This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I first heard about the "leaky gut" theory soon after I graduated from chiropractic school.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120611193342.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2012-rst/6933.html
http://www.rheumatology.org/about/newsroom/2010/2010_the_body_against_itself.asp
http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/bacteria-autoimmune-arthritis104.php
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-bacteria-can-trigger-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-mice
http://arthritis.about.com/cs/antibiotic/a/antibiotictreat.htm
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0036095

Thanks Dr,
I guess because I'm living it I see things differently to someone on the outside!

It appears you don't see a connection between Bacteria and Auto-immune, and also CPn and RA!

Regards,
Nigel

Nigel,
I have lived with autoimmune-inflammatory conditions my entire life and still do. I have a great deal of professional and personal first and second hand experience with some of the worst cases. My brother has a metabolic arthritide and RA is indirectly connected to metabolism.

The recent and past articles I provided links to on research into the cause of RA show that it has been connected to many different viruses and bacteria as well as other microbes and antigens such as streptococcus, mycoplasma bacterium, EBV, megalovirus, parvovirus, rubella virus. So far evidence of solid connections to particular viruses or bacteria is sorely lackng and antibiotic treatments have had some but very limited success. They may even exacerbate the problem.

One of the studies I posted suggests that a decrease in bacteria in the gut may provoke RA in susceptible patients. Another suggests that "leaky guts" cause good bacteria (commensal) to cross the protective immunological mucosal gut barrier and cause antigenic reactions and subsequent RA. Still another suggests that it is due to an imbalance between friendly and unfriendly bacteria in the gut.

No one knows for sure what the cause of RA is yet, but all agree there is definitely a connection to bacteria, either good or bad, as well as other antigens that cause autoimmune-inflammatory reactions that result in RA. They further agree that we can only culture and recognize about twenty percent of so of the bacteria in the gut. They hope the latest lab techology and DNA tests will help to reveal the rest. There are billions of cells in the gut. The bacteria outnumber the gut cells 10 to 1. Any one of them can cause problems if the interior or exterior environment gets out of balance. Short term antibiotic use is fantastic for fighting infections when you know the cause and pathogen. Long-term use upsets the balance of bacteria in the gut and causes signs and symptoms of inflammation such as gastritis and colitis.

As I have mentioned many times, about two-thirds of the cases of MS I have seen and consulted with are related to inherited and acquired structural causes. The remaining third are migraine variants that include autoimmune-inflammatory conditions associated with different causes unique to the patient, not one cause, such as a particular bacteria.

Dr F I have found over the years of looking at reasons for my own health issues I am guided by findings from research. Good or Bad!
My Psychology training has me questioning everything that comes in front of me so that I can see why a conclusion is found.

If the researchers have a bias that shows in the end result.

If the researchers are fixed in their understandings that also shows in their results.

If researchers are collaborative, share ideas across the Medical spectrum and think outside the box then results change such as the often quoted Stomach Ulcers understandings.

The pieces of research about individual diseases, the common points in both the expression of the diseases/symptoms and the co-incidences or co-factors of the findings paints a picture that is often the difference to the story.

I am beginning to believe that our opinion of what is 'self' and what 'isn't self' comes into play here as well.

We say that we are what we eat and we say that we are what is contained within us and then we say that we are not the bacteria or the bad cholesterol or not the cancer cells we carry with us.

We are the synergy result of all things we contain.

Which comes first is more of the question in the realm of Health. Is it also about balance like it is with Camel loading, one straw is all it takes, BUT was it anything to do with Straw?

If you take things individually away from a problem and the problem changes does that mean the singular item is the cause of the problem or is it the sum of the items or is it the knowledge about the item.

When I look at the items suspected in the diseases that share 'our' symptoms I see there are links, common factors that are known. When the balance is changed in those diseases the label for the disease changes as well. Bacteria are implicated in most if not all diseases across the board and then there are ongoing effects of imbalances such as inflammation due to the change of balance of the bacterial load.

The effect of Bacteria may or may not be the issue as such because the environment has to exist for the Bacteria volume to change the 'whole system' or 'environment'. So there is definitely an interplay in process and to exclude one will not 'fix' the whole. To return 'harmony' to the system at large is multifaceted and the key players are the solution to 'disease'.

Many profess that diet is the key, and as soon as you follow that avenue you find that for instance Mindfullness is also a critical factor that needs to be in balance with diet and so on and so on.
The other findings are that the loss of balance within a synergy system requires decreasing an item such as anti-biotic death of excess bacterial load to reboot or rebuild from scratch the system.

So which is the cause, we will ever know?

So after writing this I am thinking that both of our approaches have flaws. There is always a chicken and egg, and another and so on, each time a conclusion or assumption is made.
There will always be unknowns and never one eternal answer across the spectrum that we Humans present.

It is the common denominator that I am seeking most often and that may be my downfall!

Tired now and it's 8.10 am after a walk and a talk!
Have a great day!
Nigel

dr. flanagan, any thoughts on this. unfortunatly the page on google and this link are different but if you go to the top and hit research etc. there is a lot of read "i think you may be a tad busy" and knowing you -you already know most. there were things of the nasa studies too. found some research here it was helping ms.

www.pemftreatmenthealingtouches.com/pem ... at-is-pemf



hey nzer--you're our reader investigator here--what's your take on this. it's accepted in europe more--anyhing going on with it in your parts?

