Tag Archives: Disease

Stem Cell Therapy and Osteoarthritis of the Elbow

May 1, 2015

Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis of the Elbows

OsteoarthritisOsteoarthritis is a disease that many people are suffering from and is one of the diseases that are not very easy to treat. According to Mayo clinic, Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis of the elbow is also common. This disease often begins gradually but worsens with time. However till now there is no conventional cure for osteoarthritis. even those medicines that are used to mitigate on the symptoms of osteoarthritis none of the conventional treatments addresses the damage that is caused on the joints neither is there any avenue in the mainstream medicine through which the cartilage erosion on the elbow joints, knee joint or any other joint can be done away with. most of the time a person who is suffering from osteoarthritis of any kind is told to stay active, maintain a healthy weight and use other available treatments to help mitigate on effects of the disease; reduce the joint pain and function.

Due to the absence of mainstream treatment for osteoarthritis, patients have been facing untold horror of a lifetime. This inconvenience and pain that osteoarthritis patients have been put through as a result of this vacuum in the medical field, researchers have been working on different issues to come up with the best treatment for this disease. Researchers have mostly centered on the need for tissue regeneration therapies as this will be the only viable approach to healing the eroded cartilage on the joints. The erosion of cartilage on the elbow joint is the major characteristic of osteoarthritis of the elbow.

The bone diseases have been a major problem in the field of medicine with osteoarthritis being the major culprit affecting about 27 million people in America. Some of the common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genetics. In the past patients of this disease had no hope of ever breaking its chains but with recent studies on mesenchymal stem cells, a lot are changing in relation to the way doctors treat bone diseases. Stem cells have been used for the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta, hypophosphatasia, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis of the elbow.

Today there are several hospitals that offer treatments to the joint diseases. Shoulders, knees, and hips joints are amongst the most common. However, there are other areas that can be treated with stem cell therapy are thumbs, toes and wrists. People who are active golfers, tennis or racquetball players, and avid bowlers may experience more pain from overuse of the elbow joint. Mild to moderate osteoarthritis is one of the main causes of a painful joint. This explains why most NFL players have gone for stem cell therapy to correct defects in their joint injuries.

Stem cell therapy for elbows may be an ideal nonsurgical alternative for those who suffer from elbow pain because of injury or pain related to osteoarthritis, or muscle sprains and strains. Traditional surgery for the elbows can be difficult because of the complexity of the joint, and it often requires a painful, lengthy rehabilitation process to restore the full range of motion. Before making the leap into a surgical procedure, you need to consider having a stem cell treatment as that may have better results.

Mesenchymal stem cells in joint disease and repair

OsteoathritisThe mesenchymal have been known for their unique abilities. They are able to form other body cells and tissues and so can be used to replace the worn out tissues at the joints. Apart from their ability to form new cell types that can replace the worn out cartilage, the mesenchymal stem cells have a potential for articular cartilage regeneration, however this favorable research is centered on surgical implant of the stem cells. Now doctors have found that for the treatment of generalized cartilage loss in osteoarthritis, an alternative delivery strategy would be more appropriate and that is injection therapy. The advantage of the injection therapy is that there will be no need for any surgery.

The adverse effects of osteoarthritis can never be overemphasized, those who have fallen victims know much of the nightmares it causes, and the pain that these patients have to endure can never be overlooked. The research surrounding an effective treatment for osteoarthritis has yet to find an approved pharmacological intervention, biologic therapy or procedure that prevents the progressive destruction of the osteoarthritis joint. Stem cell injections for osteoarthritis can help maintenance healthy tissues by acting as repair cells or to reduce inflammation. The injection of Mesenchymal stem cells has produced promising outcomes in preclinical models of joint disease. It is hoped that the use of stem cell therapy in treatment of osteoarthritis of the elbow will be of help to those already suffering from the disease.

Finally, degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis have debilitated many people. In spite of the fact that it has never been treated in the past, it is hoped that with stem cell therapy, osteoarthritis will be a treatable 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 for Osteoarthritis of the Elbows

 

Related articles
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Power of Light Therapy

May 1, 2015

The Healing Power of Light Therapy

Light TherapyThe benefits of light are many but to most people exposure to sunlight has only one benefit associated with vitamin D. however there is much worse views that have been propagated in relation to exposure to sunlight and while the fact that the UV rays exposure may cause skin cancer and harmful sunburn, the cosmetic industry has blown this issue out of proportion and the reality however is the intensity of the UV rays that causes such harmful effects is rarely achieved. The benefits of exposure to light have been overlooked perhaps clouded by the negative comments that had been propagated in the past. Exposure to light has many benefits.

