Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. SHOULD YOU BE NEURO HACKING YOUR BRAIN? INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 621 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. LOWERING THE RISK OF CARDIAC ARREST, PART 2- INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 616 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro:[00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast where our …
back and neck pain
Written by Melissa Bistricer, RDN
For further questions or concerns email me at mbistricer@invitehealth.com
Did you know that the spine has over 120 muscles, about 220 ligaments, and 100 joints. That is just the spine alone. Imagine if it is damaged or you’re in pain how many muscles, ligaments, and joints are affected too. We don’t want to continuously be in discomfort and pain. Let us go into some details about clinically-studied nutrients that have been shown to fend off discomfort throughout the body.†
We can simply define pain as “physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury” but does everyone feel the same type of pain? No, because back and neck pain can vary from mild aches to persistent severe pain where it can be disabling. This can occur from overuse, strenuous activity, fractures, trauma, infection, obesity, osteoporosis, muscle tension, poor bone density, and joint problems.†
According to Hopkins Medicine, factors that contribute to back and neck pain can be aging, lack of exercise, medical conditions, smoking, physiological conditions, or obesity. Some symptoms to be aware of if you feel you are experiencing back and neck pain are leg numbness, persistent pain, sharp/shooting pain, loss of bladder and bowel control, and weakness in the legs.†
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Will help to relieve some of the back and neck pain. The diet will help to reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is bound to happen to most individuals, whether you know or not. Our immune systems create inflammation to help protect the body from infection, injury or diseases. We want to make sure we are not causing any harmful inflammation from consuming a diet rich in processed foods, sugary foods, or pre-packed items. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats are part of practicing an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce inflammation. The best foods to start to consume are tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, green leafy vegetables; spinach, kale, collards, fatty fish; salmon, tuna, mackerel, and fruits; strawberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges.†
Nutrition is where it starts to improve and get rid of inflammation in the body. Given the proper recommendations for vitamins and minerals the body has the optimal potential to regenerate. These nutrients will help to play a critical role in helping reduce inflammation, discomfort, back, and neck pain.†
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant, also commonly known as turmeric. The effects of curcumin are limited due to its low bioavailability. Research has suggested the use of bio-curcumin rather than curcumin due to the relatively higher bioavailability and absorption rates. In a clinical study published in the Indian Journal to study the bioavailability of curcuminoids, the bioavailability of BMC-95 was approximately 6.93 fold compared to just curcumin and about 6.3 fold compared to curcumin-lecithin-piperine formula.† 1
5-loxin is derived from Boswellia serrata extract enriched with “30% 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA).” This has anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme.2 A double blind, randomized placebo-controlled study was completed to assess the efficacy and safety of 5-loxin for treatments of osteoarthritis of the knee. 2 At the end of the study, results showed significant improvements in discomfort in osteoarthritis patients. 5-loxin has been shown to help reduce discomfort, reduce inflammatory modulators, improve physical function and joint health.† 2
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the body’s fluids in the eyes and joints. Hyaluronic acid acts as a protective cushion to the joints and other tissues. It helps the body respond to injury or decrease swelling. When the body is lacking hyaluronic acid, this can cause joint pain and inflammation. Recent research suggests the benefits of hyaluronic acid therapy for osteoarthritis patients.† 3
Devil’s claw was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s, where the dried root was used to restore appetite, relieve heartburn, and reduce pain and inflammation. Evidence suggests that devils claw is beneficial to fend off back and neck discomfort. In a large research study of 197 men and women with chronic back pain, taking devils claw daily for a month had significant results with less discomfort and taking fewer painkillers than those of the placebo group.† 4
Strontium is a metal and the same group of periodic elements as calcium. It has been recognized that strontium in high concentrations may be displaced and replaced by calcium in the bones. 5 There is evidence that states a low dose of strontium can increase bone formation rate and trabecular bone density related to strontium-induced stimulation of osteoblastic activity.† 5
Bio-Curcumin 5-Loxin is highly absorbable that supports the body’s inflammatory response and helps with discomfort in the joint, back and neck†
Hyaluronic Acid with Devils Claw supports joint lubrication and overall connective tissue needs†
Strontium is a mineral that offers support for bone and back health, as 99% of strontium’s supply is stored in the bones†
For further questions or concerns related to dietary and nutritional supplement recommendations email me at mbistricer@invitehealth.com
Sources
1) Antony B, Merina B, Iyer VS, Judy N, Lennertz K, Joyal S. A Pilot Cross-Over Study to Evaluate Human Oral Bioavailability of BCM-95CG (Biocurcumax), A Novel Bioenhanced Preparation of Curcumin. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008;70(4):445-449. doi:10.4103/0250-474X.44591
2) Sengupta, Krishanu & Alluri, Kr & Satish, Andey & Mishra, Simanchala & Golakoti, Trimurtulu & Sarma, Kadainti & Dey, Dipak & Raychaudhuri, Siba. (2008). A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin (R) for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthritis research & therapy. 10. 10.1186/ar2461.