The pulsed magnetic electrotherapy equipment sounds interesting but not significantly different in affect than other physiotherapy equipment currently available. It has strengths and weaknesses. The key to effective application of physiotherapy equipment requires understanding the condition, the goals of treatment and selecting the best equipment to achieve those goals.

I stumbled on to this. http://www.spinalstretch.com/ but I am too disabled to use it but this is what I feel I need to do, stretch the spine. I feel I want someone to hold my head and another person to hold my heels and the 2 of them pull. The other day I made a conscious effort to stretch my spine while sitting in my recliner. Keeping that straight position for some time I noticed the sensation of feel returning to normal plus I was stronger. Seeing as I am in my recliner 75% of the time It would be great if there was something that could hold my neck and spine, stretching it.

Thanks for the link Dania.

The unit is very basic primitive traction at best and not worth the money. It uses is a unidirectional static pull that has little if any impact at all on the pelvic joints. Intermittent traction that pulls and releases intermittently is far better for pumping fluids and a rehabilitating cartilage and connective tissues. The best type of traction further incorporates x, y and z ranges of motion with intermittent pulling. The link below is to a demonstration of the Cox 7 Flexion-distraction table.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmwGuJIpmK0

thanks dr. flanagan, i figured you weren't a foreigner to this. do you feel it could do any harm if used too much or any other reason? finding someone that really understands and will prescribe the right protocol and equipment or the right knowledge around here is the trick too.

Your welcome Blossom. I used to used three thousand Gauss rectangular iron magnets that were about 3x6 inches and 1/2 inch thick to experiment with in the office. The strength and shape of a magnet affect its flux lines and penetration into tissues. The type of tissue also affects penetration and flux lines. Bones and fat aren't good conductors. I never found magnets to be very effective at treating any conditions compared to the gold standard equipment I used. Interestingly, I found it was reasonable at detecting irritated, injured and inflamed internal tissues using basic muscle tests. Using magnets won't hurt. If it did MRI scans would be dangerous.

dr. flanagan, the chiro. table on the utube is the type you use right? with not being able to get the spurs removed as yet-do you still think this could help? if i don't find something soon to help it will even be hard to get chiro. treatments. i may have a lead on a chiro. near that has the one you speak of. do these tables happen to stand upright letting the patient stand against and kinda ride it down? front or back.

I was interested in this also and asked Graham at the Chiro College;
Reply;
"Hello Nigel

For Flexion Distraction Therapy contact Dr Jim Yates, Chiropractor. Link to his website: http://www.queenstreetchiro.co.nz/index ... techniques

He has 2 Auckland locations Queen St and Parnell. He is very experienced and knowledgeable and I think he imports the tables and teaches the technique.

Regards

Graham Dobson"
http://www.chiropractic.ac.nz/chiroprac ... /index.php


Nigel

Interesting response arrived back about my question enquiring about the Traction equipment. Our Region MS Society President is an Osteopath and his reply to me was;
"Of course intermittent traction is better, the whole body works with fluctuating pressure caused by the diaphragm and body movement. I have hands. Neck traction can be applied in any direction. Driving 220 kms back home after treatment is not going to give you the best therapeutic result."
There is often sarcastic 'banter' between him and I regarding understandings of the processes that are important with his trade versus the Chiropractic and versus the understandings I am learning from Dr F.

I am keen to appropriately reply to the difference between massage and machine. I am guessing that the main difference is the body length traction and compression as opposed to a 'man' created version to achieve the same quality of process? The benefits are beyond the basic layman's guess!

Could I have some tips on how to reply please Dr F.


Nigel

Blossom,
I had several flexion-distraction tables over the years. The design keeps on improving. The Cox 7 and 8 are the best and they have a headpiece similar to the tailpiece, which you would need. There are two other tables I like by Williams Manufacturing Company called a Zenith 100 or the Hill Labs Air Flex. The Cox 7 and 8 are better in my opinion. If you can find a good table it's worth a try as it can help to relieve congestion in the spinal canal causing pressure on the cord but it won't get rid of the spurs. Doctors should also be aware of potential tethering of the cord to the spurs in your case, which can be aggravated by traction. If there is tethering, physiotherapy treatment should precede or follow traction to prepare tissue for rehab and relieve irritation and inflammation. Flexion distraction tables don't have the Hi Lo patient lowering feature you describe.

Nigel the doctor is comparing apples and oranges. The heart causes continuous significant pressure fluctuations throughout the body. The lungs cause less consistent pressure fluctuations that have varying or minimal effect on some tissues such as the arms and legs or the cartilage and connective tissues of the spine. Pressure fluctuations in the cartilage and connective tissues are caused by movement. Cartilage and connective tissues require pumping distraction type movement for rehab. I used different types of manual and mechanical traction. It is very difficult to do effective static hand traction of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine, let alone intermittent traction. The flexion-distraction table you posted is good table for low back conditions but it lacks rotation and circumduction capability in the tailpiece and it lacks a flexion-distraction headpiece. It also lacks total body traction capability and automation. As far as the sarcastic banter is concerned, my theory is based on sound science from all disciplines, not chiropractic, osteopathic or medical ideologies. Anyone who wants to challenge it should present the facts, sources and citations to support their position. I have plenty to support mine.