Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions http://drpellington.com/index.php en-us Nucleus CMS v3.51 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://drpellington.com/index.php/nucleus/nucleus2.gif Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions http://drpellington.com/index.php Vitamin D Deficiency is a Major Health Risk http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=14 Why Take Vitamin D?

The one thing that nearly all chronic, degenerative conditions have in common is chronic, unchecked inflammation.


The Heart of Inflammation

C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated when there is inflammation somewhere in the body, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Researchers have shown that simple and cheap (natural) vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), even in critically ill patients. Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more.

“C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, may predict a person’s risk for stroke and heart attack.” – NEJM, 1997, 336:973-979

In Dr. Kilmer McCully’s book The Heart Revolution (recommended reading) he describes in detail how cholesterol alone is not an accurate predictor of heart disease, but that oxidized cholesterol & vascular inflammation together, greatly increase the risk.

Vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory actions have long been suspected. Compounds similar to vitamin D have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation when given to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Vitamin D: A Neglected Nutrient

Your vitamin D supplement should be “derived from fish liver oil.” It will be “Cholecalsiferol,” the natural form, not “Ergocalciferol,” the synthesized form. This is not the same as Omega 3 fish oil capsules (which are also essential for good health).

Remember: It only takes about 20 minutes of sun exposure to bare skin to produce 10,000 units of vitamin D, but in (our) non-tropical latitudes, UVB rays don’t even penetrate through the atmosphere from mid-September to mid-May, leaving only about 4 months when sunlight exposure of the skin will stimulate the production of vitamin D. We don’t have to worry about too much UVB. We get way TOO LITTLE.

And… People with dark skin require as much as six times the amount of ultraviolet B (UVB) light to produce the same amount of vitamin D found in lighter-skinned people. While 20% to 30% of UVB radiation is transmitted through light skin, only 5% is transmitted through deeply pigmented skin. So, if it takes about 20 minutes of sun exposure to light skin to produce 10,000 units of vitamin D, it will take 80 minutes to 2 hours of bare skin exposed to sunlight every day for people with dark skin to produce adequate vitamin D.

“Lithocholic acid is probably the most toxic compound that your body naturally makes, so you have to have a way to get rid of it,” laboratory animals given doses of vitamin D and then given lithocholic acid do not get colon cancer.
“Colon cancer patients also have high concentrations of lithocholic acid. The surprise from this study is that the vitamin D receptor, which we normally think of as mediating calcium, also has another role, which is to detoxify lithocholic acid,” – David Mangelsdorf, a professor of pharmacology and a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas

Vitamin D Is Not a Vitamin but a Steroid Hormone Precursor, Journal of Pediatrics August 2000; 137: 153-157.

Diet and Sunlight Linked to Breast Cancer Risk: As for the role of sunlight, researchers found an association between latitude and breast cancer suggesting that higher UV-B exposure was protective. UV-B rays stimulates the production of vitamin D in the body, it is likely the vitamin is behind the association found in this study. - Cancer January 1, 2002;94:272-281

Whereas sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer, if you get regular sun exposure, but don't get sunburned, you will have a decreased risk of skin cancer.

An Enlightened Approach

"Your overall well-being depends in part on developing an appropriate relationship with the sun. The notion that we have to protect ourselves from the sun all the time is misguided and unhealthy." says Michael Holick, M.D., PhD, a full Professor of medicine, dermatology, and physiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is the author of The UV Advantage, a book about vitamin D that is written for the general public. This book is essential for those who follow the "experts’" advice to stay out of the sun.

Dr. Holick gives some ominous warnings that Americans’ irrational fear of the sun is causing thousands upon thousands of premature deaths each year. He supports his warnings with clear-cut evidence from numerous epidemiological studies.

Study findings show that:
• 27,500 American women die prematurely every year from breast cancer caused by vitamin D deficiency, and according to Dr. Holick’s calculations 55 American women die prematurely every year from breast cancer caused by underexposure to sunlight for every one woman who dies prematurely from overexposure to sunlight.
• 37,000 men die prematurely each year from prostate cancer. This means that 55 to 60 men may die prematurely from underexposure to sunlight for every one that dies prematurely due to overexposure.
• You are three times less likely to die of colon cancer if you have healthy levels of vitamin D.

The best source of vitamin D is a moderate amount of sun exposure on bare skin each day.

