compromised. Scoliosis that occurs in the thoracic (middle) spine may affect breathing. Bladder and bowel problems may be an issue for women with scoliosis who already have urinary or bowel dysfunction

Back Pain and Scoliosis Pregnancy
Almost all women experience mild to moderate back pain in one form or another during pregnancy, therefore it can be difficult to distinguish whether the pain is from the scoliosis or the pregnancy. Specifically, 50% of all pregnant women experience lower back pain. Physical health and pre-existing back problems can affect the back pain experienced when pregnant. That is why it is best to maintain a good fitness regime and address existing back problems before becoming pregnant. Severe back pain can be debilitating preventing exercise during pregnancy.

Pain can start before the 12th week and can continue up to 6 months postpartum. During the 9th month the overall prevalence of back pain is about 50%. Various studies have examined the risk factors that contribute to the development of low-back pain during pregnancy. The greatest risk factors for back pain during pregnancy appear to be preexisting back conditions and/or multiparous (previous pregnancies or being pregnant with multiples).

Different types of lower back pain can be experienced during pregnancy.
Lumbar pain :can occur with or without radiation to the legs. This occurs due to postural changes that take place during pregnancy to maintain balance in the upright position as the fetus grows. The increasing weight is distributed primarily in the abdominal girth. The abdominal muscles become less effective at maintaining neutral posture (shoulders back, avoiding hyperlordosis) because the growing uterus stretches the muscles, reducing their tone. Studies have shown that at first lumbar lordosis remains the same or increases only slightly. The center of gravity as a whole, though, shifts more posteriorly and inferiorly as the spine moves posterior to the center of gravity. A small percentage of lower back pain during pregnancy can be attributed to sciatica but this is rare.

Large hormonal changes occur during pregnancy with the increase in oestrogen, progesterone, and relaxin. These help loosen the ligaments of the pelvis and lower spine to ease the birth of the baby. Although concerns have been raised that hormonal fluctuations could lead to a progression of a spinal curvature, most studies show that changes in the degree of scoliosis are slight provided that the curvature is stable at the outset of pregnancy. Joint laxity is more pronounced in multiparous women than it is during the first pregnancy. As the abdominal muscles stretch to accommodate the growing fetus, their ability to help stabilize the pelvis decreases. The burden shifts to the paraspinal muscles, which become strained at a time when they may be shortened from the increased lordosis of the lumbar spine.

Sacroiliac pain: may radiate to the thigh, usually to the level of the knee and rarely to the calf. It is four times more common than lumbar pain. Symptoms of sacroiliac joint pain typically continue several months after delivery. It is thought that 20% – 30% of pregnant women experience both lumbar and sacroiliac pain. Movement in the sacroiliac joints can increase dramatically, causing discomfort when the pain-sensitive ligamentous structures are stretched.

Nocturnal pain: can be experienced in the lower back at night while lying down, possibly due to muscle fatigue accumulation throughout the day that culminates in nighttime back pain. Daylong biomechanical stress from sacroiliac dysfunction or mechanical lower back pain from altered posture may also produce symptoms in the evening. Circulatory changes during pregnancy may also contribute to lower back pain at night. Some women have nighttime back pain exclusively, others have both night pain and lumbar or sacroiliac pain

Pregnancy Back Pain ManagementSpecific treatment and rehabilitation for scoliosis is especially important throughout pregnancy for reducing weakness and back or neck pain. The type of back pain (lumbar, sacroiliac, or nocturnal) can be treated by targeting the specific area of concern. Acute treatment in conjunction with ergonomic adaptation and a specific program of lower back exercises designed for each scoliosis patient can decrease stress on the lower back and alleviate pain.

Some other activities can be practiced for pain relief. Ice or cold compresses can help……. Some pain in the muscles can be alleviated with warm compresses or by sitting in a warm tub or jacuzzi (NOT TOO HOT/100° F). Maternity support belts can be worn that support the lower back and stomach, allowing freer movement. Swimming is also great exercise during pregnancy, as the water will help support the stomach and also allow for freer movement. Strengthening exercises, such as pelvic-tilt exercises can help strengthen the back and relieve pain–always consult your doctor before initiating any exercise program.

Knee-chest PositionOften, just putting yourself into the knee-chest position to move the baby out of the pelvis and off of your pelvic nerves may make you more comfortable.

Scoliosis Surgery and Pregnancy
Doctors recommend women having surgery for scoliosis to wait for at least six months after the surgery to become pregnant. This is the recommended healing time for the spine.

