Reports of bone fractures are widespread among patients taking osteoporosis drugs, a New York Times analysis of askapateint.com concludes.

“My mother was taking Fosamax from 1995 until 2005 for osteoporosis,” one woman wrote in 2006. “She had severe esophageal ulcerations, nausea, jaw bone loss and vertigo from the inner ear. She was told to continue the drug. October 2005, she began to have trouble swallowing, she was initially told it was anxiety, but was then diagnosed with esophageal cancer and died nine months later in July 2006.”

In 874 patient ratings since 2001, Merck’s bisphosphonate Fosamax received an average rating of 1.5 out of 5. Procter & Gamble’s Actonel has a rating of 1.5, while and Roche and GlaxoSmithKline’s Boniva has a 1.3, the lowest of any drug on the site.

The average drug rating on askapatient.com is 3, “Somewhat satisfied.” The lowest possible is 1, “Dissatisfied. I would not recommend taking this medication.”

Since its approval, Fosamax has been linked to death of the jaw bone, irregular heartbeat, incapacitating musculoskeletal pain and esophageal cancer. Most recently, doctors have started to warn that bisphosphonates may actually cause fractures rather than preventing them.

The drugs work by halting the skeleton’s natural process of bone breakdown and repair. Over time, this makes bones brittle and more likely to snap, even during normal activity.

This comes as no news to many askapatient.com users.

“I twisted my left leg while shopping and broke [my] left femur in two places, requiring surgery, pins and a rod,” one 61-year-old user wrote. “Then in [2008] I jarred same side foot coming off a step and developed a stress fracture that won’t heal. I now have a stress fracture on the right side femur after walking on the beach.”

“I did nothing really physical except water therapy, yet I have a break [in my backbone],” another user wrote. The 67-year-old had been taking Fosamax only 14 months.

Sources for this story include: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100415….

Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center, discusses the outcome of last year’s swine flu debacle, and the potentially harmful changes that are being made to this season’s flu vaccine as a result.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/21/barbara-loe-fisher-on-flu-vaccine-changes.aspx

In His article  “Reverse the Aging Process Naturally, Part 2″, author Dr. David Jockers, citizen journalist reviews the evidence for us.
These are excerpts from the article.

“Chiropractic adjustments are also critical for enhancing cellular repair processes. In a recent study, chiropractic adjustments were shown to enhance serum Thiol levels. Serum thiol is a known measure of human health and the most important compound for DNA repair.”

“Enhancing cellular repair is critical to limiting the rate of telomere division. The greater the oxidative stress the faster the telomeres divide. High circulating insulin levels have also been shown to accelerate telomere division. Controlling oxidative stress and high circulating insulin levels is a necessary and foundational part of a healthy lifestyle. Insulin and oxidative stress are controlled by stabilizing blood sugar and eating a nutrient dense diet full of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytonutrients.”

His conclusion:
“Boost Your Growth Hormone & Cellular Repair Processes Naturally:
1.Do high-intensity, short time period resistance training and surge-style training daily. Ideal time is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
2.Be in bed early and sleep between 7-8 hours each night. The body secretes large doses of HGH between the hours of 10pm – 2am. Sleeping maximizes HGH.
3.Keep blood sugar under control by eating a diet low in sugar/grains and high in nutrient dense superfoods, healthy proteins, and good fats.
4.Use a non-denatured whey protein from a grass-fed cow or goat. Whey protein contains L-glutamine and branched chain amino acids that help maximize HGH secretion.
5.See a wellness chiropractor for a posture and neurological evaluation that will access the function of the body’s healing process.”

Referrences:

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbook…
http://www.tasciences.com/introduct…
http://www.naturalnews.com/029298_a…
http://precisionspinalcentre.com/re…

Rhodiola rosea grows in cold regions of the world such as the Arctic, the mountains of Central Asia, the Rocky Mountains, and mountainous parts of Europe, Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathian Mountains, Scandinavia, Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland

Rhodiola rosea may be effective for improving mood and alleviating depression. Pilot studies on human subjects showed that it improves physical and mental performance, and may reduce stress related fatigue .

Rhodiola rosea’s effects potentially are related to optimizing serotonin and dopamine levels due to monoamine oxidase inhibition and its influence on opioid peptides such as beta-endorphins, although these specific neurochemical mechanisms have not been clearly documented with scientific studies.

Rhodiola is included among a class of plant derivatives called adaptogens which differ from chemical stimulants, such as nicotine, and do not have the same physiological effects.

In Russia and Scandinavia, Rhodiola rosea has been used for centuries to cope with the cold Siberian climate and stressful life. Such effects were provided with evidence in laboratory models of stress using the nematode C. elegans, and in rats in which Rhodiola effectively prevented stress-induced changes in appetite, physical activity, and weight gain.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

View Skin Heal Salve on our Herbal Oils, Salves, and Liniments page

All of the above herbs were collected from my garden this year.