3) Bowman S, Awad ME, Hamrick MW, Hunter M, Fulzele S. Recent advances in hyaluronic acid based therapy for osteoarthritis. Clin Transl Med. 2018;7(1):6. Published 2018 Feb 16. doi:10.1186/s40169-017-0180-3
4) Devil’s Claw. Mount Sinai Health System. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/devils-claw. Accessed March 18, 2022.
5) Genuis SJ, Bouchard TP. Combination of Micronutrients for Bone (COMB) Study: bone density after micronutrient intervention. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:354151. doi:10.1155/2012/354151
Lupus is an autoimmune condition that is closely related to inflammation and low levels of Vitamin D. Learn more about this issue and what you can do to help from Amanda Williams, MD, MPH.
Chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on the body, so what can you do to help? Turn to powerful nutrients such as Vitamin D, resveratrol and more to help with inflammaging.
trigger finger
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Trigger finger is a common condition. It’s painful. The finger is catching in both directions. When you try to bend it, it can catch and when you try to straighten it out, it can lock. Trigger finger is pretty common and there are specific symptoms to it. For instance, you get this nodule at the bottom of the finger by the palm. The finger catches and kind of locks when you bend it and it can suddenly pop straight out again. You can feel it clicking into place and you get stiffness, especially in the morning.†
The name ‘trigger finger’ comes from this trigger-like snap when your finger suddenly releases. Today, we’re going to talk about trigger finger, who’s more prone to developing it, why they get it and what I would recommend as a viable alternative to typical treatments.†
Trigger finger is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. It mostly affects two fingers, the ring finger or the thumb, but it can happen in any finger. It’s pretty common. It occurs more frequently in women than in men. It’s more common in people in their 50s and early 60s.†
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It’s an issue because the tendons that bend the fingers stiffen and are in pain. The tendons in the finger go through a sheath and trigger finger occurs when either the tendons or the sheath get inflamed. This causes swelling and there’s not enough room for the tendon to glide smoothly through the sheath. Then the tendon catches and can get stuck. You get popping, clicking and pain. It’s a vicious cycle because the more often this happens, the more it swells and gets irritated and the harder it is to treat.†
If you wake up in the morning and you find that your thumb or other finger is locked in place, try massaging it. If there’s one nodule, an injection of a steroid into it usually helps most people. They generally give it about six weeks before they give you an injection. They tell you to take Advil or Aleve first before giving you the injection. If there are multiple nodules, the injections don’t work that well.†
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To treat trigger finger, you’re supposed to rest the finger that’s affected, but that’s not always doable. This is why we should turn to nutrients that have been proven to help with inflammation. Let’s talk about some natural, really safe alternatives for helping with trigger finger. These can be helpful with any type of tendonitis.†
First of all, let’s look at Devils Claw. This a shrubby plant that grows in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. Inside the plant, there is something called harpagosites. These are the magical ingredients that are great for inflammation. If you buy Devils Claw, you want it to be standardized for harpagosites. If you want to help with tendonitis, you need about 90 to 100mg of the harpagosites daily. Research has found that Devils Claw is great for pain and inflammation.†
Another ingredient that can help is Boswellia serrata, which is commonly called frankincense. Boswellia serrata has ingredients in it called AKBAs that are very good for inflammation. They inhibit a pathway called the lipoxygenase pathway, which is an inflammatory pathway that can inflame the joints, intestines, skin, prostate, urinary tract, lungs, brain and female reproductive system. The Boswellia serrata can be very helpful with these things.†
Another herb that can be very useful is turmeric, but make sure you use the entire plant. Research has shown that using the whole plant is better than just using its most significant ingredient, which is turmeric. There’s a turmeric blend with curcumin where they add the black pepper fruit called BioperineⓇ. This is called Curcumin Blend and it can help. There’s also Bio-CurcuminⓇ, which has many clinical trials looking at its benefits for inflammation and pain.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses the phenomenon of trigger finger, a type of tendonitis that affects only the fingers. He explains what causes it and offers recommendations for nutrients that can help tamper the inflammation occurring in the fingers.†
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