Scoliosis and Labor
Research shows labor and delivery is virtually the same for women with mild to moderate scoliosis as it is for women without scoliosis. In the past, obstetricians routinely scheduled women with scoliosis for delivery by cesarean section. Currently, more and more women with scoliosis are finding a vaginal delivery is possible with no unusual complications. The position during labor and delivery is important for the patient’s comfort and the most comfortable position will vary for each patient. Weakness due to scoliosis may make pushing during labor more difficult for some.

Scoliosis and Epidural
Very rarely do back problems prevent the use of the epidural (anesthesia injected into the spine). For some scoliosis patients it can be difficult to receive an epidural. This is particularly true if they have had spinal fusion surgery or if the scoliosis is in the lumbar (lower) spine because this is where the epidural is placed. The epidural in some cases can be placed lower on the spine. If the scoliosis is in the mid to upper back it should not present a problem, however, it is important for ALL pregnant women with scoliosis to discuss epidurals and pain management with their doctor, and if necessary the hospital’s anesthesiology department, before going into labor.

Pregnancy and Severe Scoliosis
Women with severe scoliosis should consult their doctor before becoming pregnant as some cases may require monitoring of the scoliosis and fetus. Also, because the uterus pushes the diaphragm higher and decreases capacity, some breathing problems may be experienced during the later stages of pregnancy. Back pain can also be significant for pregnant women with severe scoliosis, compared to non scoliotic patients.

Pregnancy and Congenital Scoliosis
Individuals with Congenital scoliosis or early-onset scoliosis and those with weak muscles and heart problems should seek medical advice before becoming pregnant. Congenital scoliosis is usually associated with a neuromuscular condition such as muscular dystrophy or poliomyelitis. These conditions are genetic and some can be detected prenatally.

Breathing will also be affected if the muscles that expand the rib cage are weak. Lung size may also be more severely restricted because of certain birth defects. Evidence suggests that as long as the vital capacity exceeds around 1.25 litres the outcome will probably be good. Below this level problems with a reduction in oxygen worsens on exertion and during sleep, and may be accompanied by a rise in the waste gas level (carbon dioxide). Low oxygen levels are harmful for the growing baby and can also lead to heart strain in the mother.

The best way to ensure a healthy pregnancy with scoliosis is to follow the guidelines for proper nutrition, rest, exercise and prenatal care outlined by your obstetrician and regularly see your scoliosis specialist to monitor your curve during pregnancy.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Probiotics are not only powerful gut-healers - they improve bone density, study shows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:16:00 +0000

A doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) once told this author that "disease begins in the gut." Ayurvedic medicine also has a similar premise. Bad or sub-optimal digestion leads to all sorts of disease. That includes disease beyond the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and others in Western medicine have taken this premise beyond physical ailments into the mind-body relationship with GAPS, or Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by treating mental disorders from ADD to Autism.

Their success has come from altering the diet to allow the gut to heal and good bacteria in the intestinal flora to thrive.

So there's more to the good bacteria in the gut than most think. Even more than digestion, as important as that is. These supportive bacteria in the gut also signal different parts of the immune system in other areas of the body. It's estimated that up to 80 percent of the immune system is involved with the gut's good bacteria.

The word probiotic means pro-life. These friendly, life-supporting critters are killed off by antibiotics. They're absent in dead foods that comprise the standard American diet (SAD), and are genetically disturbed by GMO transfer genes and viruses.

Yes, GMOs destroy the immune system through the gut and more. And when is the last time you were advised to take probiotic supplements when you were prescribed an antibiotic? That's just not part of the medical monopoly's protocol, despite ongoing research that keeps finding different important aspects of probiotic bacteria.

Mainstream research into probiotic benefits

The study "Probiotic use decreases intestinal inflammation and increases bone density in healthy male but not female mice" was recorded in the Journal of Cellular Physiology late January 2013.

The University of Michigan State researchers fed mice Lactobacillus reuteri for a period of four weeks. Lacobacillus reuteri has been determined from other research to be effective at reducing gut inflammation and effective for treating inflammatory bowel disease.

The fact that inflammation in the gut has been associated with osteoporosis led the researchers to explore what improves gut inflammation as a possible application for bone disease.

The researchers discovered that male mice had improved bone density after ingesting Lacobacillus reuteri, but oddly; female mice did not demonstrate improved bone density. The tacit implication is females may need a variation of the probiotic used.

More research was called upon after discovering this link of probiotics and bone density to determine which probiotics would be the most appropriate for each person to prescribe as a medication for osteoporosis.