Ultraviolet light as a medical treatment has been used since the beginning of the century. The technique is merely using UV light to stimulate the immune system and various enzyme systems. It is a tested and proven therapy that has accomplished incredibly miraculous cures with absolutely no side effects, and yet until recently it has been suppressed and ignored by American medicine.

UV light for disinfection

The use of UV light in infection isn’t new; it has been used for several years and is still being used for the same purpose. The approach to use of UV light in disinfection requires use of little sophisticated equipment and works by stimulating the body’s own immune response and various enzyme systems. When this UV light is used for disinfection, a small amount of blood is drawn from the body and is treated with UV light (photoluminescence) and then the blood is reinjected into the bloodstream. When this is done the body’s defenses are rapidly organized to destroy all invading organisms whether viral, bacterial or fungal. According to William C. Douglass, M.D, an author of a book entitled; Into the Light, a husband and wife, who both had a flu one treatment completely, reversed the system in both patients within two hours. The author however states that in case of serious infections, marked reduction in toxic symptoms is observed in 12 to 48 hours.

Another doctor, Dr. Jonathan V. Wright, MD believes that the benefits of the UV light far more outweigh its risks. He believes that UV rays from the sun are the best source of the vitamin D your body needs to ward off cancer and dozens of other health problems. But that’s just the beginning of what ultraviolet light can do. Not only is it an extremely effective disinfectant with the ability to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the air and on surfaces but UV light also has the potential to prevent and even cure infections and diseases that other treatments are powerless against.

to many people the use of UV light in medical treatment may sound as a new technology but the reality however is that this treatment has been used since 19th century in prevention and treatment of diseases and hence isn’t a fresh area of research. The first experiment on the medical applicability of the UV light was done on the patients with lupus and sepsis. A breakthrough in the use of UV light saw a Danish physician named Niels Ryberg Finsen win a Nobel Prize for his work with UV light and the treatment of the disease in 1903.

Now that the benefits of light is known to you, there is a concern, why do we need light therapy when we can get all the benefits from the sun source UV light?

To answer this, I won’t dispute that the sun sourced UV light is the best but there are places or seasons when the sun isn’t seen and therefore there is need for a light therapy to help people in times of these times to evade dangers of deficiency of light. This is where light therapy comes in.

Light therapy also known as bright light therapy involves the use of light boxes emitting full-spectrum light similar in composition to sunlight. Daily exposure to this bright light is the treatment method most often recommended for patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression that occurs as a result of reduced exposure to sunlight in the fall, winter and spring. When the SAD symptoms become more severe doctors recommend the light therapy to help reverse the condition.

Light TherapyNormally, during the treatment the patient will sit in front of a light box for thirty minutes a day during the season when light is inadequate. The treatment works best when the patient goes for it immediately after waking up. The patient can read, write or eat when sited before the light but it is advisable for the patient to stop looking directly at the light box. Light therapy is believed to work by its effect on brain chemicals that play a role in regulating mood. This treatment can relieve symptoms within a few days, but sometimes takes as long as two weeks or more.

Conditions that can be treated with light therapy

The light therapy can be used for the following disorders; skin disorder psoriasis and some other skin conditions, as well as for a type of cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This light therapy is also effective in treatment of depression, insomnia, anxiety and can also be used to counter the effects of antidepressants.

Eating disorders like bulimia have been also treated by light therapy. However this treatment is still being studied for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders, premenstrual syndrome, jet lag, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline in pursuit of integrative medicine that works best. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

The Healing Power of Light Therapy

 

