Advice about Palindromic Rheumatism

Gary,
I was diagnosed 10 years ago with something called "Pallindromic Rheumatism" then I had a sports injury (flipped off my bike into a ditch) and had Fibromyalgia - the FM is completely gone - also I have as anyone would at my age 55 osteoarthritis. There never seems to be a definitive diagnosis in my mind - thats when 7 years ago I returned all the prescriptions to the Doc and went organic with supplements.

I take Calcium, a good multi, vitamin C with E and mix in a little baking soda to keep me alkaline, milk thistle when I'm on Robaxacet, niacin, super B's, probiotics and fish oil. I also stay totally away from anything that is processed. I juice at least every other day and basically start my day like no one else on the planet by eating vedge and fruit and I drink gallons of pure water.
The Pall R. migrates from major joint to major joint. The osteo affects both hips and spine, cervical, thoracic and lumbar....I do take something we have here called Robaxacet with a muscle relaxant that has helped me through a few hurdles. My biggest drug has always been exercise, and I'm very cognizant of not over doing, but movement is essential and my first drug of choice. I have started Bromelain which seems to help. Unfortunately they do not know what is causing the current problems (and frankly I don't expect them too) but I am having an MRI in July. Today I warmed up on the treadmill (slowly) did 30 minutes and then lifted light weights for a couple of sets.
All of the above started after consuming bad well water for 3 months just over 10 years ago - seemed to be a catalyst for the arthritis and it was at that time that I was diagnosed with hypothryoidism. BUT, a few years back I discovered that there were many foods that seemed to put me into a flare up i.e, salt, soya, peanuts etc......hence my organic and only fresh foods. I
also no longer clean with chemicals - it's all quite an amazing journey. I swam for a while but have some problems with chlorine so I wait for the warm weather and jump into any lake I can find.

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Gary Moller comments:

Please view the video commentary for rheumatoid arthritis along with these notes:

• Palindromic rheumatism is closely linked with rheumatoid arthritis. Read this.
• The osteoarthritis and the allergies may have similar underlying causes - a dysfunctional immune system.
• Fibromyalgia is related to mineral depletion and low vitamin D.
• The hypothyroidism may be similarly linked.
• Low vitamin D is a likely factor as is trace mineral depletion and deficiency in the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
• All of these are essential for a robust immune system, strong bones, healthy joints and healthy metabolism (thyroid function).
• Drinking pure water flushes the body of minerals and water soluble vitamins. It may interfere with digestion by diluting the digestive acids and enzymes.
• Baking soda may interfere with digestion by neutralising the digestive acids.
• Acidity in the digestive processes is also important for uptake of minerals.
• A low fat diet that is also low in animal products, including organs like the liver, will not supply sufficient minerals or fat soluble vitamins.
• Multi vitamins and other supplements of synthetic origins, may not be as effective or as safe as natural ones that are rich with nutrient co-factors.

Recommendations:

• Get a blood test asap to assess vitamin D status.
• If less than 120nmol, take measures to boost it urgently (Free range egg yolk, organ meat from free range sources, raw grass fed full fat dairy products, fish head broth, beef bone broth, cod liver oil, natural vitamin D supplements (available from http://www.myotec.co.nz/ ).
• During winter take 2-4,000 iu supplementary Vit D per day, unless levels are already well over optimum.
• When you take the fat soluble vitamins, you must include fat in the diet with them otherwise their uptake is seriously compromised.
• Get a hair tissue mineral analysis right away. Details here.
• Stop taking baking soda. The juicing etc is alkaline enough.
• Take a quality mineral supplement right away in addition to the diet recommendations.
• Only drink as much water as needed to ward off thirst and this should be a rich mineral water - stay away from distilled water.
• Start taking daily glucosamine and chondroitin (Powder form is best value) from http://www.myotec.co.nz/ . This nutritional supplement is of proven benefit and is applicable to all forms of arthritis, including the inflammatory forms.
• Take up to 2,000mg of vitamin C per day through diet and natural supplements. Vit C is important for immune health as well as for healthy joints and connective tissue.

Video demonstration about how to strengthen weak and pronating feet

This video demonstration shows how to strengthen the tibialis muscles to give you a strong and arches of the feet that are up to the punishement of running sports. This video should be viewed along with careful study of the e-publication: "Correcting Weak and Pronating Feet".

Thumbs up for the lymphaciser rebounder

Hi Gary
Just thought you might like a great testimonial for Lympacizers! I've owned one for nearly 20 years and there's been hardly any give in the springs over that time despite being used daily. They are GREAT, well worth the outlay.
Cheers
Jan
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Gary Moller comments:

Thanks for the thumbs-up, Jan. The key to the feel and longevity (and the price!) of these exercise machines is the heavy steel frame, the many big steel springs and the way they are fixed by welded brackets to the frame.

I have used the Pacific Health Lymphacizer rebounders for some 25 years for outfitting commercial gyms. Some of these rebounders have been in use for that entire period, some in gyms that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some of the users are very, very big people! I can not recall ever having to replace a broken spring. All that has been required is to replace the protective frame and spring cover now and then and ensure the legs are tightly screwed in. These machines should out-live their owners if used in the home.



If you are considering purchasing a rebounder, it is worth your while spending more and going for quality. The cheapos that cost $100 or less simply do not last and they feel awful compared to the Lymphacizer. With use the springs of the cheapos quickly dig into the frame, the bed stretches and the responsive bounce goes out of the bed. You do not want to be jumping up and down on a cheap bed that may tear or with cheap springs that eventually snap with use.

Have you thought about setting up a home gym?

If you are paying up to $1,000 per year or more for a gym membership that you do not use often enough, have you ever thought about setting up a home gym?

Unless you are a groupie a home gym makes a lot of good sense. The kids, your partner, the Mother-in-law and friends can all benefit from the convenience. That's a lot of potential gym memberships you are saving!

I can now supply just about all the equipment you need for an amazing and compact home gym that you can install in that spare room or in the garage. What I can't supply, I can usually direct you to the best source. Get hold of me if you are considering setting up your own gym.

Go here to see the great range of exercycles, elliptical trainers, spin cycles and rowing machines that I am now selling.

I have an LG4 Firefox spin cycle that I won at the Gentle Annie Mountain Bike Ride last month. I loved the styling and the silent and smooth magnetic braking, so decided to sell them!

Polynesians are fat - a sweeping generalisation

"Pacific Island nations have the most overweight people in the world, according to the most recent estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Eight out of the ten of the "fattest" countries are in the Pacific, the research found.
The top four - Nauru, Micronesia, the Cook Islands and Tonga - all have more than 90 per cent of their population defined as obese. "
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Gary Moller comments:
There is unquestionably a serious world-wide obesity problem that is only going to get much worse before it gets better and that will not happen for several generations, if the latest crop of kiddies coming online right now are anything to go by. Polynesians are at the top end of the problem - there is no argument about that. But let's kill some stereotypes:

We have discussed BMI in a previous posting about how heavy boned and muscled people are penalised by the one-size fits-all limitations of BMI measures. Polynesians, being among the most naturally well muscled and big boned races on the planet are immediately at a disadvantage with regards to BMI. That does not mean to say Many, if not the majority, have a serious problem with obesity.

The solutions are simple but extremely difficult to implement because one comes up against unhelpful stereotypes and health resources are almost exclusively locked up in the ambulance services (Drugs, surgery, hospitalisation). But, for the moment, let's dispel these broad-brush misconceptions that all Polynesians are fat. There are many, many exceptions that include my immediate and extended family.

Polynesians that exercise regularly and who eat well make exceptional physical specimens that make scrawny people like me very poor examples of humanity. The holiday photos above show Alofa with the kind of food that produce a strong and healthy human. You will see, despite her high BMI, she is thin, but very strong, muscled and in glowing health. She, and the rest of her family, is not the obese and sickly stereotype of the Polynesian. The photo of Alama, our son who will never get skin cancer (btw) is significant because it shows a lean, muscular 7 year old with a narrow waist and a broad barrel chest. Incidentally, outside of Africa, this physique is most unusual nowadays. The swiiming togs he is wearing are sized for a three year old! My, how children have changed!

Good health is not about race - It is all about lifestyle - plenty of sun, exciting and stimulating exercise and lot's of good food. It is about choosing to walk to school and riding a bike to work, rather than to drive. It is about taking responsibility for one's personal health which means becoming informed about traditional and natural therapies and taking control of one's lifestyle - like placing family before work.

Mobility and toning exercises for runners

A distance runner needs to have good total body tone and mobility while not building excessive muscle bulk which is energy sapping weight when running.

Hot off the press is my latest workout for runners. It is a simple weight-free routine that covers the essential bases of a distance runner’s toning and mobility requirements. These can be incorporated into your pre-run/race warm up and cooling down routine. Make this routine a training session for easy exercise in the evenings and during rest days.

You can easily incorporate some of the other runner’s stretching exercises into this routine to make it even more comprehensive. Further exercises can be found in my book on Back Pain which is available from my online store here.

Here is the direct link to download this E-Publication

Herniated Disk Improves With Either Surgical or Nonsurgical Treatment

"Patients with herniated disks had improved outcomes during 2 years whether treated surgically or nonsurgically, according to the results of a randomized trial with an accompanying observational cohort reported in the November 22/29 issue of JAMA.

"these findings suggest that in most cases there is no clear reason to advocate strongly for surgery apart from patient preference. For the patient with emotional, family, and economic resources to handle mild or moderate sciatica, surgery may have little to offer."

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Gary Moller comments:

The terrible suffering and restriction on that severe back pain causes can probably never fully appreciated by others more fortunate.

With modern imaging techniques, detailed pictures can be obtained showing herniated discs and other mechanical abnormalities. Modern keyhole microsurgery makes the surgical solution increasingly attractive. But is it really that more effective than a decent physical therapy programme and the progress made by Mother Nature herself over time? This study, and many others over many years, show little extra benefit in most cases of going down the surgical track.

In most cases surgery must still be supported by months of progressive exercise to regain as close to full strength and mobility. This is more or less the same path as the non-surgical treatment approach anyway. Over the long term, there is little to separate the two paths in terms of final destination. I know that from experience of working in back rehabiliation for about 15 years.

If you are suffering back pain; unless you are losing sensation and function, then my advice is to take your time with deciding whether or not to take the surgical path to recovery.

Get the imaging done by MRI or ultrasound (DO NOT allow your internal organs to be irradiated by a cancer producing CT Scan). Discuss the results and the need for surgery with your specialist. Before making a final decision, if surgeryt is recommended, take the results of the imaging away with you and consult a range of back experts who have been in practice for at least 10 years - a physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath, various doctors and don't forget the Chinese therapist with the incomprehensible qualifications. If you undergo any treatment with any of them, do not allow any procedure to continue if you feel uncomfortable - tell the therapist to stop and discuss your concerns. Sometimes a regime as simple as a proper exercise programme, massage, stretching and a few key nutritional supplements can give gradual and lasting relief.

All surgery involves an element of risk. The outcome is never assured. The big worry nowadays is hospital based infections. Ask your Dr what the post-operation infection rate is in the hospital you are being referred to. If he/she does not know, you should insist on finding out. Hospitals prefer to keep this kind of information quiet for obvious reasons. Your Dr should know and so should you.

If you have back pain or a friend or relative who is suffering, a good present for the Xmas stocking is my book on Back Pain. You are always welcome to write in with your questions and concerns.