Other studies have discovered the importance of probiotics for improving health in different areas.

For example, in 2011 The Cochrane Library reviewed several studies and determined that probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria could help resist or resolve upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) from colds, flus, and even pneumonia.

Several studies have confirmed the efficacy of probiotics for prolonged infectious diarrhea among children and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Obviously, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand does as more and more dead food, GMOs, and antibiotics are pushed by the food and medical industry.

You would be wise to stay away from the dead and genetically engineered foods and avoid synthetic antibiotics. At least dose heavily with probiotic supplements if forced into antibiotics.

Some natural antibiotics aren't so selective with what mini-critters they kill too. You may need probiotic supplements more than once in a while.

But for probiotic maintenance, search for raw dairy, create fermented foods, and consume prebiotic superfoods that encourage probiotic bacteria to flourish.

We all need to get by with a lot of help from our little friends.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Most People Can Skip Calcium Supplements, Prevention Panel Says

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 06:44:00 +0000

Women have been told for years that if they don't take calcium supplements religiously, they're putting themselves at risk of crippling hip fractures in old age. Now the word from a major government panel: Why bother? There's no evidence that taking calcium supplements reduces the risk of fractures for most people, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said. The recommendations were published online Monday by the Annals of Internal Medicine. That applies to postmenopausal women, the target audience for calcium supplements. "We're not saying don't use it," says Linda Baumann, a member of the task force and a professor emerita of nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "But think about it, because we're not sure it has the benefit you think it has." The task force said that taking up to 1,000 milligrams a day of calcium supplements and up to 400 international units of vitamin D daily did nothing to prevent fractures in healthy people, while slightly increasing the risk of kidney stones.

That's just a bit less than the 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day recommended for postmenopausal women by a 2011 Institute of Medicine report. More might be better, the USPSTF panel concluded, but there's no evidence that's true. The panel gives independent recommendations to the federal government on the risks and benefits of treatments. Reports like this always come with caveats, so here goes: The recommendations don't apply to people who already have osteoporosis or vitamin D deficiency. And the advice doesn't apply to people over 65 who are at risk of falls. The task force members would have loved to review data on whether taking calcium and vitamin D supplements earlier in life would be useful, Baumann tells Shots. Teenagers' calcium intake is pathetically low, even though they're still growing. "The other thing that's really unclear is the appropriate dose and dosing regimen," Baumann says. The studies the panel relied on were all over the map on how much people took — and when. And because most studies have looked at calcium and bone health in white women, there's no good data on men or minority groups. Vitamin D supplements have become trendy of late, promoted as preventing cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Some doctors recommending up to 50,000 IU in a week.The USPSTF is looking at whether D influences cancer, so stay tuned for that. An accompanying editorial concludes, "While we wait for the results of further research, the USPSTF's cautious, evidence-based advice should encourage clinicians to think carefully before advising calcium and vitamin D supplementation for healthy individuals." Calcium supplements aren't as trendy, but some women are "taking three, four, five calcium pills a day," says Cliff Rosen, an author of the 2011 IOM report, and an osteoporosis researcher at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. Taking that much can up the risk of kidney stones by 17 percent, he says. And there's also evidence that calcium supplements may contribute to heart disease. The calcium in food doesn't seem to cause those problems, Rosen says. So the best advice for everyone, from teens to their grandmas, is get calcium from food. "A glass of milk is 300 milligrams. Three glasses of milk a day, and you get there without a problem."

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau DC is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info.
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau.
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau.

How Whole Body Vibration Exercises Can Help Improve Fitness in the Elderly

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:05:00 +0000

By Dr. Mercola

Exercise is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle, and it can be a part of your life no matter what your age. In fact, staying active becomes increasingly important as you get older.

Even frail seniors of advanced age can improve muscle strength and agility with exercise, which is important for preventing falls and injuries.

For seniors who have a hard time performing aerobic exercise, using a Whole Body Vibration (WBV) platform (such as The Power Plate) can help them improve performance, allowing them to become stronger, faster and more agile, according to recent research¹.

As explained by Dr. Keith DeOrio, M.D²., WBV stimulation affects your entire body musculature, as well as your internal organs and glands.

Your muscle spindles fire secondary to the mechanical stimulation produced by the vibrating plate, and this rapid firing of the muscle spindle causes a neuromuscular response that leads to physiological changes in your brain as well as your entire body.

