Surgical Dilemmas, Bad Knees, Infertility, And "Drug To Normalization"! A Potpourri Of Problems...

08/30/07

This Week In HealthBeat News:

• Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't! The dilemma of Big Surgery
• Dave, With The "Bum Knees" Checks Back In... It still hurts - even after Big Surgery!
• Fibroids, Fertility, and Working For Free... We get questions!
• News Reports, Political Correctness, Drugs, and Guns - One thing leads to another...
• Kennedy, Roberts, and Burr - Meddling With Your Health Freedom Again...
• Laughter is Good Medicine: The Latest In Diagnostic Technology, brought to you by Dr. Myatt!

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't!

By Dr. Myatt

Joint Replacement: Yes, or No?

This is a case of "damned if I do, damned if I don't" when it comes to recommending for or against joint replacement surgery. Because the outcome can be either wonderful or terrible, I almost always advise patients to "try natural remedies first."

Of course, these don't always work, and then some folks are disgruntled that they didn't have surgery sooner. Here's a note I received from a patient just this week:

Dear Dr. Myatt:

I am truly sorry that I didn't get this operation a lot sooner. After just 3 months they feel and work great. Last month I walked 3 miles @ 3 or 4 times a week. This month I'm up to doing 5 miles 3 or 4 times a week. I should be finished with physical therapy soon. Starting in Sept. I will be leading hikes again for my hiking club.

Ciao, Billy

Hi Billy:

I am so glad this surgery worked out well for you! Here are some of the reasons I ask people to try curative measures first. From my files:

Dear Dr. Myatt

I wished I'd listened to you and not had the hip replacement. My foot has been dragging ever since the operation, and my doctor and physical therapist have concluded that a nerve must have been injured during surgery. I will never walk normally again. Although the hip pain is gone, I have pain in my thigh that they attribute to the damage from surgery. I am hoping that with your help, at least we can get this new pain to go away. It is as painful as the sore hip was, except now I cannot walk without a cane because of the foot drop. Sometimes I don't walk well even with a cane. It has made driving nearly impossible, since it is my right foot that is affected. To my friends or anyone considering surgery, I tell them to try everything else first, as Dr. Myatt says, to see if they can heal the problem some other way.

Sincerely,
Sam S.

Dear Dr. Myatt,

As you know, my surgeon told me that there was "no way" my knee pain would ever get better without surgery. They wanted to replace my own joins with "bionic joints." A friend of mine had the surgery and although she says her knees feels better, she now walks like a little old lady. She walked much better before. With the addition of strontium, glucosamine sulfate and taking my bromelain and COX-2 faithfully, my knee pain is so minimal that I times I barely notice it. And I still walk normally. I am glad you convinced me to exhaust my natural options before considering surgery. Thank you.

Still walking like a youngster,
Mildred

Dr. Myatt,

I could never understand why joints "wear out" unless one is a dancer or a sky-diver. I've never had any injuries that I know of and my joints have not been subject to "heavy use." So of course I was surprised when my doctor told me I needed joint replacement surgery for my hip pain. It took me about 6 months of following your advice, but the pain is now gone. But that's not the biggest thing. As you pointed out, joint pain isn't caused by a "joint replacement deficiency." I had something else wrong!

With the treatment we did for my hip, my heart condition is also greatly improved. My doctor doesn't know why, but the "blockages" they told me I had in my heart blood vessels are now gone. As you explained, "everything is connected to everything." The same nutritional imbalances that caused my hip pain must have also caused my blocked arteries. Now both are better! I have several friends who have had knee or hip surgery. Two are really pleased with the results and two are very disappointed. I'm glad I took your advice and "tried everything else first." It really is still a gamble as to how these things turn out, isn't it?

Cheers,
Vic W.

Dear Dr. Myatt,

As you know, I was scheduled to have both of my knees replaced. When you encouraged me to wait and try "everything else instead," I was most reluctant (it took a long time to finally get scheduled for surgery). But you helped me once before with my "incurable" liver condition and I trust you, which is why I followed your advice. I got to thinking about my family background, and how grandma and grampa both lived into their 90's with no joint problems. So I figured that my "knees giving out" must be some kind of an imbalance, not a genetic or "old age" thing.

