Does Smoking Make Back Pain Worse?

Do you smoke? Do you have acute or chronic back pain? Consider this. We are talking about a complication of smoking that you may heave never heard of. Smoking can cause back pain and it can aggravate chronic back pain.

A study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery included over 5,000 people who were treated for spinal disorders. Smokers who stopped before or after the treatment period reported greater improvement than those who continued to smoke.  In fact those who continued to smoke had no significant reduction in pain while those who never smoked improved the most.

The reason for the quicker recovery and the reduction of pain in the non smokers is thought to be that smoking increases inflammation and decreases blood flow and nutrient distribution to the spinal discs.  Previous research has  linked smoking to chronic pain disorders and especially back pain.

Do you still smoke? Do you need another reason to stop smoking? Hopefully not but if you do think of your aching back.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Grapefruit Can Be A Problem

Did you know that eating one whole grapefruit or drinking about 6 ounces of juice can alter the efficacy of many prescribed medications. This includes such favorites as cholesterol-lowering statins, anti-histamines,antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and some HIV drugs. This interaction was first reported 20 years ago and currently about 85 drugs are potentially affected.

The problem with grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, pomelos and limes, is that some substances found in the juice inhibit an enzyme found in the intestines and liver that aids in metabolizing the drugs. The result of this inhibition is that you end up with a higher level of the active ingredient in your bloodstream. This can lead to adverse effects such as acute kidney failure, heart problems, kidney failure, trouble breathing and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This interaction occurs quickly and can last 24 hours or longer. The effects vary from person to person, but older people are at higher risk. The danger is also greater for drugs that have little forgiveness if the dose is off by even the slightest amount.

The bottom line if you take a prescription medication is to check with your health care professional. before consuming grapefruit or other juices mentioned above.  If there is an interaction and if you want to stay out of trouble stop drinking grapefruit juice.  Try orange or tangerine juice instead.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Is Epilepsy An Indication For The Medical Use Of Pot?

An increasing number of epileptic patients are using marijuana to reduce their seizures. This group includes some children who have intractable epilepsy that does not respond to standard medications. These patients have been receiving medical marijuana because currently there is no pharmaceutical preparation of cannabis isolated as a drug. but this is changing because a chemical in marijuana that may be responsible for reducing seizures has been found.

This chemical is cannabidiol a derivative of marijuana that shows promise for the treatment o epilepsy in adults and in children. It may also be responsible for some of the other health benefits attributed to medical marijuana. Cannabidiol is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals under the name of Epidiolex. Interesting it is formulated without tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound in marijuana that gets people high.

So now we have the possibility of a derivative of marijuana that does not get the user high and still has the potential for treating medical problems. No one knows why or how this compound works but nevertheless it seems to work. A proper clinical test has been approved to determine whether it will diminish seizures in 150 children who have not been helped by standard seizure medication. If Epidiolex proves itself, a door will be opened to explore the potential of using marijuana derivatives for the treatment of other medical problems.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Do You Want To Try Chinese Herbs?

Chinese Herbs At A Famous Hospital

Whatever your opinion about the use of Chinese herbs to treat medical problems, and we must admit that we have little experience with these substances, this story grabbed our attention. A Chinese herbal center opened recently at the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic, which is part of the hospital's Center of Integrative Medicine, has one herbalist who sees patients on Thursdays. Patients must be referred by a doctor who will monitor them to ensure that there are no complications.The clinic is intended to fill a void for patients who are struggling with chronic care problems.

We applaud the Cleveland Clinic for being one of the first important medical facilities to work with these herbs. The problem for many of us who might try herbs on selected patients is that there is little scientific research outside of Asia on the use of these substances in medicine. This lack of information poses a problem for many physicians who might otherwise be interested in prescribing herbs for certain conditions. In an attempt to fill this void the National Institute of Health is currently funding research looking at the fundamental biological mechanisms of some herbal products.

At the Cleveland Clinic's herbal center new patients are given a one hour consultation that includes a battery of questions, a physical examination of the tongue and a traditional Chinese method for pulse taking. They are also asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that "herbal supplements are not a substitute for a medical diagnosis."