How Whole Body Vibration Can Improve Fitness in Those Over 65

The featured study was funded by the Spanish government, and while small in scale, it suggests Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training can stimulate muscle growth and improve overall fitness in the elderly. As reported by Reuters:

“Twenty-four men and women over 65 performed 10 squats held for 45 seconds on the vibrating platform, with a minute rest in between, three times per week for 11 weeks. The study also included 25 people who did not take part in the vibration exercises.

... Those who did the exercises were, on average, able to do two more reps of upper and lower body strength exercises, had almost half an inch more lower body flexibility, and walked 33 yards one second faster than before the vibration training...”

Other studies have also demonstrated significant gains in most measures of muscle performance in sedentary and elderly individuals when using WBV. It has also been shown to provide a number of additional health benefits in the elderly. For example, one study, performed by the University of Liege in Belgium³, investigated the effects of controlled whole body vibrations exercises on overall health in elderly patients and found that after six weeks (performing 4 one-minute sessions, 3 times a week), the participants experienced:

143 percent improvement in physical function 57 percent improvement in the quality of walking

77 percent improvement in equilibrium 41 percent reduction in pain

60 percent improvement in vitality 23 percent improvement in general health

Reduce Bone Loss with Whole Body Vibration

Loss of bone mass is one of the common signs of aging, because as you age your existing bone is absorbed by your body while new bone is created to replace it. In the case of osteoporosis, the formation of new bone falls behind the rate of bone absorption, leading to weakened, thinner and more brittle bones.

A thinning hipbone is a major concern if you are elderly, because any fall increases the risk of a broken hip, which always carries a great risk of complications and usually requires prolonged specialized care for recovery. It's estimated that 25 percent of elderly people suffering a hip fracture die as a direct result⁴.

Weight-bearing exercise, like resistance- or strength training, can go a long way to prevent brittle bone formation, and can help reverse the damage already done. WBV training can also be helpful here, especially in the elderly.

In a study⁵ by Medical College of Georgia researchers, using vibration therapy 30 minutes daily for 12 weeks improved bone density in mice, a finding that adds support for their use in humans, especially the elderly. It's thought that the vibrations prompt movement of the cell nucleus, which may trigger the release of osteoblasts to build bone. Previous studies have also found that WBV training increases bone density in the hip and inhibits bone loss in the spine and hip areas.

Vitamin D and K2 Are Also Critical Factors for Bone Health Throughout Life

For optimal bone health you also need to optimize your vitamin D levels, and make sure you’re getting enough vitamin K2. Both of these nutrients are essential for healthy bone formation and maintenance, and they work in tandem. This is why, if you take high doses of vitamin D3, you also need to take extra vitamin K2.

The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries.

So remember, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you're creating an increased demand for K2. Together, these two nutrients help strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author ofVitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU's of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg). So, if you take 8,000 IU's of vitamin D3 per day, that means you'd need in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 micrograms (0.8 to 1 milligram/mg) of vitamin K2.

Insulin Resistance and Age-Related Muscle Loss

In related news, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Nutrition Working Group has released a scientific review⁶ that examines the role of nutrition in the development of sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass).

Sarcopenia affects about 10 percent of those over 60, with higher rates as age advances. It may seem like common sense that if you don't use your muscles, they'll eventually atrophy away, yet so many people fail to apply this information. The older you get, the faster your muscles atrophy if you're not regularly engaging in appropriate exercise. However, dietary factors are also at play. According to the authors:

“A loss of fast twitch fibers, glycation of proteins, and insulin resistance may play an important role in the loss of muscle strength and development of sarcopenia.”

As I keep repeating, insulin resistance caused by excessive sugar consumption is at the root of virtually every disease and health ailment you can think of, and that includes age-related muscle loss. In fact, if your insulin receptors are insensitive, the mTOR mechanism, which is part of the insulin pathway and builds protein in your muscles, remains inactivated, making muscle wasting more or less inevitable. So, needless to say, it's very important to keep your insulin levels low to avoid becoming insulin resistant — not just for your overall health, but also to maintain healthy muscle.

Nutritional Factors that help Preserve Muscle Mass, Strength and Performance in Seniors

The IOF review identified a number of important dietary factors shown to have a beneficial impact on the maintenance of muscle mass with advancing age, as well as the treatment of sarcopenia. These include:

Protein: The authors suggest an intake of 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day to maintain optimal muscle and bone health in seniors who do not have severely impaired renal function.

This is more than the recommendations issued by Dr. Ron Rosedale, who believes one gram of protein per kilo of leanbody weight is sufficient for muscle maintenance and repair without detrimentally triggering the mTor pathway, which he believes ma play a role in the development of cancer.