Not only has my knee pain greatly improved with your help (I would no longer consider surgery), but the heart arrhythmias I was having have gone away. The doctor thought this was because of my medication, and he was surprised when I told him I hadn't taken my heart medicine in over a year! The heart problems are really gone. I've never asked you before and I probably already know the answer, but did the changes we made to my mineral intake for the knees also fix my heart arrhythmia?

I guess it just goes to show that a true "cure" works better than a "band aid"!

Gratefully,
Jimmy G.

Since knees and hips don't just "give out" for no reason, finding the underlying cause is still a worthwhile endeavor. I wish I had a better crystal ball so I could tell who should rush to surgery and who should wait. Making a "best medical prediction" is one of the challenges of being a doctor. Some days it's "damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

Nurse Mark Adds: Regular readers will know that I spent many years Nursing in conventional hospitals before meeting Dr. Myatt and I spent a lot of time looking after post-surgical patients on the orthopedic ward where hip and knee replacements were "bread and butter" money-makers for the surgeons and the hospital. I can tell you honestly that joint replacement surgery for "worn-out" joints really is a "craps shoot" and the potential for major and serious complications is very real. Everything from nerve damage with permanent pain and disability to wound and bone infections, allergic reactions to the glue, sudden death on the operating table or strokes both on the table and post-operatively - this is major, serious, dangerous surgery and not to be entered into lightly!

For someone who has fallen or had an accident and shattered a hip or a knee joint this can indeed be life-saving and miraculous surgery. For those whose surgeon is telling them, with dollar signs dancing in his eyes, that their joints are "worn out" and (my favorite line) "Bone On Bone" I really do have to agree that every non-surgical treatment option should be tried before the titanium or ceramic goes in! And does the surgeon mention that these marvelous "bionic" replacements will wear out and need replacing too? Yep, they will!

Dave, With The "Bum Knees" Checks Back In...

To Say:

As you know, I had problems with 2 tears in the cartilage on my right knee. An MRI showed what they claim to be bruised bone. How does one bruise a bone in the knee without jumping out of trees, airplanes or other things like that? How does one treat this sort of problem? Its been 7 weeks post op and I swear I was better before therapy. There are days I can't walk without a cane or crutch. What do you suggest for treating a bruised bone in the shin area? I'm staying away from the dilaudid I was on for pain after I learned from you that it was trying to kill me . Best move I have made in years by the way. I am breathing better, sleeping better and even less depressed. GO FIGURE. If you have any ideas for the pain from a bruised bone, I beg of you, share the wealth of information.
Thanks again. Dave

Hi Dave!

Keep your chin up, man! Bone and ligaments take longer to heal than other tissues. Twelve weeks is not unheard of for complete healing, assuming you are doing everything else right.

Here are the most well-proven things you can do to speed up the healing process and find good pain relief:

First, bromelain (digestive enzyme from the stem of pineapple) is one of the best treatments for bone and soft tissue injuries. Bromelain has anti-inflammatory activity and has been shown to speed healing from bruises and bone injuries. Treatment with bromelain following blunt injuries to the musculoskeletal system results in a clear reduction in swelling, decreased pain at rest and during movement, and decreased tenderness. Bromelain taken pre-surgically can reduce the average number of days for complete disappearance of pain and inflammation. [Fortschr Med 1995;113: pp.303-306].

There are a lot of brands of bromealain available, but most have a low potency. It's not just the "milligrams per capsule," but the POTENCY of the enzyme (the "mcu"or GDU) that determines OVERALL potency.

For a strapping guy your size, I'd start with 3 caps of "the good stuff" (high potency like Wellness Club brand), 4 times per day between meals. In a couple of days, decrease to 2 caps, 4 times per day between meals.

I have used Castor oil packs (C.O.P.'s) successfully for bone and soft tissue injuries for almost two decades (I'm giving away my age here), although I do not know of any medical studies that "prove" this treatment. Suffice to say that I've had more than a dozen patients avoid surgery for "torn ligaments" and joint repair by using this treatment.

You'll need a piece of wool flannel, heating pad, castor oil (refined without chemicals) and an ace bandage to hold the thing in place. If you get the wool flannel from The Wellness Club (this is advised, since it can be hard to find elsewhere), the instruction for making a castor oil pack are included.

Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil and/or flax oil) are strongly anti-inflammatory and are sorely lacking in the Standard American Diet (SAD). Be sure to take 6 caps per day of fish oil with meals and use flax seed oil in your Super Shakes. (Super shakes are great for recovery, because they provide protein which the body needs in order to heal AND they include Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants). Super Shakes are a superior meal choice for anyone who is recovering from an injury, surgery, illness or chemotherapy.

