Archive for the ‘arthritis’ Category

Holistic Health Show Opens Series on Chronic Back Pain

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

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Dr Carl O Helvie interviewed two back pain experts and two CEO’s of companies providing natural products for back pain and arthritis pain. These are pictured from left to right: Dr Andrew Fleschner, Dr Andrew Block, Mr Daniel Chapman, and Mr Tamer Elsafy.

Dr Andrew Fleschner is a board certified physician who is in private practice in Bala Cynwdy, Pennsylvania and has a consultancy in Miami, Florida. He is author of Back Together: Hands-On Healing for Couples Other aspects of his background were discussed earlier on this site and can be found at Http://stretchzone.com/Fleschner.htm

Dr Andrew Block is on the staff of the Texas Back Institute and has multiple national and international presentations on the spine and spine surgery. He has also contributed chapters to many of the major books on spine surgery, chronic pain, and other back problems and has authored or co-authored 5 books. The latest of these is The Psychology of Spine Surgery More information is available on an earlier blog here or at: Http:www.texasback.com

Mr Daniel Chapman is the Founder and CEO of Redd Remedies, a leading natural health supplements provider and advocate ffor a holistic health approach to wellness. His company dates back to 1961 when his family opened their first Sunrise Health Food Store in Reseland, Illinois. More information on Daniel and his company was presented earlier and can be found at: www.reddremedies.com

Mr Tamer Elsafy is President and CEO of Flexicon International a producer and supplier of natural products for joint pain and arthritis that incorporate CM8. his products have been formulated under the direction of physicians and nutritionists. More information was presented earlier and can be found at www.flexicon.com

The interviews follow. I hope you enjoy and learn from them.

 
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Back Pain Series on Holistic Health Show Opens with Dr Andrew S. Kirschner and Includes Dr Andrew Block, Mr Daniel Chapman, and Mr Tamer Elsafy

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

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Guests to be Interviewed by Dr Carl O Helvie on the Holistic Health Show on Saturday include Dr. Andrew Fleschner (top left), Dr Andrew Block (top right), Mr Daniel Chapman (lower left), and Mr Tamer Elsafy (lower right).

Dr. Andrew Kirschner is the physician many top athletes and performers turn to for relief from pain. Dr. Kirschner, a board certified physician and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, has created a unique combination of his own Osteopathic techniques and other carefully selected modailities which he has named OSTeO. These techniques with the accompanying psychological strategies can often help to decrease pain and restore peak function where more conventional approaches have failed. Atheletes and the physically challenged, adolescents and the elderly have all benefitted from his unique approach to back & neck pain.
Dr. Kirschner graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1995. He completed an internship and residency in family medicine and osteopathic manual medicine at Suburban General Hospital in 1998, and became board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manual medicine that same year. He has been in private practice in Bala Cynwyd, PA since 1999, and has worked as a peak performance consultant in Miami since 2000.
Dr. Kirschner founded Back Together in 2001 to be a resource for individuals and couples looking for information about back pain, as well as conservative solutions to back pain. His well received book Back Together- Hands-on Healing for Couples was released in 2006 has helped thousands of couples find relief. His follow up video program Back Together- Simple & Effective Solutions for Back Pain was released this year. The Back Together blog, BackWords is one of very few resources on the internet offering direct responses to viewer questions both in video and text form.
If you or someone you know is suffering from back pain, you owe it to yourself to visit his websites.
For more information about Dr. Kirschner and Back Together please:
-Visit his website: www.backtogether.org
-Subscribe to his blog: wwww.thebacktogetherblog.com
-Become a fan of Back Together on Facebook to receive the Back Together Back Pain Tip of the Day.
-View Back Together video updates on his youtube channel, backtogethertv.
-Receive tips by following his Twitter feed, BackTips

Dr Andrew Block received his PhD in Applied Experimental Psychology and completed his clinical internship at Dartmouth College in 1980. He is currently on the staff of the Texas Back Institute and has served as
Director of the Well Being Group in Plano, Texas; Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Texas in Dallas; and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
He has multiple national and international presentations on spine and spine surgery concerns. He has also contributed chapters to many of the major books on spine surgery, chronic pain and other back problems. He has also authored or co-authored 5 books and the most recent is The Psychology of Spine Surgery published by the American Psychological Association in 2003. More information is available at: http://www.texasback.com