So if you are really lean, the recommendation is close but if you are obese you could be consuming far too much protein based on the IOF recommendation. However if your goal is to increase muscle mass, then the extra protein would make sense.

Whey protein is an excellent choice of protein for a number of reasons, but in part because it increases GLP-1, a satiety peptide that promotes healthy insulin secretion, and helps your insulin work more effectively. Just use the dose of protein you feel is appropriate for your needs. 20 grams if you want to follow lower protein Dr. Rosedale approach and double that if you want to increase muscle growth.

Vitamin D: The authors recommend optimizing vitamin D levels through exposure to sunlight and/or supplementation if required.

Avoiding dietary acid loads: Acid-producing foods such as meats and grains can have a detrimental impact on musculoscletal health when consumed in excess, and especially in combination with insufficient intake of vegetables and fruits, which have an alkalinizing effect. The authors recommend increasing consumption of vegetables to help prevent sarcopenia

Vitamin B12 and/or folic acid

According to Dr. Ambrish Mithal, co-author and Chair and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes division at Medanta, New Delhi⁷:

"Strategies to reduce the numbers of falls and fractures within our ageing populations must include measures to prevent sarcopenia. At present, the available evidence suggests that combining resistance training with optimal nutritional status has a synergistic effect in preventing and treating sarcopenia.”

Other Beneficial Supplements for Optimal Muscle Performance

Two additional supplements that can help optimize muscle performance, regardless of your age, are:

Carnosine in the form of beta-alanine: Carnosine is a pluripotent dipeptide composed of two amino acids (beta-alanine and histadine), found most notably in your muscles, where it helps buffer lactic acids and serves as a potent antioxidant that can help quell muscle inflammation. Most studies find that if you want to increase athletic performance with carnosine, your best bet is to use beta-alanine instead, since beta-alanine appears to be the rate limiting amino acid in the formation of carnosine.

While you can easily purchase these as supplements, I do NOT recommend doing that. It is far better to get them from whole foods. The foods with the highest amount of useful dietary dipeptides like carnosine would be animal proteins, like eggs, whey protein, poultry and beef.

Astaxanthin: A phenomenally potent antioxidant that has been shown to help improve muscle endurance, workout performance and recovery. It also reduces inflammation from all causes, including workout injuries, and even enhances your ability to metabolize fat.

How Whole Body Vibration Training Prevents Muscle-Wasting

Jumping back to where we started, by stimulating your fast- and super-fast muscle fibers, Whole Body Vibration training using a Power Plate appears to be very helpful for preventing and/or reversing age-related muscle wasting. It will also kick-start your pituitary gland into making more human growth hormone (HGH), which plays an important part in promoting overall health and longevity.

WBV is a truly revolutionary approach to fitness because it addresses your neuromuscular system as a whole, rather than one limb or muscle group at a time. Not to mention it's time efficient, allowing you to trim off several precious hours per week from your workout time. When used together with my Peak Fitness program, which includes high intensity interval training; a series of powerful high-intensity burst-type exercises, you can complete your entire workout a fraction of the time you'd have to spend on traditional workouts.

WBV training using the Power Plate is really the perfect complement to high intensity interval training to build strength, shed excess fat, and improve athletic performance. Both of these techniques also help you produce growth hormone (HGH) naturally. To learn more, please see this previous article.

It’s Never Too Late to Start Exercising

As you can see, age-related muscle wasting and bone loss doesn't have to happen to you... Following the advice detailed above can go a long way toward maintaining healthy bones and muscle mass as you age.

The earlier you start, the better, but remember, you are never too old to start exercising. Research shows that, no matter your age, you stand to gain significant improvements in strength, range of motion, balance, bone density and mental clarity through exercise. My mom didn't start working out until she was 74 and now, at the age of 78, she has gained significant improvements in strength, range of motion, balance, bone density and mental clarity.

And, if you’re presently incapable of engaging in aerobic exercise, using Whole Body Vibration training may be just the thing to help you get more active... If you're still on the fence about starting an exercise program, there's no time like the present. I guarantee it will make a major difference in your energy level, self-esteem and probably your entire outlook on life. It is really THAT powerful, whether you're 18 years old or 80!

About Dr Kevin Lau

Surprising Health Hazards Associated with All-Fruit Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:46:00 +0000

By Dr. Mercola

Fruits are loaded with healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which is why eating them in moderation is fine for healthy people. However, many benefit by restricting their fruit intake.

