Category Archives: addiction

Correcting Neurotransmitter Imbalances with IV Amino Acids

Correcting Neurotransmitter Imbalances with IV Amino Acids

When taken, drugs will alter the normal the bodily functions. That is no news to even those who use drugs of abuse, in fact the basic definition of a drug is; any substance that when taken will interfere with the normal functions of the body. However some drugs do not only alter minor body functions but go a step further in inhibiting the functions of neurotransmitters to a greater extent.  Most of the drugs that can mimic or interfere with the functions of the neurotransmitters in any way are mostly drugs of pleasure that are prone to abuse and are hence illegal in many parts of the world. The brain and the entire nervous system functions in a way that the entire body needs them to work properly, you can’t imagine how fast the coordination between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system is but most important fact to note is that any interference within the nervous system even only to a neurotransmitter goes a long way in affecting the entire body. The brain has various mechanisms through which it accomplishes all the functions of the body. The effect of drugs on the neurotransmitters can be underestimated by those who haven’t known how the neurotransmitters work, here is how the neurotransmitters work.

Neurotransmitters

How Neurotransmitters Work

Neurotransmitters are very crucial in the nervous system. They are the chemicals that transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. Nerve cells are known as neurons. The nerve impulse travels from the first nerve cell through the axon, a single smooth body arising from the nerve cell to the axon terminal and the synaptic knobs. Each synaptic knob communicates with a dendrite or cell body of another neuron, and the synaptic knobs contain neurovesicles that store and release neurotransmitters. The synapse lies between the synaptic knob and the next cell. For the impulse to continue traveling across the synapse to reach the next cell, the synaptic knobs release the neurotransmitter into that space, and the next nerve cell is stimulated to pick up the impulse and continue it. An interference with the neurotransmitters can adversely affect the flow of message within the nervous system. This is what most drugs of abuse do. They affect the harmonious flow of information from the brain to the rest of the body maiming its normal functions. Let’s look at how drugs affect specific neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

How Drugs affect Dopamine and GABA

One of the neurotransmitters that are highly targeted by drugs of pleasure is Dopamine. To some people it is known as the ‘bliss neurotransmitter’. It is responsible for good feeling, the euphoric feelings that drug addicts seek from various drugs of abuse. Dopamine has great influence on well-being, alertness, learning, creativity, attention and concentration. Levels of dopamine should be optimal in the brain since when the level of dopamine is low it can leave us craving food, sex or stimulation. When the dopamine level is too high it can cause addictive behaviors. It has been observed that patients who are put on medications to boost dopamine level especially the Parkinson’s patient, they will form an addictive behavior like gambling when the levels of dopamine shoots beyond the optimal level. Dopamine boosts the feelings of pleasure but when the levels are too high it may result in Paranoia or a suspicious personality. Dopamine is also released when there is high stress. Therefore the level of dopamine should be regulated to ensure sound health. This is where the functions of inhibitory neurotransmitters set in, however with influence of drugs this coordination between excitatory neurotransmitters and inhibitory neurotransmitters is maimed.

Nicotine influences mood, cognition, and body function by binding to and activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) located on neurons in the brain. When activated by either nicotine or the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the nAChR opens a channel that allows ions to pass through the neuron’s membrane from the exterior to the interior of the cell and trigger changes that activate the cell. When you take tobacco or other drug with nicotine the nicotine will have interactions with nAChRs and therefore any nicotine dependence treatment should focus on altering these interactions.

Nicotine produces rewarding effects by interacting with nAChRs on neurons in the brain’s mesolimbic reward system. This system comprises dopaminergic neurons that originate in the ventral tegmental area often shortened as VTA and release the neurotransmitter dopamine in regions involved in information processing, memory, and emotions, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Increases in dopamine levels within the mesolimbic system give rise to rewarding effects. Nicotine directly enhances dopamine levels in the mesolimbic system by interacting with nAChRs on the dopaminergic neurons and causing them to release more of the neurotransmitter. Nicotine also modulates dopamine release indirectly by binding to nAChRs located on excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory gamma aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area. These glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons originate from a number of brain areas, such as the NAc, hippocampus, PFC, amygdala, ventral pallidum, and pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, and regulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Restoring nicotine addiction can’t be done with IV amino acid to restore NER balance

Nicotine is one of the most available addictive substances. You can find it in tea but it can be found in greater proportions. Unfortunately, Nicotine addiction is never easy to fight. And the bitter truth is that nicotine addiction can’t be fought successfully without IV amino acid to restore NER balance. IV amino acids are the best in restoring the balances in the neuroendocrine system. The IV amino acids are the best in detoxification and getting rid of the effects of nicotine and curbing nicotine addiction by ensuring the balance of neuroendocrine chemicals.  With IV amino acid, dopamine has been noted to be the major cause of addiction can be regulated. IV amino acids is used as an  outpatient program which focuses on biochemical detoxification of the body and brain hence perfect treatment for nicotine addiction.