Related articles
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

The Relationship Between Addiction and Adrenal Fatigue

April 21, 2015

Addiction Causes Adrenal Fatigue

Addiction is a serious problem, addiction is the genesis of many health issues and it is even complicated to know that it is one of the wars that few people win. In the past addiction to drugs and other substances have been linked to myriads of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and other neurodegenerative disorders. This explains why addicts are not always on the good side of health, when a person is addicted to drugs and alcohol he will begin to feel sick, generally an addict is never in good health and that is why most of them may have certain strange behaviors such as irritability and even slurred speech. The reason for this is that when a person takes drugs that are rewarding in nature he will be compelled to increase the doses day by day so as to get the euphoric feeling they seek in drugs. Even the drugs that are used in pain management like the opiates have specified dosages beyond the patient will not only get addicted to the drug but will suffer other diseases that come with overdose of such drugs. Drugs of abuse majorly affect the neurotransmitter and this will be extended to the central nervous system (CNS) which is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is the engine that drives all the activities in the body of every human being but these drugs will interfere with chemical balances in the brain making it unable to perform normally. In some instance even the neurotransmitters that work to transmit signals so as to provoke certain necessary responses may get debilitated hence everything will be messed up. As expected when the neurotransmitters are affected and the entire nervous system is adversely altered then the proper coordination within the nervous system is tampered with and this is what causes a series of health complications.

Adrenal Fatigue

Recently researchers have shown that substance addiction may be linked to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue refers to a stress-related condition that is suffered when the adrenal glands, hypothalamus and pituitary gland are functioning below their optimal level. Adrenal gland is the source of various neurotransmitters that are very vital in our nervous systems. These neurotransmitters include; cortisol, DHEA and epinephrine. These neurotransmitters are used to regulate your heart rate, immune system, energy storage and improve the general health and stability. When the adrenal glands have malfunctioned and fail to release these neurotransmitters in good amount then it will not be easy for any individual to have good health.  It is suspected that prolonged stress on the adrenal glands is what causes adrenal fatigue.

Some drugs of pleasure not only affect the dopamine but also the release of other neurotransmitters like adrenaline which is the fight or flight neurotransmitter. Even an addiction to caffeine does this. Ralph T. Golan, ND, in his book, Herbal Defense explains how using caffeine for prolonged periods can exhaust your adrenals:  “Caffeine forces your glands to secrete when they don’t have much left to give, and they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to get the same result. Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of coffee to get the same result and it’s barely keeping them awake. That’s severe adrenal depletion.”

Role of adaptogens in addiction

Adaptogens are herbs that help in enhancing your immunity and ability to deal with stress, anxiety trauma, and even fatigue. Some adaptogens have been used as anti-aging herbs and have been found to have a capacity to rejuvenate the body and aid longevity. They also work to correct defects that the body is subjected to as a result of long term use of drugs of abuse.

Siberian Ginseng also known as Eleutherococcus senticosus root. This adaptogen is known for its ability to combat lack of appetite, correct insomnia, and improve memory. Siberian ginseng also increases mental alertness that is known to be lacking in those who have been addicted to substance use for quite a long time. This adaptogens also helps in healing nervous disorders and enhances energy. This adaptogens increases the body’s ability to adapt to metabolic stress and helps in recovery from substance abuse.

American Ginseng also known Panax quinquefolius root. American Ginseng is known to be a superior tonic herb with an immense ability to strengthen metabolism and the entire endocrine system. Like other species of Ginseng, the American ginseng also has adaptogenic properties, and is quite useful for the recovering addict. American Ginseng combines well with Siberian Ginseng and can be used together to heal an addict.

Adrenal Fatigue

Astragalus, also known as Astragalus membranaceous root. This adaptogens helps in promoting overall body function by strengthening digestion among other core benefits.  This herb can be used to help in restoring energy and balance the immune system in recovering addicts. It is good for some of the withdrawal symptoms of addiction like stress, colds and even chronic fatigue syndrome. It is also safe and be taken on a daily basis without it having negative side effects.

Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil. In the past this herb was used for treating such illnesses as stomach upsets and bronchitis. This herb has been found to be effective also in reducing stress that most addicts battle with. It has been found to reduce mental confusion that is common with most addicts using cannabis.

Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing the best integrative approaches to treatment of diseases. We advocate for dietary as well as natural healing to diseases wherever possible. Visit as at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) will be of help.

Addiction Causes Adrenal Fatigue

 

Related articles
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Gluten Free Diet for Fibromyalgia

March 29, 2015

Gluten Free Diet is good Fibromyalgia patients

Gluten free dietFibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread muscle pain, joint stiffness, and fatigue. The condition is chronic but pain comes and goes and moves about the body. The cause of this disorder is unknown and therefore it is often misdiagnosed or unrecognized and is most of the times complicated by anxiety and mood disorders. this is a common disorder that according to the American College of Rheumatology diagnosis criteria affects about 3-5% of women, most of whom are between ages 20 and 50, but only 0.5- 1.6% of men. This disease is more common in adults than in children but it affects women more than men.