Mr Daniel Chapman is Founder and CEO of Redd Remedies with origins dating back to 1961 when his family opened their first Sunrise Health Food store in Roseland, Illinois. Redd Remedies has evolved as a leading natural health supplement provider and an advocate for a holistic approach to wellness. Today they have six retail outlets and a nationwide distribution. Redd Remedies is a sponsor of the nonprofit American Botanical Council and is distributed to independent health food stores nationwide. More information is available at www.reddremedies.com

Mr Tamer Elsafy is President and CEO of Flexcin International. In 1997 he began marketing and manufacturing all natural vitamins and dietary supplements. Over the next two years his business grew rapidly but he was not fufilled. Seeing his grandmother suffer from severe pain he became passionate about helping her and others. In 1999, under the guidance of doctors and nutritionists he developed an all natural formula to relieve symptoms associated with joint pain and arthritis that incorporated CM8 discovered by Harry Diehl. His grandmother was helped by the product that has since helped thousands of people all over the world become pain-free. More information is available at: http://www.flexicon.com

Mr Elsafy’ product is for arthritis which will complete the series on arthritis. I will add that I have no connection with either of these companies or products to be presented by Mr Chapman or Mr Elsafy and found them through contact with publicists. I received samples and passed them on to friends suffering from arthritis or back pain and received positive reports back. I offer these interviews to sufferers because of my interest in natural products and supplements instead of harsh chemicals in the treatment for pain.

New Approach May Halt or Reverse Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

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New research to be published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism discussed a novel way to halt or reverse rheumatoid arthritis by using am imitation of a suicide molecule that floats undetected into immune cells that are responsible for this type of arthritis. Using this approach the researchers were able to stop the disease in 75% of the study mice without any observed toxic effects as is the case with current drugs. The mechanism is that healthy immune cells usually die after attacking an invading virus or bacteria. However, in rheumatoid arthritis the immune cells do not die but live on and go rogue proliferating in the blood, building up in the joints and invading cartilage and bone.

Researchers discovered that immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis are low in a critical molecule (Bim) that cause the immune cells to self- destruct. To correct this fault they developed an imitation of this molecule (called BH2) that was injected into study mice with rheumatoid arthritis that caused the immune cells to destruct, joint swelling was reduced and bone destruction decreased. Thus, they concluded that the molecule could prevent the disease and trigger a remission in those who have it. Further research is planned to develop a more precise method of delivering the drug.

Natural Solutions for Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Discussed on the Holistic Health Show

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

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Dr Jacob Teitelbaum (left) and Dr David Russell were interviewed by Dr Carl O. Helvie on the Holistic Health Show last night. Dr Teitelbaum, a Board Certified Internist and Medical Director of a National Chain of Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers (www.fibroandfatigue.com)suffered from and overcome these diseases. He is senior author of landmark studies in these areas and author of the best seller From Fatigue to Fantasy and also author of additional books mentioned earlier on this website. More information is available on www.Vitality101.com

My second guest, Dr Davids Russell, holds a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and is competing another Doctorate of Divinity and is the Founder and Director of the non-profit organization Caritas Traditionalis whose goal is to create a self-sustainable medical presence in economically depressed communities. He has studied classical medicine around the world including Europe, Nepal and the Middle East. More information can be found on an earlier blog here.

Their interviews follow. I hope they are informative for you.

 
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Strength Training, Self-Management Programs or a Combination are Equally Effective for Osteoarthritis

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

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A 24 month unblinded, random intervention study to compare the effects of strength training programs, self-management programs, and a combination of both carried out at the University of Arizona Arthritis Center found that physically inactive, middle aged people with symptomatic osteoarthritis benefited equally from strength training regimes, self-management programs, or a combination of the two. In this study, known as the Knee Study the researchers hypothesized that combining the two treatments might enhance the outcome.
Two hundred seventy three study participants between the ages of 35 and 65 who had reported pain and disability due to knee pain on most days in one or both knees for a period of not more than five years, and had a Kellgren/Lawrence classification grade 2 radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis in one or both knees were included.
Study participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups-strength training, self management program, and the combination group. The strength training group spent the first 9 months improving the core areas of stretching and balance, range of motion and flexibility, and isotonic muscle strength. This was followed by 15 months of developing independent, long-term exercise habits. The second group participated in a 2-phase self-management program to educate participants and provide one on one treatment advice. The combined group participated in both the complete training and self-management program. Two hundred one of the original 273 participants completed the two year program with the self management group having the highest compliance rate.