Finally, be sure you are taking your daily Maxi Multi's or equivalent formula. Your body requires adequate bone minerals (calcium, magnesium, boron) and vitamin D in order to heal properly.

If  these three remedies don't have you feeling noticeably better in a week, consider adding strontium to your supplement program for a couple of months.

Please do let us all know about your progress!

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

Fibroids, Fertility, and Working For Free...

By Dr. Myatt

Questions About Treatment for Uterine Fibroids and Infertility

My office received a call this week from a lady wanting information about treating her uterine fibroids and infertility, and wanting to know if we did "Pro Bono" work or if we accepted insurance. Hello? This isn't a splinter in your finger. Uterine fibroids and resulting (or co-occurring) infertility can have a number of different causes. I would need to work with an individual to determine why they, personally, were having this problem. Further, infertility work usually involves two people, not one - double the work!

To understand my feelings about taking on complicated cases for "free" or "Pro Bono" please see my article The Shaman's Lesson of Worth. As for insurance, please see How My Office Handles Insurance to understand how this works.

Now, since I don't know this lady, I can't comment on why she is having her troubles. But here are some of the things that cause or contribute to fibroids (fibrous, non-cancerous growths that occur in the uterus, breast or elsewhere).

Women who want to become pregnant often do best when the fibroids are treated non-surgically.

Hormone imbalances (excess estrogens or imbalances estrogen to progesterone ratio), overweight (fat cells manufacture estrogen), allergies, overburdened liver (the liver removes excess estrogen), nutritional deficiencies (especially vitamins A,C,E, essential fatty acids [Omega-3's are especially important]), iodine deficiency (which is NEVER checked for in conventional medicine).

Flax seeds, which contain a special type of fiber called lignan, are especially beneficial in normalizing female hormone levels. Bromelain taken between meals has anti-fibrin effects and can help the body resorb a fibroid.

As to infertility, this can be cause by the fibroid itself being so large that it impair implantation, but it can also be caused by the same female hormone imbalance that causes the fibroid. (Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?). For infertility, the same diagnostic work-up used for fibroids applies.

If the fibroid doesn't prevent implantation, a Castor Oil Pack (COP) can help facilitate pregnancy. (I don't know why, but it works). Here's my story of "J.J. the Castor Oil Baby."

A 42-year old female came to see me when I was a "baby doc." She could actually get pregnant but kept losing the baby at 4 months gestation. Infertility doctors had tried drugs, bed rest and several other "tricks" but to no avail.

I had her use a COP over her pregnant abdomen without heat for as much of the day as she could. (I didn't confine her to total bed rest, however). At the 7-month mark, her obstetrician assumed she was "out of the woods" and told her to stop doing COP's. The woman went into early labor and called me, at which time I instructed her to get back into bed with the COP over her uterus.

Premature contractions stopped and she continued to use the COP for the remainder of the pregnancy. J.J. was delivered by vaginal birth, one week past his due date and weighing a whopping 12 pounds! (I often wondered if some of the castor oil might have soaked in and fattened him up!)

Again, every case of uterine fibroids and infertility is different and the best treatment is to have specific and personalized guidance. Natural medicine can often accomplish things that conventional medicine can't! (And vice-versa, as with the "bionic joints")!

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

News Reports, Political Correctness, Drugs, and Guns

By Nurse Mark

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few weeks you cannot have escaped the news reports of researchers claiming to have discovered that a common virus causes people to become fat. Too fat? Common virus may be to blame: study

Yep, that's right, it's not your fault people, all those KrispyKremes and Giant Thirst Buster soft drinks had nothing to do with it - you just caught a virus and it made you fat. Probably caught it from some other fat person who didn't cover their nose when they sneezed in the elevator. So it's not your fault - and now you can demand that somebody "do something" about it. Yeah, Right!

Folks, there may indeed be a grain or two of science in this research. Heavens knows, they probably used really big microscopes to see those little damaged DNA bits... But here's my take on this: It is fascinating research - but it is 'way preliminary, and offers you and I nothing in terms of "something that can be done" about it. What I do see here is a popular problem (over 60% of Americans are overweight and 30% are outright obese) being addressed by science and technology - "We're not talking about preventing all types of obesity, but if it is caused by this virus in humans, we want a vaccine to prevent this," said one researcher.

Another researcher said that they need to better understand the role of this virus in obesity. The translation of this is something along the lines of: "What we really need is a whole bunch of money so we can research this and guide the Drug Companies toward creating a massively profitable vaccine." Wait and watch folks, you will see researchers and Drug Companies drumming up interest and promising miracle cures "just around the corner" - in the meantime, if you want something actionable, check out Dr. Myatt's Super Fast Diet - lose weight faster than fasting, keep it off for good, and get healthier than you have ever been. And all without a vaccination...

Then, speaking of researchers and drug companies looking to create massive new markets for diseases that never existed before, consider the epidemic of ADD / ADHD among our children. Perhaps some bright researcher will find that this too is caused by a virus but in the meantime Allopathic Western Medicine and Big Pharma have teamed up with the answer: more drugs!

A recent article in the on-line doctor journal Medscape, (when you read the article look at the very top where you will see that it is paid for by the pharmaceutical giant Shire US Inc. who make and sell ADD / ADHD drugs) an interview with a doctor described as a "thought leader" in ADD / ADHD has the doctor telling us the new "accepted" Standard Of Care for the drugging of any child unfortunate enough to be hung with the label ADD / ADHD:  the new catchphrase is "treat [drug] to normalization of function" which translates to "drug 'em until they are as dopey and docile as everybody else!"

This doctor talks of throwing drugs at these kids like they are candy, and of having regular weekly follow-ups to determine how soon and by how much the doses of these drugs (which are legalized amphetamines - AKA "Kiddie Cocaine") can be increased without the side effects being "too intense or impairing." Whew! Talk about creating a market - little Johnny is noisy in class, so we'll tag him as ADD / ADHD and get him on some drugs 'till he is a docile as his peers. They'll sell drugs by the truckload!

Speaking of little Johnny acting up in class, what fate do you suppose awaits the unfortunate young lad who was busted for making a crude doodle that vaguely resembled a gun in his notebook? This incident has caused a bit of a furor in Arizona over the past week or so.

Chandler school officials have suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching a picture that resembled a gun, saying it posed a threat to classmates.

When you visit this news article, be sure to look at the offending drawing - which is actually crude enough to be almost anything (a building with windows maybe?) and is decorated with happy faces. Yep, looks threatening to me - better get that kid on some drugs, and be quick about it!

I can understand schools policing kids to ensure that no guns or weapons are brought to school (though I also remember my high school which had a <*gasp*> shooting range in the basement - which harmed no one and taught valuable lessons of safety and responsibility...) but I am afraid that this is bordering on "thought policing".

Political correctness will likely lead to this young man being watched carefully for the rest of his school career, and probably to his being drugged into submission at the insistence of his gun-phobic teachers.

Gun-phobia crops up in all sorts of places - even amongst HealthBeat readers. In another example of head-in-the-sand horror over anything to do with guns, one of our HealthBeat subscribers recently expressed her concern and eventually unsubscribed. The exchange went as follows (edited slightly for brevity):

Dr. Myatt,

I'm concerned that there is Firearms Training information on your website. This can't really be a service your support??? Can you tell me how this relates to your wholistic belief system on wellness? I will be soooo disappointed if you are into self defense gun training. - Cheri

Dr. Myatt passed Cheri's message to me, asking me to reply to it:

Dear Cheri,

I am so very saddened that you must be disappointed, for yes, Dr. Piazza offers a service that we do indeed support, enthusiastically.

If you can manage to move past your revulsion that Dr. Piazza's offerings include firearms training, you will find that he has a great deal more to offer that is not firearms related - such as defensive driving, martial arts, rope, rappel and climbing training, corporate team building, family safety training, and more.

We have found that the kind of training that Dr. Piazza offers, yes - even the firearms training, is immensely empowering for many people, allowing them to discover strengths within themselves and to live and function in their often dangerous environments (such as Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles and others) with greater safety, self confidence, awareness, and freedom.