Skin Heal is a soothing salve to be used on the skin to heal minor abrasions, irritations, rashes, etc.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The nervous system is what allows our internal physiology to adapt to the stresses and demands of the external environment. The skull and spine surround and protect the nervous system and bear the consistent stress of gravity every day. When the external stressors become too great there is compromise in the spinal structure and resulting interference in the nervous system. This interference is termed subluxation. Subluxation causes the nervous system to move out of balance and towards sympathetic (fight or flight) dominance. This process increases stress hormone secretion, inflammatory processes, and blood vessel tone. For many individuals this results in higher blood pressure. Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxation and restore harmony to the nervous system allowing the body to stabilize and heal appropriately.

In 1988, a double blind study of 75 patients was performed to fully analyze the reports that chiropractic care could help stabilize blood pressure in patients. Within this study, one group of patients with elevated blood pressure received adjustments to the thoracic spine area. Another group received placebos (movements that seemed to be adjustments but were not), and a 3rd group received no treatment. The result was that the adjusted group experienced decreases in both systolic & diastolic blood pressure while no change was noted in either the control or placebo group.

A special chiropractic adjustment to the upper cervical region can significantly lower high blood pressure, a placebo-controlled study performed at the University of Chicago suggests. “This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood-pressure medications given in combination,” study leader George Bakris, MD, tells WebMD. “And it seems to be adverse-event free. We saw no side effects and no problems,” adds Bakris, director of the University of Chicago hypertension center.

8 weeks after undergoing the procedure, 25 patients with early-stage high blood pressure had significantly lower blood pressure than 25 similar patients who underwent a sham chiropractic adjustment. “When the statistician brought me the data, I actually didn’t believe it. It was way too good to be true,” Bakris says. “The statistician said, ‘I don’t even believe it.’ But we checked for everything, and there it was.”

Compared to the sham-treated patients, those who got the real procedure saw an average of 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average of 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number). This was a greater effect than 2 powerful blood pressure medications given in combination.

In another double blind study, Dr. Yates examined the effects of upper thoracic chiropractic adjustments on blood pressure in 21 subjects with elevated blood pressure. Subjects in the active group (those getting adjusted) showed statistically significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Placebo and control groups demonstrated no such changes and did not differ significantly from each other. Results support that adjustment of thoracic region significantly reduces blood pressure of patients with elevated blood pressure.

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-h…

McKnight ME, DeBoer KF. Preliminary study of blood pressure changes in normotensive subjects undergoing chiropractic care. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1988 Aug;11(4):261-6.

G Bakris, M Dickholtz Sr, P M Meyer, G Kravitz, E Avery, M Miller, J Brown, C Woodfield, B Bell. Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. Journal of Human Hypertension. March 2, 2007.

Yates RG, Lamping DL, Abram NL, Wright C “Effects of Chiropractic Treatment on Blood Pressure and Anxiety: A Randomized, Controlled Trial” J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1988; 11(6): 484-488.

Author: Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a chiropractor, exercise physiologist and natural health specialist.

Products include dishwashing soap, hand soap, all purpose soap, laundry detergent, household cleaners, body washes, shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansers, lotions, sunscreens and deodorants.

Click here to read the article http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/ShoppersSafetyGuide.pdf

Here is link to another safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products. You can search here for information regarding products that you may already be using or are considering using:  http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Keep your eye out for future posts.

Arnica Montana and Arnica chamissonis are the two botanical names for this medicinal herb. The Arnica Montana grows at high altitudes and Arnica chamissionis grows at lower altitudes. They both have the same healing properties.

Parts to be used are the flowers, which can be extracted into an alcohol base for a liniment, or in olive oil for a more massaging application. One can also make an infusion in water and soak a cloth in the solution and then applied to the affected area. Not to be used on an open wound, or taken internally (except homeopathically), as it can be toxic.

Arnica liniments and Arnica oils are available on our website.

If you have an herb that you would like us to discuss, please feel free to ask me about it.

Thanks

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Subjects were randomly assigned to take daily dosages of 1,400-1,500 mg supplemental calcium plus 1,100 IU of vitamin D3. The RDA recommendations for vitamin D are 200 IU/d, birth-age 50; 400 IU/d, 50-70 years; and 600 IU/d, 70 years and older. This amount is just enough to prevent you from getting rickets.

There is a current study being conducted, which you can participate in and get your Vitamin D tested at a reduced rate, you can check it out at grassrootshealth.net.

On that site they have a down-loadable chart showing past studies and the level of Vitamin D required to prevent certain diseases, such as cancer, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

Natural sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D, 10-15 minutes a few times per week mid-day will supply all the Vitamin D you need. But, Who gets that? We put on clothing, sunscreen, hats, scarfs, sunglasses, etc.

If you live above San Francisco, you don’t get any of the rays that give us the Vitamin D in the winter. So it seems that we have to supplement to even get enough.

Precautions should be taken not to get sunburned, these rays are the ones that can cause skin cancer.

The scientists that study Vitamin D are saying that it isn’t really a vitamin, but that it is a hormone and necessary for many chemical pathways in the body. This is why it is influential in helping to reduce the risk of cancers and other diseases in our bodies.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.