Despite the lack of differences in finding in the three groups, all groups demonstrated improvements in physical function tests and decreased self-reported pain and disability. The researchers stated that because the self management group demonstrated higher compliance and there was no differences found in the outcome of the three groups, self-management might be a less intrusive and equally effective early treatment for knee osteoarthritis. More information is available in the January 2010 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

Natural Treatments for Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

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ON SATURDAY MY GUESTS ARE DR. JACOB TEITELBAUM (LEFT) AND DR. DAVID RUSSELL. DR TEITELBAUM, A BOARD CERTIFIED INTERNIST AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF A NATIONAL CHAIN OF FIBROMYALGIA AND FATIGUE CENTERS (WWW.FIBROANDFATIGUE.COM) SUFFERED WITH AND OVERCOME THESE ILLNESSES IN 1975. HE SPENT THE NEXT 30 YEARS CREATING, RESEARCHING, AND TEACHING ABOUT EFFECTIVE THERAPIES FOR FATIGUE AND PAIN. HE IS THE SENIOR AUTHOR OF THE LANDMARK STUDIES EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND FIBROMYALGIA-A PLACEBO CONTROLLED STUDY AND OF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND FIBROMYALGIA WITH D-RIBOSE.
DR TEITELBAUM LECTURES INTERNATIONALLY AND IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BEST-SELLING BOOK FROM FATIGUE TO FANTASTIC. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THREE STEPS TO HAPPINESS:HEALING THROUGH JOY AND THE RECENTLY RELEASED PAIN FREE 1-2-3-A PROVEN PROGRAM TO GET YOU PAIN FREE BY MCGRAW HILL PUBLISHERS IN 2006. AS A PATIENT ADVOCATE DR TIETELBAUM HAS A POLICY OF NOT TAKING MONEY FROM ANY PHARMACEUTICAL OR NATURAL PRODUCT COMPANIES, AND 100% OF THE ROYALTIES FROM HIS PRODUCTS GO TO CHARITY. HIS WEBSITE IS: www.vitality101.com

MY SECOND GUEST IS DR DAVID RUSSELL WHO HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE AND IS COMPLETING ANOTHER DOCTORATE OF DIVINITY AND IS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CARITAS TRADITIONALIS, AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT WHOSE GOAL IS TO CREATE A SELF-SUSTAINABLE MEDICAL PRESENCE IN ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED COMMUNITIES. HE ALSO MAINTAINS CONSULTATION ON INTEGRATED HEALTH IN TUCSON, ARIZONA AND DENMARK. . FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS HE HAS TAUGHT CLASSICAL MEDICAL DISCIPLINES IN EUROPE, NEPAL AND THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS DIAGNOSTICS AND HOMEOPATHY IN NATUROPATHIC SCHOOLS IN DENMARK AND NORWAY.
IN ADDITION TO HIS DOCTORAL DEGREE HIS EDUCATION INCLUDED STUDYING AND PRACTICING WITH CLASSICAL MASTERS IN EUROPE, NEPAL, AND THE MIDDLE EAST. HE HOLDS CERTIFICATION IN REFLEXOLOGY, HOMEOPATHY, ACUPUNCTURE, BIOCHEMISTRY, IRIDOLOGY, AND KNEIPP THERAPY. HE IS ALSO QUALIFIED IN CHINESE, TIBETIAN, AYURVEDIC AND ISLAMIC MEDICINE.
HE LIVED IN DENMARK FROM 1969 TO 1991 AND HAS WORKED IN THE HEALTH FIELD SINCE 1974, DURING THAT TIME HE BECAME A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE DANISH SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATED MEDICINE AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING THE THREE MAJOR CLINICS FOR INTEGRATED MEDICINE IN DENMARK. HE IS ALSO A MEDICAL CONSULTANT FOR A DANISH CLINIC FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.
DAVID IS THE AUTHOR OF HEALTHY SOLUTIONS: A GUIDE TO SIMPLE HEALING AND HEALTHY WISDOM, FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED THE ARIZONA BOOK AWARD FOR BEST HEALTH/NUTRITION/WELLNESS BOOK. HE LECTURES WIDELY AND HAS BEEN FEATURED AT EVENTS AND CONFERENCES INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF PROBIOTIC MEDICINE, INSTITUTE OF NOETIC SCIENCES, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF BIOLOGICAL DENTISTRY, CANCER COTROL SOCIETY, JUNGIAN SOCIETY, AND THE U OF ARIZONA.

