Posts Tagged ‘nutritional deficiencies’

Pain Medications Cause Joint Pain & Joint Damage

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

Back pain is the second most common condition that people visit their doctor for.  Likewise, prescriptions medications to treat pain are often the first line o treatment recommended by doctors.  Unfortunately, pain medications do little to address the actual origin of the pain and serve more to mask the outward symptoms.  The consequences of long term pain medications on healing and nutritional status are discussed in this Web Wellness University video below…

Prescription Drugs for Pain Don’t Solve the Problem

Drugs only mask inflammation, they do not correct the source. Many pain meds also cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This side effect can prevent long term healing. For example, NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can cause folic acid and vitamin C deficiency. Both of these vitamins are crucial for the body to be able to repair damaged cartilage, joints, tendons, and ligaments. See the diagram below:

Most, doctors specializing in the treatment of arthritis, joint pain, back pain, neck pain, and other diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system never even consider diet as an important factor in the development of these conditions. I was formally trained in rheumatology at the VA hospital in Houston, TX, and I can say that diet and nutritional recommendations to patients were discouraged and in most cases frowned upon by our attending physicians.  It was actually this experience that prompted me to dig deeper into the connection between join/muscle  diseases and food.

Over the past 10 years, I have treated thousands of patients with arthritic conditions. The most single effective therapies have always been diet and exercise. The paradox with exercise… It is harder to stick to if it flares up the arthritis. The problem with food…everyone reacts uniquely based on their own unique chemistry. But it only makes sense that if drugs can target inflammation as a treatment, why can’t food. After all, isn’t food a drug of sorts?

I have found that medical research greatly supports this connection, but more importantly, I have found that patients get better after eliminating inflammatory foods from their diets. What foods should we avoid to help recover from arthritis?  Depends on the person. Everyone is unique.

Problems That Benefit With The Right Diet Changes:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Muscle spasms
  • Stiff man’s syndrome
  • Degenerative disc disease, disc herniations
  • Sprain/Strains
  • Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
  • Chronic Repetitive Injuries
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Lupus
  • spondyloarthritis
  • psoriatic
  • reactive arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Scleroderma
  • Myofascitis
  • Dermatomyositis

If you suffer with a chronic pain condition and have been using medications with little benefit, try finding a functional medicine doctor.

Wishing you excellent health,

Dr. Osborne

Dr. Osborne is an expert in functional medicine and chiropractic  care.  He is Board Certified in Nutritional Medicine.  You can contact  his office at 281-240-2229.  He regularly  treats patients from across  the world.  His office is in Sugar Land, Texas in the  Greater Houston  area.

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Mainstream treatment for osteoporosis is not the answer…

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Mainstream treatment for osteoporosis is not the answer…
Mainstream treatments for osteoporosis shown to cause more
problems than they help.  Recent evidence links taking
bisphosphonate medications such as Actonel and Fosamax to a
number of side effects including, osteonecrosis of the jaw, atrial
fibrilation, gastrointestinal pain, and dyspepsia (indigestion).
References:
Black DM, Delmas PD, Eastell R, Reid IR, Boonen S, Cauley JA, et al.
Once-yearly zoledronic acid for treatment of postmenopausal
osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 2007;356:1809-22.
Bauer DC, et al. Upper gastrointestinal tract safety profile of
alendronate: the fracture intervention trial. Arch Intern Med.2000 Feb
28;160(4):517-25.
Bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw: a retrospective study.
[Endocr Pract. 2007]
Nature and frequency of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of
the jaws in Australia. [J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007]
Osteonecrosis of the jaw induced by orally administered
bisphosphonates: incidence, clinical features, predisposing factors and
treatment outcome. [Osteoporos Int. 2007
Osteonecrosis of the jaw in cancer after treatment with
bisphosphonates: incidence and risk factors. [J Clin Oncol. 2005]
Outcomes of placing dental implants in patients taking oral
bisphosphonates: a review of 115 cases. [J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008]
Dr. Osborne’s Comment:
Medications for the treatment of osteoporosis are simply band aids
that do not address the true causes or contributing factors for the
disease.   Bisphosphonates prevent your body’s ability to get rid of
old worn out bone.  When your body is unable to remove old bone, it
cannot replace it with new bone tissue.  Although bone density
appears to improve with the use of a bone scanner, the quality of the
existing bone is compromised.  Read my report on osteoporosis to
better arm yourself with knowledge and prevent bone loss from
affecting your health.
Following these simple tips can go a long way in preventing bone loss:
Perform weight bearing exercises on a daily basis.
Eat an abundance of high quality organic or local grown fruits
and vegetables.
Eliminate refined and processed foods from your diet.
Get adequate sunlight for your skin type without the use of
sun screens as they block vitamin D synthesis.
Nutritional deficiencies
Don’t smoke or subject yourself to second hand smoke.
Strongly limit caffeine (less than 100 mg/day) and alcohol
intake.
Avoid medications that effect vitamin and mineral metabolism
such as steroids, NSAIDS, and acid lowering medications.
During your annual check ups, have your doctor perform lab
work to identify nutritional deficiencies.
Have your doctor genetically screen you for osteoporosis risk
early in life so that you can make appropriate lifestyle
modifications.

Mainstream treatments for osteoporosis shown to cause more problems than they help.

Recent evidence links taking bisphosphonate medications such as Actonel and Fosamax to a number of side effects including, osteonecrosis of the jaw, atrial fibrilation, gastrointestinal pain, and dyspepsia (indigestion).

References:

  1. Black DM, Delmas PD, Eastell R, Reid IR, Boonen S, Cauley JA, et al. Once-yearly zoledronic acid for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 2007;356:1809-22.
  2. Bauer DC, et al. Upper gastrointestinal tract safety profile of alendronate: the fracture intervention trial. Arch Intern Med.2000 Feb 28;160(4):517-25.
  3. Bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw: a retrospective study. Endocr Pract. 2007
  4. Nature and frequency of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws in Australia.  J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007
  5. Osteonecrosis of the jaw induced by orally administered bisphosphonates: incidence, clinical features, predisposing factors and treatment outcome. Osteoporos Int. 2007
  6. Osteonecrosis of the jaw in cancer after treatment with bisphosphonates: incidence and risk factors. J Clin Oncol. 2005
  7. Outcomes of placing dental implants in patients taking oral bisphosphonates: a review of 115 cases. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008

Dr. Peter Osborne, Diplomate with the American Clinical Board of NutritionDr. Osborne’s Comment:

Medications for the treatment of osteoporosis are simply band aids that do not address the true causes or contributing factors for the disease.   Bisphosphonates prevent your body’s ability to get rid of old worn out bone.  When your body is unable to remove old bone, it cannot replace it with new bone tissue.  Osteonecrosis occurs because the weakened bone in the jaw develops micro fractures.  Although bone density appears to improve with the use of a bone scanner, the quality of the existing bone is compromised.  Read my report on osteoporosis to better arm yourself with knowledge and prevent bone loss from affecting your health.

Following these simple tips can go a long way in preventing bone loss:

  • Perform weight bearing exercises on a daily basis.
  • Eat an abundance of high quality organic or local grown fruits and vegetables.
  • Eliminate refined and processed foods from your diet.
  • Get adequate sunlight for your skin type without the use of sun screens as they block vitamin D synthesis.
  • Don’t smoke or subject yourself to second hand smoke.
  • Strongly limit caffeine (less than 100 mg/day) and alcohol intake.
  • Avoid medications that effect vitamin and mineral metabolism such as steroids, NSAIDS, and acid lowering medications.
  • During your annual check ups, have your doctor perform lab work to identify nutritional deficiencies.
  • Have your doctor genetically screen you for osteoporosis risk early in life so that you can make appropriate lifestyle modifications.

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