“Even a weak sunscreen (SPF 8) blocks out most (at least 88 percent) of the sun’s UVB rays – the ones that trigger our bodies to make vitamin D, so that “all-sunscreen, all the time” rule is actually causing vitamin D deficiency.
“My first recommendation for assuring sufficient vitamin D is to get enough non-winter sunshine without the use of sunscreen to make your skin turn faintly pink.” At that point apply sunscreen.
“Each day that you don’t get enough sun to turn slightly pink, you should take 2,000 – 3,000 units of vitamin D in supplement form (from fish liver oil).”
“It looks like additional sunlight exposure and/or vitamin D supplementation starting in childhood may significantly reduce the risk of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and even Type 1 diabetes.” – Jonathan Wright, M.D.

Vitamin D supplements are very inexpensive – literally, a few dollars for a months supply.


Most people spend less than 30 minutes/day outside and even then, covered with clothing, there is almost no (critically important) skin exposure to the sunlight.

“We – not our Stone Age ancestors – are the cave people.”

For these reasons, it's impossible for most people to get enough vitamin D from the sun alone. In fact, for many elderly people the vitamin D deficiency problem is compounded because our skin becomes less effective in producing vitamin D as we age. Dr. Wright recommends as much as 4,000 IU for those over 40.

Note: Whereas it is impossible to get too much vitamin D from sunlight exposure, it is possible to get too much vitamin D when taking supplemental vitamin D. Current research shows that it would be necessary to take 10,000 IU’s of vitamin D daily for several months for the average person to get too much of the vitamin.

Exposure of our skin to sunlight is necessary for our bodies to produce vitamin D

Vitamin D does far more than maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus which promotes optimized bone health. Lack of vitamin D has also been associated with the following conditions:
• Diabetes
• Colon, breast, prostate, ovarian, bone (and other) cancers
• Cardiovascular Disease
• High blood pressure
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS)
• Arthritis
• Infertility and PMS
• Fatigue, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Rheumatoid arthritis & Multiple sclerosis
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome (high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, and insulin resistance)
• Osteoporosis & Periodontal Disease

Sun Exposure Decreases Risk of MS
Children and adolescents who had high sun exposure had a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. Researchers concluded that insufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation or vitamin D might therefore increase the risk of MS. British Medical Journal, August 9, 2003; 327:316

British researchers confirm: exposure to sunlight helps prevent prostate cancer. Men with the lowest exposure were found to have a three times greater incidence of prostate cancer than did men with a high lifetime exposure. The researchers suggest that vitamin D may be involved. - The Lancet, August 25, 2001

13 malignancies show this inverse correlation; mostly reproductive and digestive cancers. The strongest inverse correlation is with breast, colon, and ovarian cancer. Other cancers apparently affected by sunlight include tumors of the bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum, and stomach. Cancer March 2002

Insulin Resistance
In a study that analyzed the relation of vitamin D levels to insulin sensitivity in a group of adults with normal glucose-tolerance, those with the lowest levels of D were more prone to develop symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including weaker pancreatic function and greater insulin resistance.

Heart Disease
A University of California, San Francisco, study that showed how vitamin D may cut the risk of heart disease in older women by as much as one-third, primarily due to the ability of vitamin D to prevent the buildup of calcium deposits in the arteries.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) occurs when the expansion and contraction of heart muscle cells is impaired, reducing the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body. Because previous research on animals has demonstrated the possibility that low levels of vitamin D may play a role in heart failure, researchers at the Department of Nutrition Science, University of Bonn, Germany, designed their study to examine the effect of vitamin D on human hearts.

Over a period of five months, fasting blood samples were collected from 54 CHF patients. Their samples were compared to similar samples taken from a group of 34 healthy subjects that did not have CHF.

When the 54 congestive heart failure (CHF) patients was compared to a group of 34 healthy subjects without CHF, researchers found that the CHF patients had vitamin D levels significantly lower than the healthy group, and those with the lowest vitamin D levels tended to have the most severe symptoms of CHF.

Vitamin D Protects Against Peripheral Artery Disease
Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York found that people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood experience an increased risk for a condition known as peripheral artery disease, or PAD.

PAD most often reduces blood flow to the legs, causing pain and numbness, impairing the ability to walk and in some cases leading to amputation. It develops when fatty deposits accumulate in the inner linings of artery walls, cutting blood flow and oxygen to the legs, feet, arms and elsewhere.
The people in the lowest 25 percent of vitamin D levels were 80 percent more likely to have PAD than those in the highest 25 percent, the researchers said.
"Participants in the survey who had the lowest vitamin D levels had a much higher prevalence of peripheral artery disease," Dr. Michal Melamed of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who led the study

People with PAD have a four to five times greater risk of heart attack or stroke, according to the American Heart Association. The group said 8 million Americans have PAD.