Are Running Shoes Causing Knee, Hip and Ankle Problems

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

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A new study published in the December issue of PM&R: The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation concluded that running shoes exert more stress on knee, hip and ankle joints than running barefoot or walking in high-heeled shoes.
Sixty-eight healthy young adults who run at least 15 miles a week in typical running shoes (37 women and 28 men) and who had no musculoskeletal injuries were included in the study. Each was given a pair of typical running shoes and observed running barefoot and with shoes on a treadmill. Data was collected at each runner’s comfortable running pace after a warm-up period.
The researchers observed increased joint torques at the hip, knee and ankle with running shoes. An average 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque, a 36% increase in knee flexion torque, and a 38% increase in knee varus torque were measured when running in running shoes compared with barefoot. This is even higher than the earlier reports of knee joint torque reported for high heeled shoes. The researcher concluded that the goal of new footwear designs should be to reduce joint torque in footwear to that of barefoot running while providing meaningful footwear function.

Avoid Knee Replacement and Harsh Treatments for Arthritis

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

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Last night Dr Carl O Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show interviewed Dr Ross Hauser (left) and Dr Thom Lobe (right).

Dr Hauser talked about prolotherapy a medical procedure of injecting natural substances into a site such as the knee to regenerate cartilage. He has been performing this procedure sucessfully for 12 years and studied with the physician who invented the procedure., He has also written books on the procedure. More of his biography was presented on this site earlier and can be found at http://www.caringmedical.com

My second guest was Dr Thom Lobe who is the founder and medical director of Beneveda Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California. He has been first many times such as successful separation of siamese twins, establishment of first pediatric surgery training program in the south, first textbook on pediatric surgery, first medical journal devoted to advanced surgical treatments in children and others. He is also a long time host and moderator of a medical talk show on GHS television in Germantown, Tennessee called “Whats Up Doc?”. Others aspects of his biography were identified earlier on this site and can be found at www.beneveda.com Dr Lobe talks about natural ways to deal with arthritis.

The interview follows. I hope you enjoy it.

 
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New Drug Cautiously Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

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Tocilizumab, brand-named Actemra, is a new biologic drug for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthtritis that is not well controlled by other medications. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and should be available for patients during the week of January 18. It is the first drug that blocks a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) which is overproduced in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. The drug is given once a month by intravenous infusion and is powerful and fast acting. However, there are safety concerns so it must be used cautiously. Side effects experienced by people taking it during clinical trials included elevated LDL or bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes and gastrointestinal perforations. Thus, its use is recommended only for those who have not responded to other therapies and the FDA is requiring the manufacturer to monitor it’s long term safety. Specifically the FDA is interested in evaluating the long term effect of elevated LDL, cholesterol and blood pressure on the cardiovascular health of those on the drug. If this drug is recommended, make sure you have frequent testing by your primary health care provider.