Fructose, a simple sugar found in fruit, is preferentially metabolized to fat in your liver, and eating large amounts has been linked to negative metabolic and endocrine effects. So eating very large amounts – or worse, nothing but fruit – can logically increase your risk of a number of health conditions, from insulin and leptin resistance to cancer.

For example, research has shown that pancreatic tumor cells use fructose, specifically, to divide and proliferate, thus speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer.

As a general health rule, I recommend limiting your total fructose consumption to about 25 grams per day on average, and that includes fructose from fruit. However, if you have insulin resistance, heart disease, cancer or high blood pressure, you may want to cut it down to 15 grams or less.

Kutcher Lands in Hospital After Adopting All-Fruit Diet

Actor Ashton Kutcher recently disclosed health issues brought on by following an all-fruit diet,¹ adopted in preparation to play the character of Steve Jobs in the upcoming film “Jobs,” due out April 19.

Jobs had adopted an all-fruit diet in his younger days, and even the brand he co-founded – Apple – was a nod to his dietary obsession. Kutcher recently told USA Today:²

"First of all, the fruitarian diet can lead to like severe issues. I went to the hospital like two days before we started shooting the movie. I was like doubled over in pain. My pancreas levels were completely out of whack. It was really terrifying ... considering everything."

The “everything” is likely a reference to pancreatic cancer – the disease that killedSteve Jobs on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56. Even though Jobs consumed a fruitarian diet years before he contracted his pancreatic cancer, there could be some relationship.

Why Large Amounts of Fruit May Not Be Healthy

While people are becoming increasingly aware of the connection between excessive fructose consumption and obesity and chronic disease, many forget that fruit is a source of fructose as well. Many tend to believe that as long as fruit is natural and raw they can have unlimited quantities without experiencing any adverse metabolic effects.

Eliminating processed foods and soda – which are loaded with high fructose corn syrup – and replacing it with an all-fruit diet is likely not going to improve your health. As Marisa Moore, registered dietician and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics told CNN Health:³

“When you only eat fruit, you're excluding a lot of valuable nutrients from your diet. Protein is one of the main ones that comes to mind... Protein acts like a building block for your muscles and skin and organs. The same goes for fats. Although they often get demonized, fats play an important role in our hormone levels and brain function.”

It’s important to consider ALL sources of fructose, and to try to limit your total consumption if you want to optimize your health. Granted, fruits contain beneficial dietary fibers, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which is why they’re an important part of a healthy diet – as long as they’re eaten in moderation. I believe most people would benefit by replacing the fruit with 50-70 percent of their calories from healthy fat. You also need moderate amounts of high quality protein.

An all-fruit diet is essentially an all-fructose diet, and this is bound to spell disaster for your health, at least long-term. Studies have shown that fructose can induce:

Impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and diabetes Elevated triglycerides Abdominal obesity

Leptin resistance Inflammation and oxidative stress Endothelial dysfunction

Microvascular disease Hyperuricemia Renal (kidney) damage

Fatty liver disease High blood pressure Metabolic syndrome

The Fructose Pancreatic Cancer Connection

Pancreatic cancer is one of the faster spreading cancers; only about four percent of patients can expect to survive five years after their diagnosis. Each year, about 44,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S., and 37,000 people die of the disease. Cancer of the pancreas has a terrible prognosis--half of all patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer die within 10 months of the diagnosis; half of those in whom it has metastasized die within six months.

Your pancreas contains two types of glands: exocrine glands that produce enzymes that break down fats and proteins, and endocrine glands that make hormones like insulin that regulate sugar in your blood.

Steve Jobs died of tumors originating in the endocrine glands, which are among the rarer forms of pancreatic cancer. His cancer was detected during an abdominal scan in October 2003, as Fortune magazine reported in a 2008 cover story.⁴ He reportedly spent nine months on "alternative therapies," including what Fortune called "a special diet,” although there was no mention of what type of diet this might have been. In 2004, after the cancer had spread, Jobs opted for surgery. Unfortunately, it did not cure him.

Five years later, he underwent an experimental procedure called peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), which involves delivering radiation to tumor cells by attaching one of two radioactive isotopes to a drug that mimics somatostatin, the hormone that regulates the entire endocrine system and the secretion of other hormones. This treatment also failed. After having a liver transplant, Jobs succumbed to the cancer in 2011.

Interestingly enough, research published in 2010⁵ suggests fructose may have a particularly significant impact on pancreatic cancer.