Any addiction treatment must focus on restoring the general well-being of the patient that can only be achieved by restoring the neurotransmitters affected. This is why we at AWAREmed are dedicated to ensuring that we offer the best neuroendocrine restoration. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is one of the few doctors that have embraced the benefits of NER in fighting addiction. Call on her and be helped in finding the best solution for nicotine and other substances addiction.

Neurochemical and Imbalances Involved In With Nicotine & Smoking

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

The Benefits of Stem Cell and PRP for Facial Rejuvenation

When women begin aging lots of things change about them. it is natural that these changes happen as some of the bodily processes also comes to a halt for example production of crucial hormones that make women be what they are stops. these hormones estrogen and progesterone are known to play very crucial roles in the general wellbeing of women but there production will stop during menopause, however I dint mention these hormones to highlight the effects of hormones on the appearance of the skin, no, just highlighted them to give examples of what happens before aging and what stops during aging. The body has its own mechanism of keeping itself young and rejuvenated. the stem cells has a crucial purpose in ensuring that the skin is in good health but as aging sets in the body will not have enough of these stem cells to help in keeping the skin younger and beautiful. Therefore it is necessary to supplement the amounts of the stem cells to ensure that the skin maintains its aesthetic properties even during aging. The supplementation of the stem cells in the body to help in facial rejuvenation can be done through platelet Rich Plasma therapy.

Platelet Rich Plasma for facial rejuvenation

Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is a safe and effective strategy of facial rejuvenation. It is safe since PRP is produced from your own blood; therefore there is no risk of an allergic reaction. In addition, PRP contains concentrated amount of white blood cells, your natural defenders against infections. As a result, infection is extremely rare with PRP treatment. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an extract of your own blood that contains three to five times more platelets, growth factors, and active proteins for tissue and injury healing. It has been used medically for years to accelerate wound healing; repair tendon, ligament and joint damage; heal diabetic ulcers; and help regrow muscle and bone. for facial rejuvenation, when PRP is injected beneath the skin it will cause a localized stem cell response, over a time the stem cell response recruits collagen-producing cells called fibroblasts. The fibroblasts replace tissue that has been damaged or lost through the aging process with healthy skin that looks refreshed, rejuvenated and aesthetic. PRP owes its effectiveness to the medicinal properties of blood platelets. Platelets are important for clotting our blood and repairing our body. They also release ‘growth factor’ which stimulates stem cells to repair and produce new healthy tissue. Platelet rich plasma is obtained by separating it from your blood with a centrifuge. Because your own blood is used there is no danger of disease transmission or allergies.

PRP

Benefits of Platelet Rich Plasma therapy

Platelet Rich Plasma has several medicinal qualities and has been used for quite a long time in healing certain diseases and it is these healing properties of PRP that has made it a target for healing degenerative diseases. Its properties as anti-aging agent have made it a target by cosmeticians. PRP has can be used in treating the following;

  • Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
  • Tightening and toning skin
  • Mild collagen and volume loss
  • Crow’s feet and dark under eye circles
  • Acne scarring
  • Dull dry skin
  • Creepy neck
  • Back of hands

Advantages of Using Platelet Rich Plasma in facial Rejuvenation

  • Low risk of disease transmission and allergic reactions because your own blood is used
  • Non-surgical with minimal side effects (bruising is really the only side effect)
  • Natural: uses your own platelet cells with high concentration of growth factor
  • Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are “bioactive” stimulators and not fillers and it will increase collagen providing a gradual increase in skin thickness.
  • The impact of treatment is seen within a short time i.e. visible results appear the first treatment session.

PRP facial rejuvenation therapy procedure

stem cellsPrior to your PRP treatment, your blood will be drawn, like taking a standard blood test, causing minimal pain and thereafter the blood will be separated into its ingredients. With advanced technology separation of platelet rich plasma can be easily done through a process of centrifugation. After separation of PRP from blood, the degree of skin aging will assessed. The doctor will perform a simple skin analysis, and recommend a sensible treatment with a reasonable outcome. After your skin is cleansed and prepared, local anesthetic cream may be applied. If the entire face is to be treated, PRP will be injected via a syringe and applied topically to the skin with a dermaroller. For treating specific areas such as around the eyes and laugh lines, PRP is carefully injected to the targeted area.