Want to Avoid Knee Replacements and Harsh Chemicals for Your Arthritis. Dr Ross Hauser and Dr Thomas Lobe May Have Solutions For You

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

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Dr Carl O Helvie will interview Dr Ross Hauser (left) and Dr Thomas Lobe on the Holistic Health Show on Saturday. Dr Hauser received his M.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago, completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Loyola-Hines VA-Marianjoy Hospitals, and received his baccalaureate degree at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaigne. He is currently the Medical Director, CEO, and Co-founder of the physician run, comprehensive natural medicine clinic, Caring Medicine and Rehabilitation Services in Oak Park, Illinois.
Dr Hauser is most well know for his expertise in the technique of Prolotherapy, a medical procedure that stimulates the body to repair painful, injured areas. He trained under Dr Gustav Hemwall who is the grandfather of this procedure. As a result of his expertise and books on Prolotherapy Dr Hauser sees patients from all over the USA and abroad.
Dr Hauser is a consultant for Beulah Land Nutritionals, a comprehensive nutriceuticals store and with his wife developed some of the products for optimal health.
Dr Hauser and his wife co-authored the national best seller Proto Your Pain Away! Curing Chronic Pain with Prolotherapy. along with a four-book topical mini series of Prolotherapy books. They also wrote the Anthology of Prolotherapy- Prolo Your Sports Injuries Away! Curing Sports Injuries and Enhancing Athletic Performance with Prolotherapy a 900 page sports book that discusses the use of Prolotherapy for sports injuries and other topics including nutrition, surgery, x-rays, cortisone shots, MRI’s, and other aspects of sports medicine.
They also coauthored Treating Cancer with Insulin Potentiation Therapy and more recently Prolotherapy: An Alternative to Knee surgery.
In additional to national lectures he is a preceptor for Bastyr University’s naturopathic medical students and also Midwestern University’s Physician Assistant Program. More information is available at: http://www.caringmedical.com

Dr Thomas Lobe, M.D., FAC’s, FAAP, is Founder and Medical Director of Beneveda Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California. He obtained his baccalaureate degree at George Washington U, and during his medical education studied with leading physicians at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. He also studied with former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D. and graduated from medical school cum laude and with honors in pediatrics. After medical school he trained at Ohio State University Hospital in general surgery and the Children’s Hospital in pediatric surgery.
He became Chief of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston following his residency and made national news as being the first to successfully separate a particularly difficult variety of Siamese twins and lead the nation in complex reconstruction of the airway.
He was recruited to the University of Tennessee in Memphis and LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center to start the first pediatric surgery training program in the south. There he lead the world in the development of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery in children. He also wrote the first textbook on the subject and pioneered many novel techniques. In addition, he established the first medical journal devoted to advanced surgical techniques in children and currently remains the editor. While in Tennessee he began his television career and remains the host and moderator of What’s Up Doc? a medical talk show on GHS-TV in Germantown, Tennessee.
Dr Lobe continued an interest in alternative and complementary Medicine throughout his career and convinced the Dean of the Medical School in Tennessee to begin a program of instruction for medical students. He remained in charge of that program for over a decade before leaving the area for a new challenge at
Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. There he was recruited to pioneer advances in minimally invasive surgery and with his associates he was the first to develop an advanced technique to perform major head and neck surgery such as thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Through a small incision in the armpit, the procedure leaves the patient with no visible, unsightly scar and no pain.
To strengthen his interest in alternative and complementary medicine Dr Lobe obtained an additional degree in naturopathic medicine and passed his boards in both medical hypnosis and medical acupuncture. He has traveled extensively and studies with leaders in this field of practice.
Dr Lobe has written more than 200 books, book chapters, and peer reviewed articles and has lectured world-wide on nearly every continent. He also found time to study law and completed an additional degree-Physician’s Executive Masters in Business Administration at the University of Tennessee.
He is a board member and founding advisor to Neatstitch, LLC, a laparoscopic instrument company based in Israel and now in the United States, and also co-founder for Visual Medical Solutions, LLC, the producers of BodyViz, a new medical imaging tool for surgical planning and medical education that makes use of virtual reality engineering to improve patient care.
Most recently, Dr Lobe followed his dream of putting together the most advanced medical practice in existence, focusing on the new medical specialty called energy medicine. Beneveda Medical Group (www.beneveda.com) offers the best integration of Western and Eastern Medicine and is the first practice in the United States to specialize in Energy Revitalization and manage problems many consider resistant to conventional approaches such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, insomnia, weight loss, osteoporosis, and others. More information is available at www.beneveda.com