What is gluten

Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, Kamut and triticale. Just as any other foods there are people who are allergic or tolerant to gluten. It is suggested that for these people removing gluten from their diets can help them as it may lead to improved skin, including fewer problems with breakouts, eczema and psoriasis; fewer migraines; and a lessening of vague, general symptoms of malady. Gluten has been linked to fibromyalgia and now it is suggested that those who are suffering from fibromyalgia can benefit from a gluten free diet.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain sleep disturbance and fatigue combined with a general increase in medical symptoms such as problems of memory and often psychological distress. The pharmacological treatment of Fibromyalgia does not result in full healing but only offers partial relief. Fibromyalgia is mostly associated with depression and irritable bowel syndrome. On the other hand, Celiac disease is a frequent disease, affecting about 1 % of the population that can be diagnosed at all ages under different clinical settings. The classic presentation of Celiac disease is chronic diarrhea, positive anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG), and villous atrophy with intraepithelial lymphocytosis observed by duodenal biopsy. Celiac disease often does not conform to the classical clinical description, and up to 50 % of patients with adult Celiac disease lack prominent gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical manifestations of Celiac disease include muscle and osteoarticular pain, fatigue, and neurological and psychological symptoms.

Research report on gluten-free diet

In a research that was aimed to describe selected patients with fibromyalgia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, duodenal intraepithelial lymphocytosis, and clinical response to gluten-free diet, in order to raise the hypothesis that non-celiac gluten sensitivity could be a treatable cause of fibromyalgia it was found that remarkable clinical improvement can be achieved with a gluten-free diet in patients with fibromyalgia.

This study involved a trial of a strict gluten-free diet that was conducted with the help and training of the Celiac Disease Patients Association of Madrid. In addition, iron, vitamin D, and multivitamins supplements with oligoelements were prescribed to patients on this study. A lactose-free diet was also recommended when lactose intolerance was suspected on clinical grounds or demonstrated by a breath hydrogen test after lactose administration. Clinical response was defined as the achievement of at least one of the following scenarios: remission of fibromyalgia pain criteria, return to work, return to normal life as judged by the patient, or opioid discontinuation.

For this study, the mean follow-up period for the gluten-free diet was 16.4 months .Eight patients were also on a lactose-free diet. For five of these eight patients, a lactose-free diet had been attempted before the gluten-free diet, resulting in partial relief of the gastrointestinal symptoms but no improvement in the fibromyalgia symptoms. For three patients, a lactose-free diet was started concurrently with the gluten-free diet. The level of widespread chronic pain improved dramatically for all patients; for 15 patients, chronic widespread pain was no longer present, indicating remission of fibromyalgia. Fifteen patients returned to work or normal life after good improvements with the gluten free diet. In three patients who had been previously treated in pain units with opioids, these drugs were discontinued. Fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, migraine, and depression also improved together with pain. The clinical improvement for some patients began just a few months after beginning the gluten free diet therapy this was striking and showed how effective the gluten free diet therapy is beneficial to those suffering from fibromyalgia. For others the improvement was rather slow and gradual and took many months of follow up. It was also seen that some patients’ conditioned worsened when they took gluten but this was save when they were put on strict-gluten free diet.

Gluten Free dietIn this research it was observed that the reduction in the level of pain was accompanied by improvements in asthenia and gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. This shows that a common underlying cause of fibromyalgia is related to gluten.

For this research, the clinical response definition was decided upon after the initial observations of impressive improvement in some patients after starting the gluten-free diet. This was the chosen outcome measure; the remission of fibromyalgia or return to normal life, rather than changes reflected by questionnaires. This is one of the treatments that have shown the highest degree of improvement in treatment of fibromyalgia. Most of the patients that were used for this research were under severe distress and disability and were unable to cope normally with daily activities or on sick leave, despite having been treated with many different regimens for years. This fact endorses the fact that gluten-free diet can help patients suffering from chronic pain as a result of fibromyalgia.