Possible side effects of PRP

PRP therapy for facial rejuvenation is an extremely safe procedure owing to the fact that nothing foreign that may cause an allergic or unfavorable immune response is not used.  The blood used in PRP is from the patient’s body and hence safe. However some of the side effects of PRP include; mild swelling and bruising. These can last only for a week and then everything is back to normal. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD), founder of the AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center Located at Myrtle Beach, North Caroline is an expert in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Call on her for help.

 The Benefits of Stem Cell and PRP for Facial Rejuvenation

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Current Stem Cell Treatments for Orthopedic Conditions

Current Stem Cell Treatments for Orthopedic Conditions

The stem cells have a unique ability to divide and become more specialized cells forming cells like bone, blood, or muscle. It is this ability that makes them attractive agents in many areas of medicine.  They can therefore be used to fight very many diseases in the regenerative medicine. Another advantage of stem cell therapy treatments is that autologous stem cell transport is made possible. This means that a person may be treated by doctors harvesting the stem cells from the patient and having the stem cells reimplanted into the same patient after finding out what was lacking in the patient. This reduces risks of infection as well as rejection which are helpful to the patient.

Today the stem cell therapy has become the game changing approach to treatment of orthopedic conditions. The ability of these stem cells to differentiate into more specialized cells has made them a valuable target in treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Particularly the use of bone marrow stromal cells has attracted the attention of researchers who are in pursuit of finding out how these stem cells can be applied to end human misery caused by some diseases.

Stem cells are a unique type of cells, unlike the other cells in the body the stem cell have the ability to self-renew, they have the ability to divide several times giving rise to differentiated cells which are suited for specific functions hence can be used to replace or regenerate worn out cells in the body causing pain and discomfort. They can form cardiac, liver, fat, bone, cartilage, nerve, and connective tissue cells among other more specialized cells. Autologous stem cell therapy harnesses the regenerative power of your body’s own stem cells as a treatment option for degenerative orthopedic conditions.

body_skeleton

Today there are hospitals that have embraced the use of stem cells therapy in treating orthopedic conditions that were rather not easily treated in the past.  They offer this autologous stem cell therapy, which embraces the regenerative power of mesenchymal stem cells to give patients another treatment option for dealing with orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint conditions.  Patients who have the following diseases can benefit from stem cell therapy;

  • Degenerative Joint Changes, Including Osteoarthritis
  • Disc-related Back Pain
  • Meniscus Tears
  • Non-Union Fractures
  • Avascular Necrosis
  • Bone Loss
  • Cartilage Defects
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Tendonopathies

Orthopedic Areas in which Stem Cell Therapy is applicable

Spine – the stem cell therapy is applicable in treatment of the degenerated intervertebral disk which is known to cause pain and morbidity to many patients. The stem cell therapy brings into the field of regenerative medicine some bits of effectiveness.  In treatment of spine, patients who fail to respond to conservative medicine are left with one option-surgery that may have limited success and is also very invasive. Cell-based tissue treatments, including mesenchymal stem cell injections for degenerative disc subjects have been shown to diminish the incidence of low back pain, with clinical results noting improvement in back pain and regeneration of the disc tissue. In cases where spinal fusions are necessary, the use of stem cells through bone marrow aspirate has shown greater success in obtaining fusion through bone formation as compared to standard fusion techniques. Daily the number of institutions using the stem cell therapy to treat orthopedic conditions is increasing.

Articular Cartilage – when the articular cartilage is damaged, the potential to repair it are limited and this can often lead to arthritic diseases many years later. This damage may be caused by injury. The vulnerability of the articular cartilage makes it important for it to be well handled in cases of injury. studies that have been done on the applicability of the stem cell therapy to repair damaged articular cartilage have shown that stem cell therapy have favorable outcomes in this area than current techniques of micro fracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation. Most studies use mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow.

orthopedic therapyOsteonecrosis – Osteonecrosis or avascular ischemia of the hip can be associated with progression to an advanced arthritic joint. Standard treatment for osteonecrosis has included cord decompression with limited results. Stem cell therapy holds key to success in this area of orthopedic treatment. Studies on this area have shown that patients treated with mesenchymal stem cells improved than those treated with cord decompression.

 Bone – some damages on the bone may require transplantation of the bone plus other bone components. This is the effective way of restoring the bone structure. Being that the mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into bone cells and be used to replace the damaged bone components, stem cell therapy becomes the most appropriate treatment for bone damage.

Tendons and Ligaments –  Autografts, allografts, and resorbable materials have been used to repair defects in tendons and ligaments however these methods puts the life of the patient at risk which may include formation of scars, donor morbidity and even tissue rejection. With autologous stem cell transplant all these risks are alleviated plus the mesenchymal stem cells may also be used alongside tissue allografts as this gives better results by improving the biochemical properties of the tissue allografts.

Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for orthopedic diseases; you may tap into the unique medicinal properties of the stem cells to help you beat orthopedic conditions. Visit us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an expert in integrative and regenerative medicine will be able to help.

Current Stem Cell Treatments for Orthopedic Conditions

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Stem Cell Therapy May Offer an Effective Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Stem Cell Therapy May Offer an Effective Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

The Parkinson’s disease has affected many people in the past and it still startles to know that this disease is still affecting millions of people across the globe. Doctors have been treating only the symptoms of this disease as there is no known cure of the Parkinson’s disease. Recently there has been lots of research on the field of integrative regenerative medicine to help in treatment of this disease. The stem cell therapy is one of the ways that have been investigated by researchers to establish if there is a possibility of this disease having a known cure which is effective.

Despite the fact that the Parkinson’s disease has no known cure, the cause of this disease is known. This disease is caused by the continued loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Dopamine is a crucial brain chemical that helps to regulate movement and emotional responses among other functions.

When a person is suffering from this disease, he will suffer deficiency of dopamine. The Parkinson’s disease is known to target and kill dopamine-producing nerve cells, or neurons, in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. The effects of Parkinson’s disease on the nerve cells of the brain may be the reason for such problems in sleeping, motivation and thinking that Parkinson’s disease is known for but also it has been linked to the linked to the formation of clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These abnormal protein clumps are called Lewy bodies and are dangerous in the body.

Continued death of the nerve cells results in Parkinson’s patients developing tremors and rigidity, as well as slowed movements. Other conditions that these patients will suffer from as a result of continued death of the nerve cells in the brain includes depression, sleeping disorders, dementia and even constipation. However dementia may be suffered at a much later stage when the damage on the nerve cells has spread widely. They may also lose their sense of smell.

Parkinson’s Disease

Due to the fact that depletion of dopamine causes Parkinson’s disease, doctors have been utilizing treatments that are useful in boosting the levels of dopamine din the brain. One of the most commonly used treatments is the use of a drug known as the Levodopa. This drug has been in use since 1960s when it was discovered. It works in a manner that supplements dopamine levels as it converts into dopamine while in the body. In this case the drug Levodopa stands in for the damaged neurons that ought to produce dopamine. Currently there are also other drugs that are used as dopamine to stimulate the nerve endings. Patients may also go through some therapies and put on special diets all aimed at improving the dopamine levels. In case the disease has advanced a patient may have to be treated through surgeries which may include deep brain stimulation with implanted electrodes. however, the treatments that have been mentioned above only work to mitigate on the effects of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease but do not slow down or reverse the damage that the disease cause on the nerve cells in the brain. It has also been reported that even with the above treatments it reaches a time when the patient’s condition will deteriorate. There has also been a problem with early detection of the disease as mostly the disease is diagnosed lately after a patient has lost most of his dopamine and the nerve cells in the brain are already damaged. It is with the view of seeking a whole treatment for the disease that scientists began research on the ability of the stem cells to treat Parkinson’s disease.

The stem cell therapy may help

Parkinson’s disease is a dark medical field, its immediate cause isn’t known but scientists have today known which part of the brain is affected by this disease as well as the cells that are often affected by the disease. the stem cells which are known replicate several times giving rise to new cells are already being used to grow dopamine producing nerve cells in laboratories to aid the study of this disease. The stem cells are majorly used in the labs when the genetic cause of the disease is known. The disease destroys cells but through stem cells therapy, the damaged cells can be replaced by healthy new cells of the same type.

Research studies of 1980-90s bred hope

Parkinson's DiseaseIn 1980-90s researchers worked to find out if the cell replacement therapy could be used to quell the harmful effects of the Parkinson’s disease. The findings of these researchers have since been a foundation upon which current researchers increase the scope of their study on the effects of cell replacement therapy on the Parkinson’s disease. Particularly, Swedish, American and Canadian researchers have transplanted the developing nigral dopamine-producing neurons from human fetuses into animals and human patients with Parkinson’s disease. In these studies there were some great improvements while in other cases there were only modest changes.

A new study has since resurfaced. This study is much larger in scope and will include clinical trials. The study titled TRANSEURO aims at addressing the issues of consistency in efficacy as well as reduction in side effects associated with stem cell transplant. There is optimism that stem cell transplant to replace the damaged nerve cells could help in fighting this disease. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert in integrative medicine and a founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center located at Myrtle Beach South Caroline. Visit her for more information on most lifestyle diseases.