Insulin production is one of your pancreas’ main functions, used by your body to process blood sugar, and, in the laboratory, insulin promotes the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. However, there’s more to it than that. The research in question showed that the way the different sugars are metabolized (using different metabolic pathways) is of MAJOR consequence when it comes to feeding pancreatic cancer cells and making them proliferate. According to the authors:

"Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different... These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation."

The study confirms the old adage that sugar feeds cancer – a finding that Dr. Warburg received a Nobel Prize for over 90 years ago. Tumor cells do thrive on glucose and do not possess the metabolic machinery to burn fat. However, the cells used fructosefor cell division, speeding up the growth and spread of the cancer. If this difference isn't of major consequence, then I don't know what is. Whether you're simply interested in preventing cancer, or have cancer and want to live longer, you ignore these facts at your own risk.

There’s reasonable cause to suspect that if your body maintains high levels of insulin, you increase the pancreatic cancer's ability to survive and grow. In fact, researchers now believe that up to a third of all types of cancers may be caused by diet and lifestyle. So if you want to prevent cancer, or want to treat cancer, it is imperative that you keep your insulin levels as low as possible.

Should You Eliminate Fruit from Your Diet?

Short answer, no, it wouldn’t be wise to eliminate fruit entirely. Fruit is definitely a source of fructose, and one that can harm your health if you eat it in vast quantities, but eating small amounts of whole fruits is fine if you are healthy.

In vegetables and fruits, the fructose is mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all of which help moderate the negative metabolic effects. However, if you suffer with any fructose-related health issues, such as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, obesity or cancer, you would be wise to limit your total fructose consumption to 15 grams of fructose per day. This includes fructose from ALL sources, including whole fruit.

If you are not insulin resistant, you may increase this to 25 grams of total fructose per day on average.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you'd consume about 15 grams per day. Today the average is 73 grams per day which is nearly 500 percent higher a dose and our bodies simply can't tolerate that type of biochemical abuse. So please, carefully add your fruits based on the following table to keep your total fructose below 15-25 grams per day, depending on your current health status.

Fruit	Serving Size	Grams of Fructose
Limes	1 medium	0
Lemons	1 medium	0.6
Cranberries	1 cup	0.7
Passion fruit	1 medium	0.9
Prune	1 medium	1.2
Guava	2 medium	2.2
Date (Deglet Noor style)	1 medium	2.6
Cantaloupe	1/8 of med. melon	2.8
Raspberries	1 cup	3.0
Clementine	1 medium	3.4
Kiwifruit	1 medium	3.4
Blackberries	1 cup	3.5
Star fruit	1 medium	3.6
Cherries, sweet	10	3.8
Strawberries	1 cup	3.8
Cherries, sour	1 cup	4.0
Pineapple	1 slice (3.5" x .75")	4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red	1/2 medium	4.3

Fruit	Serving Size	Grams of Fructose
Boysenberries	1 cup	4.6
Tangerine/mandarin orange	1 medium	4.8
Nectarine	1 medium	5.4
Peach	1 medium	5.9
Orange (navel)	1 medium	6.1
Papaya	1/2 medium	6.3
Honeydew	1/8 of med. melon	6.7
Banana	1 medium	7.1
Blueberries	1 cup	7.4
Date (Medjool)	1 medium	7.7
Apple (composite)	1 medium	9.5
Persimmon	1 medium	10.6
Watermelon	1/16 med. melon	11.3
Pear	1 medium	11.8
Raisins	1/4 cup	12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red)	1 cup	12.4
Mango	1/2 medium	16.2
Apricots, dried	1 cup	16.4
Figs, dried	1 cup	23.0

How to Determine Your Individual Susceptibility to Fructose Damage

As already stated, those who need to be careful about their fruit intake are people with high insulin levels. You can measure your fasting insulin level to find out for sure, but if you have any of the following problems it is highly likely you have insulin resistance syndrome:

Overweight

High Cholesterol

High Blood Pressure

Diabetes

Yeast Infections

Besides that, you can also use your uric acid levels as a marker for your susceptibility to fructose damage, as some people may be able to process fructose more efficiently than others. The higher your uric acid, the more sensitive you are to the effects of fructose. The safest range of uric acid appears to be between 3 and 5.5 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), and there appears to be a steady relationship between uric acid levels and blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, even down to the range of 3 to 4 mg/dl.

According to Dr. Richard Johnson, the ideal uric acid level is probably around 4 mg/dl for men and 3.5 mg/dl for women.