On one day at the clinic patients were seen who had problems ranging from chronic pain to anxiety, digestive issues and multiple sclerosis. Infertility, menstrual disorders and PMS are commonly treated with herbs. The jury is still out on the value of the Chinese herbs, but at the Cleveland Clinic the results are being critically evaluated. We should see some significant conclusions within a year or two, and we will all benefit from this information.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Chinese Herbs At A Famous Hospital

Whatever your opinion about the use of Chinese herbs to treat medical problems, and we must admit that we have little experience with these substances, this story grabbed our attention. A Chinese herbal center opened recently at the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic, which is part of the hospital's Center of Integrative Medicine, has one herbalist who sees patients on Thursdays. Patients must be referred by a doctor who will monitor them to ensure that there are no complications.The clinic is intended to fill a void for patients who are struggling with chronic care problems.

We applaud the Cleveland Clinic for being one of the first important medical facilities to work with these herbs. The problem for many of us who might try herbs on selected patients is that there is little scientific research outside of Asia on the use of these substances in medicine. This lack of information poses a problem for many physicians who might otherwise be interested in prescribing herbs for certain conditions. In an attempt to fill this void the National Institute of Health is currently funding research looking at the fundamental biological mechanisms of some herbal products.

At the Cleveland Clinic's herbal center new patients are given a one hour consultation that includes a battery of questions, a physical examination of the tongue and a traditional Chinese method for pulse taking. They are also asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that "herbal supplements are not a substitute for a medical diagnosis."

On one day at the clinic patients were seen who had problems ranging from chronic pain to anxiety, digestive issues and multiple sclerosis. Infertility, menstrual disorders and PMS are commonly treated with herbs. The jury is still out on the value of the Chinese herbs, but at the Cleveland Clinic the results are being critically evaluated. We should see some significant conclusions within a year or two, and we will all benefit from this information.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Is Your Heart Rate Too Fast?

Do you ever wonder if your heart rate is normal?  This topic probably has been discussed with you by your physician, but if it has not here are a few tips. The normal resting heart rate should be in the range of 60 to 80 beats a minute. Some authorities extend this 50 to 100 beats per minute. This number varies from person to person and over the course of the day for the same person.

In general a slower heart rate is healthier than a faster heart rate. If your heart rate is faster than necessary for good health excessive stress is put on your entire circulatory system. In fact recent research has documented an increased risk of heart disease and premature death in people who have faster resting heart rates.

A Danish study published recently in the journal Heart reported that for every 10 beats per minute increase over 50 in resting heart rate  there was a 16% increase in death. The authors concluded that in healthy subjects an elevated resting heart rate is not merely a marker of poor general fitness but an independent risk factor. Other researchers have suggested that the resting heart rate may be a better predictor of premature death than cholesterol and blood pressure.

The take away message is that if your resting heart rate is at the high end of normal you should consult with your physician. If you are physically fit there may be nothing that you can do about it. If you are in poor physical condition a good exercise program may help slow your heart down. An excellent wellness program is found in our book TriEnergetics.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Why Grapefruit Can Kill You

Did you know that eating one whole grapefruit or drinking about 6 ounces of juice can alter the efficacy of many prescribed medications. This includes such favorites as cholesterol-lowering statins, anti-histamines,antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and some HIV drugs. This interaction was first reported 20 years ago and currently about 85 drugs are potentially affected.

The problem with grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, pomelos and limes, is that some substances found in the juice inhibit an enzyme found in the intestines and liver that aids in metabolizing the drugs. The result of this inhibition is that you end up with a higher level of the active ingredient in your bloodstream. This can lead to adverse effects such as acute kidney failure, heart problems, kidney failure, trouble breathing and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This interaction occurs quickly and can last 24 hours or longer. The effects vary from person to person, but older people are at higher risk. The danger is also greater for drugs that have little forgiveness if the dose is off by even the slightest amount.

The bottom line, if you take a prescription medication, is to check with your health care professional. before consuming grapefruit or other juices mentioned above. If there is an interaction and if you want to stay out of trouble stop drinking grapefruit juice.  Try orange or tangerine juice instead.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net