As for how this relates to our "holistic belief system on wellness", we believe that anything which gets people active, and doing a physical activity that they enjoy, is a good thing. Some enjoy sea kayaking, some enjoy bird watching. Some enjoy any of the many forms of cycling, while others enjoy hiking. Still others climb rock faces or mountains, hang glide, ride motorcycles, or drive race cars. Yet others find pleasure in the more martial sports of discus, javelin, wrestling, or fencing. Some, who are beyond these more physical activities remain interested and engaged with quilting, or rock collecting, or pottery making. And then there are those, as repugnant as it may seem to you, who appreciate and enjoy what are termed "the shooting sports".

Beyond the "sports" aspect of firearms training, and this will more directly address your concerns with "self defense gun training", we feel that from a health and wellness standpoint it is rather difficult to remain in a state of wellness if one is incapable or unwilling to assume some responsibility for one's own safety. Being raped and beaten, carjacked and shot, mugged and thrown like refuse into an alley, or home invaded and murdered is not conducive to health and wellness. We do not believe this means that everyone should be armed - but for those who live in a place where possessing a defensive firearm is an option and who wish to do so, we believe very strongly that they should avail themselves of the very best possible training so as to be skilled, safe, and competent. We believe that Dr. Piazza's organization offers that caliber of training. Further, to assume self-responsibility for ones own safety need not involve firearms training - the aforementioned defensive driving, martial arts (bare hands defense), and family safety training can all go a long way toward keeping one safe in today's increasingly violent and merciless world. Even the mere awareness that this training creates can allow one to avoid situations that might become dangerous.

Cheri, in a perfect world there would be no need for, and indeed there would not be, guns or weapons of any kind. Unfortunately, since the days of Cain and Able and before, our world has been far from perfect. There have always been and will always be humans who prey upon other humans, for profit or for pleasure. That is why we have policemen, and that is why policemen carry guns. Unfortunately our police cannot always be present to stop the predations, and can only deal with the aftermath. It is for this reason that many peace-loving people elect to arm themselves - whether it is with increased awareness and knowledge alone, or by augmenting that increased awareness and knowledge with a defensive weapon of some sort.

We know many people who have chosen to arm themselves. Some posses arms as a part of a sport they enjoy, others posses arms as a part of their self-defense plan and strategy. We know many people who carry a concealed firearm daily. Every one of those people prays fervently that they never find themselves in a situation where it becomes necessary for them to employ that weapon - just as you or I pray fervently that we need never employ a fire extinguisher or CPR or the seatbelts and airbags in our car. But those things are there, should we need them to safeguard the health and well-being of ourselves or another human being.

Finally, as one friend said, "I carry a gun because I can't carry a policeman!"

So, if you are still reading this, if you have not dismissed me as "just a gun-nut," I invite you to ask more about firearms and the philosophy of being armed. In fact, you are most welcome to ask me about the "Zen" of competitive rifle shooting!

Cheers,
Nurse Mark

To which Cheri, when she unsubscribed, said:

I do no support fear-based gun ownership and walk the path of peace. May god be with you -

Goodbye Cheri, and Godspeed. I am sorry that your fears will deprive you of HealthBeat news.

In closing this I'll quote a man I respect and revere greatly and who truly walks the path of peace:

"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." -- The Dalai Lama, (May 15, 2001, The Seattle Times)

Kennedy, Roberts, and Burr - Meddling With Your Health Freedom Again...

This sent to us by HealthBeat Reader Marilyn B:

Your right to use bio-identical hormones and other medications prepared by compounding pharmacies or allergy desensitization treatment prepared by your physician is under attack again. You need to contact your U.S. Senator and Congressman today to ensure that you keep your freedom to choose natural, bio-identical hormones and other medications prescribed by your physician and prepared by your pharmacist or to choose allergy desensitization therapy prepared by your allergist.

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), with the support of Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Richards Burr (R- North Carolina), has drafted legislation which, if adopted, would jeopardize your right, and that of your physician and your pharmacist, to use bio-identical hormones, allergy desensitization and other medications. Instead, the bureaucrats at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would determine which pharmaceutical company drug is best for you.

Senator Kennedy is the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (H.E.L.P.) Committee. This bill is scheduled to be taken up at any time.

Use the link on the Project FANS menu to contact your U.S. Senators and Congressman by e-mail, phone and fax today. See a Sample e-mail or fax at bottom of the page.

Ask your senators and congressmen to protect your right to choose bio-identical hormones and other compounded medications, as well as allergy desensitization treatment, by defeating Senator Kennedy’s misguided bill on compounding pharmacy.

More information can be found at Project: Freedom of Access to Natural Solutions

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