Stem Cell Therapy May Offer an Effective Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Stem Cell Therapy Used By Pro Athletes to Heal Injuries

Stem Cell Therapy Used By Pro Athletes to Heal Injuries

The intriguing medicinal abilities of the stem cell therapy seem to have got embraced by athletes.  today there are athletes who are using the stem cell therapy to help heal joint related injuries that they get in the course of playing their games and ultimately reduce their ability to play as well as they ought to. Stem cell therapy seems to be a game changing strategy in treating injuries that would rather be complicated treating with surgery alone. however despite the known benefits of the stem cell therapy and its exceptional relief it offers to patients given that it is the most versatile approach to treatment of diseases, It has not got into mainstream medical treatments for sports medicine and most of the time the teams do not pay for the costs incurred by athletes who opt to get treated through the stem cell therapy needless to mention it is still not recognized in the US. Despite these some athletes have chosen to tap into the immense potential of stem cell therapy to heal their respective injuries.

Chris Johnson, 28 is one of the many of NFL players who have opted to have their injuries a stem cell therapy treatment having heard of the amazing potential of the stem cell therapy when he visited orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in January, 2014 to fix his ailing left knee. Johnson had suffered a torn meniscus while in action for the Titans. When Dr. James Andrews presented him with the idea of stem cell therapy he decided to give it a try.

Knee injuries

“When I tore my meniscus and played the season out, through the wear and tear, I lost a lot of cartilage,” says Johnson, who was signed by the Jets to bring explosiveness to their offense. “When you put the stem cells in, it might be able to help rebuild that cartilage in your knee. Hopefully, it makes your knee better for even more years.” he adds.

Having agreed to have the therapy done, Johnson had stem cells siphoned from bone marrow with along needle from the iliac crest of his pelvis and had these stem cells injected directly on his injured knee. This was done with hopes that the stem cells will not only work as anti-inflammatory agents but also hasten the healing of the knee by repairing the torn meniscus.

Stem cell therapy is popular among NFL Players

Evidently, Johnson is not the only athletes who have used the stem cell therapy to heal his injury. Another Pro athlete, Peyton Manning is reported to have tried a stem-cell treatment in Europe in 2011, which was his final year with the Colts with an aim of fast-tracking his recovery from neck surgery.  another athlete, Prince Amukamara, Giants cornerback had a slow-healing broken metatarsal treated with stem cells by a foot specialist in North Carolina after his team’s Super Bowl XLVI run. One NFL linebacker paid $6,000 a pop for a 1-milliliter vial of donated placenta tissue containing stem cells to be injected into each of his beat-up knees this offseason but asked for his name not to be used in this story because he didn’t tell his team’s medical staff. This shows how amazing the stem cell therapy is in view of these pro-athletes.

It is reported that stem cell therapy has become more popular with NFL athletes, as it now stands, of the 32 teams, hundreds of the players have got stem cell treatment for their various injuries. This averages to six players per team which is impressive, however the stem cell therapy is still not a mainstream treatment and it still is somehow a shadow that is not understood by many. however, evidence of the stem cell therapy’s usefulness in treating athletes’ injuries is so far largely anecdotal, NFL teams often will not pick up the bill for players, and the overseas market for treatments not approved in the U.S. makes the whole field seem somewhat taboo but this has not discouraged the athletes which may mean that they have seen some benefits with the therapy.

Knee injuriesThe sports doctors have been recently pushing for the NFL teams to pick the bills that athletes incur while getting the stem cell therapy and to shun this view of stem cell therapy as farfetched. Dr. Andrews who is an expert in biologics – term refers to substances that are produced in living systems such as humans, animals and microorganisms, rather than manufactured like drugs is an important in this push. it is expected that when the US embraces the stem cell treatment for the athletes then the sport doctors like Dr. Andrews will be able to offer their star-studded clientele more of these treatments more effectively in the U.S. in this agenda the retired NFL players will be studied to prove how well the stem cell therapy works in treating arthritis of the knee, this is a more regenerating approach to treatment of injuries.

“We have had one big revelation in sports medicine over the last 50 years, and that was the arthroscope,” Andrews says. “I’ve been looking for the next wave, and I think the biologics, particularly stem-cell therapy and enhancement of the healing properties, will be it.”

“We’ve been saying that since the new decade of this new millennium, so we’re already behind.” he concludes.

Finally, Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for orthopedic diseases; you may tap into the unique medicinal properties of the stem cells to help you beat orthopedic conditions. Visit us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an expert in integrative and regenerative medicine will be able to help.

Stem Cell Therapy Used By Pro Athletes to Heal Injuries

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin