Can Gluten Sensitivity cause Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating autoimmune disease that destroys the insulation surrounding the nerves.  It can lead to a number of health problems and ultimately can cripple a person’s ability to walk.
Some of the early symptoms of MS include: Numbness, tingling, burning, pins and needle sensations and coldness of the hands and feet; brain fog, poor memory, weak muscles, fatigue, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech and visual disturbances.

 

If you have these symptoms you could also have a gluten sensitivity. Gluten has been shown to trigger the production of antibodies that attack the nervous system and cause demyelination.  Gluten has been shown to contribute to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.  These same nutrient deficits can disrupt the nervous system leading to increase chronic inflammation and neuropathy. Celiac testing can have too many false negative test results. Genetic testing is best to identify Gluten sensitivity.

 

Dr. Bill and Dr.Justyna have just returned from Seattle from a conference on Methylation, Genetic Testing and Nutritional Protocols to assist in correcting these issues.
 

 

 

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL ARTHRITIS MONTH

Pain , pain go away. Now with fall slowly coming upon us the dampness that we start to feel with the weather changes can aggravate our joints and accentuate pain and stiffness in our joints. The pain in our joints can be so debilitating, effecting how we function throughout our day and while we are sleeping at night.

September is National Arthritis Month. We are wanting to shine a light on awareness of the therapies and strategies in assisting in the treatment of Arthritis. Conventional therapies focus on pharmaceuticals which serve to mask symptoms and often have adverse effects. Problems with arthritic medications such as Vioxx, documented in the New England Journal of Medicine, have led many sufferers to seek safer alternatives.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center the Naturopathic Physicians focus on uncovering the cause of conditions. With arthritis there can be many factors that can induce swelling, inflammation and pain of the joints. Such factors include: allergies and food intolerances, nutritional deficiencies, stress and emotional issues, and trauma. The immune system can be effected by any or all of the above leading to inflammatory responses.

Strategies that we incorporate at our office are nutritional evaluation, food intolerance testing, evaluation of stressors and the use of cold laser therapy. We have been using cold laser as a very effective modality to decrease swelling, decrease pain, and heal tissue in arthritis.

Call the office today for an evaluation today.

 

You Don’t Have to Suffer With Headaches

There are many different types of headaches. Although not all headaches are the same, they all share at least one thing in common — they cause pain. But many headaches also cause other unwanted symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. A person’s medical history and the frequency and severity of the headache is important in distinguishing an uncomfortable but safe headache from a more serious one.

There are many types of headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, cluster, sinus headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, intracranial related, meningitis, and toxic headaches. The majority of headaches, however painful, are short-lived and not a cause of concern.  Headaches of intracranial origin and/or meningitis require immediate emergency attention. It is important to ensure that your headache is not due to a serious illness before considering the use of any complementary therapy.

At the Semiahmoo Wellness Center most of the headaches seen by the Naturopathic Physicians are due to either structural misalignment of the cranium or neck as well as muscle tension, allergies, chemical toxicity, other digestive disturbances or EMF toxicity.

Tension headaches can be a result of hypoadrenia from stress. Low adrenal function from the effects of stress on the body  can lead to low blood sugar headaches or can cause ligaments to be lax which can lead to instability in the neck leading to headaches. Providing support to the adrenal glands is paramount to resolution of these type of headaches as well as spinal and /or cranial manipulation.

If you suffer from migraine headaches your diet and digestion needs to assessed along with investigation into food sensitivities and allergies.

Certain supplements can also be beneficial to those affected by headaches. These include:

  1. feverfew, which may prevent or alleviate some types of headaches, including migraines, when taken over several weeks or months;
  2. riboflavin (a B vitamin) and a combined magnesium and calcium preparation, taken daily, may be effective for persistent migraines.

 

If you are looking to get off the pain medications and don’t want to suffer through the pain give us a call at the Semiahmoo Wellness Center.

Uses of Coconut Oil

coconut uses infographic

Learn how the coconut tree provides all-around benefits — from its husks and roots to coconut oil — through our infographic “Plant of Life: An Infographic on Various Coconut Uses.” Use the embed code to share it on your website or visit our infographic page for the high-res version.

<img src="http://media.mercola.com/assets/images/infographic/coconut-uses.jpg" alt="coconut uses infographic" border="0" style="max-width:100%; min-width:300px; margin: 0 auto 20px auto; display:block;"><p style="max-width:800px; min-width:300px; margin:0 auto; text-align:center;">Learn how the coconut tree provides all-around benefits -- from its husks and roots to coconut oil -- through our infographic "<a href="http://www.mercola.com/infographics/coconut-uses.htm">Plant of Life: An Infographic on Various Coconut Uses</a>." Visit our infographic page for the high-res version.</p>