Chronic pain is a serious symptom of many diseases. Very many people who have bee to opioid use as a result of chronic pain sometimes end up being addicted to them. There is need to come up with safer alternatives to pain management. This is why here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing the best integrative approaches to treatment of diseases. Visit as at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) will be of help.

Gluten Free Diet for Fibromyalgia

 

Related articles
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Stem Cell Therapy for Huntington’s disease

March 26, 2015

The Use of Stem Cell Therapy for Huntington’s disease

Huntington's diseaseHuntington’s disease was first described in medical literature in 1872 by Dr. George Huntington. He was a physician from Long Island, New York. This disease mainly affects nerve cells in the brain called medium spiny neurons (MSNs). The MSNs are crucial in the brain as they receive and coordinate information from other neurons in the brain to control movement of the body, face and eyes. Huntington’s disease is hereditary neurodegenerative disease that affects about 1 out of every 10,000 people in the USA, Europe and Australia. This disease causes involuntary movements of the face and body and dementia. The symptoms of this disease may begin mildly but they worsen with time eventually it will make the affected individual totally dependent on other people for help. Till now there are no known effective treatments for this disease.

This disease leads to damage and destruction of the crucial MSNs. however it doesn’t affect the MSNs only, other types of neurons in the brain that apparently are also affected by this disease are the cortical neurons. This disease is common in adults and patients will mostly notice the first symptom of the disease when they are aged 35-50 years old. In the beginning the disease might show symptoms as weak spasmodic movements of the muscles in the face and limbs. However as the disease worsens these spasmodic movements become more evident and frequent and other symptoms appear. Patients are affected in different ways, but symptoms may include difficulty speaking and swallowing, dementia or trouble concentrating.

As mentioned earlier Huntington’s disease is hereditary and children with an affected parent have a 50% chance of inheriting the genetic fault that causes the disease. This fault occurs in the gene that holds the code for a protein called Huntingtin. The defective gene causes the body to make a faulty, toxic version of the Huntingtin protein and this eventually results in the loss of MSNs and other neurons which worsens the health of the patient.

 

Presently, there are no accepted standard treatment of Huntington’s disease, a disease characterized by wasting away of certain nerve cells in the brain and improper muscle coordination. Despite this fact, there are therapies that have been thought of as potent enough to help in the treatment of this disease. One of the therapies mentioned is the stem cell therapy.

Currently, there is a study that has reported that stem cell therapy can be used in treating Huntington’s disease. The study published on March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell reports that there is a special type of brain cell created from stem cells that could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a common symptom of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington’s-like condition could be restored.

Research study linking stem cells to Treatment of Huntington’s disease

The study was led by Su-Chun Zhang who is a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr. Zhang is also an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells. In this research he and his team focused on GABA neurons. They worked on the GABA because of the theory that the degradation of GABA cells results in the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington’s disease.

According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement. In this study Zhang and his colleagues looked for various ways of generating large quantities of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells. Owing to the ability of stem cells to change shape and multiply the team hoped that the stem cells will be able to be safely integrated into the brain of a mouse model of Huntington’s disease. As they had expected the stem cells were safely integrated into the brain. The stem cells were also able to restore the damaged communication network and restore motor function.

The results of this study presents hope not only to patients but to the entire medical fraternity, he explained why they had targeted the GABA circuitry; “This circuitry is essential for motor coordination and it is what is broken in Huntington patients. The GABA neurons exert their influence at a distance through this circuit. Their cell targets are far away. Many in the field feel that successful cell transplants would be impossible because it would require rebuilding the circuitry. But what we’ve shown is that the GABA neurons can remake the circuitry and produce the right neurotransmitter.”

Huntington's diseaseThe finding of this research presents hope as they show that in the future, the stem cell therapy can be used in the treatment of the Huntington’s disease. This experiment also shows that the human brain can also be a good target for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The leader of the team that conducted this research, Mr. Zhang however notes that though this research shows some success it might take some time before the stem cell therapy can be used in treating humans suffering from Huntington’s disease.

There are diseases like Huntington’s disease which still do not have known orthodox treatments; this is why here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing the best integrative approaches to treatment of diseases. We advocate for dietary as well as natural healing to diseases wherever possible. Visit as at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) will be of help.

The Use of Stem Cell Therapy for Huntington’s disease

 

Related articles
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Categories