If you are one of those who believes that fruit is healthy no matter how much you eat, I would strongly encourage you to have your uric acid level checked to find out how sensitive you are to fructose. Eat the amount of fruit you feel is right for you for a few weeks and then check your uric acid level and see if your levels are healthy. If they are elevated you might try reducing the fruit to recommended levels and rechecking your uric acid level. Many who are overweight likely have uric acid levels well above 5.5. Some may even be closer to 10 or above. Measuring your uric acid levels is a very practical way to determine just how strict you need to be when it comes to your fructose – and fruit -- consumption.

Is there Such a Thing as an Ideal Diet for Everyone?

Nutritional requirements can vary wildly from one person to the next, which is why I’ve been a longtime proponent of eating in accordance with your nutritional type. For example, if you’re a protein type, fruits are generally not beneficial for you with the exception of coconut, which has a higher fat content that is beneficial for protein types. On the other hand, carbohydrate types tend to fare well with fruit and can safely consume moderate amounts. This is an important distinction, and everyone should try to eat primarily the specific fruits that are best for their unique biochemistry.

However, many find nutritional typing to be too complex. So to simplify matters, while still allowing for a fully personalized program, I recently updated and revised my Nutritional Plan. It consists of three levels, from beginners to advanced, and covers the basic requirements of a healthy diet.

Keep in mind that emerging evidence suggests your diet should be at least half healthy fat, and possibly as high as 70 percent. My personal diet is about 60-70 percent healthy fat, and both Paul Jaminet, PhD., author of Perfect Health Diet, and Dr. Ron Rosedale, M.D., an expert on treating diabetes through diet, agree that the ideal diet includes somewhere between 50-70 percent fat. It's important to understand that your body requires saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources (such as meat, dairy, certain oils, and tropical plants like coconut) for optimal functioning.

When you take this into account, it’s easy to see that an all-fruit diet could wreak absolute havoc with your health.

Keep in mind that frequent hunger may be a major clue that you're not eating correctly. Not only is it an indication that you're consuming the wrong types of food, but it's also a sign that you're likely consuming them in lopsided ratios for your individual biochemistry. Fat is far more satiating than carbs, so if you have cut down on carbs and feel ravenous, remember this is a sign that you haven't replaced them with sufficient amounts of fat. You do want to make sure you're adding the correct types of fat though, such as:

Olives and Olive oil Coconuts and coconut oil Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk

Raw nuts, such as, almonds or pecans Organic pastured egg yolks Avocados

Grass-fed meats Palm oil Unheated organic nut oils

If You Seek Optimal Health, Pay Careful Attention to Your Insulin Levels

Three lifestyle issues keep popping up on the radar when you look at what’s contributing to pancreatic cancer: sugar intake, lack of exercise, and vitamin D deficiency. Obesity and physical inactivity makes your body less sensitive to the glucose-lowering effects of insulin. Diminished sensitivity to insulin leads to higher blood levels of insulin, which in turn can increase your risk of pancreatic cancer.

It’s a no-brainer that an all-fruit diet can seriously jeopardize your insulin sensitivity, thereby raising your risk of any number of health problems, including pancreatic problems. It’s simply FAR too much fructose for most people. I personally developed diabetes when I tried the "Eat Right for Your Blood Type" diet, which included eating large amounts of fruit for breakfast. So please, be careful of any diet that seems to extreme, and remember the human body NEEDS healthful fats and high quality protein for proper functioning.

Remember to listen to your body over the long term to guide you as to the best food selections. If your energy level deceases, you have a difficult time maintaining your ideal weight or are hungry all the time, there is a good chance that you have yet to find the optimal fuel for your body. As for fruits, use caution if you have any kind of insulin related health issues, as discussed above, and limit your total fructose consumption to 15-25 grams of fructose per day, depending on your health status.

About Dr Kevin Lau

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:45:00 +0000

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info.
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau.
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau.

143 percent improvement in physical function	57 percent improvement in the quality of walking
77 percent improvement in equilibrium	41 percent reduction in pain
60 percent improvement in vitality	23 percent improvement in general health

Impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and diabetes	Elevated triglycerides	Abdominal obesity
Leptin resistance	Inflammation and oxidative stress	Endothelial dysfunction
Microvascular disease	Hyperuricemia	Renal (kidney) damage
Fatty liver disease	High blood pressure	Metabolic syndrome

Olives and Olive oil	Coconuts and coconut oil	Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw nuts, such as, almonds or pecans	Organic pastured egg yolks	Avocados
Grass-fed meats	Palm oil	Unheated organic nut oils