People Who Should Not Take Supplemental Vitamin D
Some patients with sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, or lymphoma become hypercalcemic in response to any increase in vitamin D. For these persons, it may be wise to avoid any dietary or environmental sources of vitamin D, unless they are carefully monitored with serum calcium and 25(OH)D levels.

Health comes from within.

“Food may be the most powerful drug you will ever take. Hormones are hundreds of times stronger than drugs. Every time you eat, you start a hormonal cascade. Either you control it, or for the next four to six hours it controls you.
“Furthermore, many of the chronic diseases associated with aging--heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, for example--are strongly connected with (hormonal) imbalances.” – Barry Sears, Ph.D. from Enter the Zone (recommended reading).

Go outside and play!

I wish you success. You will be your own success story!

Sincerely,

Dr. David Pellington
Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
DrPellington.com

More references:

A large number of teenage girls apparently aren’t getting enough vitamin D, according to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. In fact, researchers found that 73% of the girls participating in the study were vitamin D deficient.
Archives of Disease in Childhood 91:569-572, 2006

Sunlight Actually Prevents Cancer Deaths from a range of cancers of the reproductive and digestive systems were approximately twice as high in New England as in the southwest, despite a diet that varies little between regions. - Cancer March 2002; 94:1867-75

Breathe in the Sunshine (COPD)
Despite the risk of skin cancer from excessive exposure (burning), sun exposure is vital to our health. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to diseases including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis. Now a study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey links vitamin D deficiency with increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Researchers at the University of Auckland (New Zealand) reviewed data concerning the lung health and blood levels of vitamin D of 14,000 Americans who took part in the survey from 1988 to 1994. After adjusting for other factors, the study showed that people with the highest level of vitamin D in their blood had substantially better lung health than those with the least amount of vitamin D. Amazingly, the difference in lung health between the levels of vitamin D was greater than that seen between former smokers and people who had never smoked.

British researchers confirm: exposure to sunlight helps prevent prostate cancer. Men with the lowest exposure were found to have a three times greater incidence of prostate cancer than did men with a high lifetime exposure. The researchers suggest that vitamin D may be involved. - The Lancet, August 25, 2001

Remember that from fall to early spring virtually no vitamin D is produced in sun-exposed skin. And most people spend less than 20 minutes/day outside anyway.
Even then, covered with clothing, there is almost no (critically important) skin exposure to the sunlight. Vitamin D supplements are very inexpensive – a couple of bucks for a months supply.

How Vitamin D Protects Your Heart - British Journal of Nutrition October 2005; 94(4): 483-492
Results showed a significant association between low levels of vitamin D and an elevated risk of tooth loss due to periodontal disease. Tufts University (USDA Human Nutrition Research Center). "Association Between Serum Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and Periodontal Disease in the US Population" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 1, July 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

"Higher 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations are Associated with Better Lower-Extremity Function in both Active and Inactive Persons Aged 60 y" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 3, September 2004, ajcn.org

"Gum Health, New Target for Vitamin D?" NutraIngredients.com, 8/31/04, nutraingredients.com

Vitamin D Urged for Breastfed, Dark-Skinned Infants - Texas Medicine 2000;96:64-68.
RDA for Vitamin D Too Low for Those with Little Sunlight Exposure J Intern Med 2000; 247: 260-268
Vitamin D for Inflammatory Bowel Disease :Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130:2648-2652
Postmenopausal Women Need Vitamins D and K for Healthy Bones: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition August 2000; 54, 626-631.
Vitamin D and Bone Mineral Density: American Journal Clinical Nutrition December 2002 76:1446-1453
"Vitamin D May Cut Women's Heart Disease Death Risk" Reuters Health, 4/24/02
"Vitamin D Treats Congestive Heart Failure" Dr. Joseph Mercola, 3/5/03, mercola.com
"Low Vitamin D Status: A Contributing Factor in the Pathogenesis of Congestive Heart Failure?" Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2003 Jan 1;41(1):105-12
Vitamin D Reduces Colon Cancer JAMA December 10, 2003, Lancet November 18, 1989
"Vitamin D Intake and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis" Neurology, Vol. 62, No. 1, 1/13/04, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"Vitamin D Cuts MS Risk" BBC News, 1/13/04, bbc.co.uk
"Vitamin D Supplementation in the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis" Ashton F. Embry, DIRECT-MS, direct-ms.org
"Multiple Sclerosis: Decreased Relapse Rate Through Dietary Supplementation With Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D" Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 21, No. 2, October 1986, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"The Essential Nutrient You Need More Of - And How To Get It Absolutely Free" Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Nutrition and Healing, 11/1/03, wrightnewsletter.com
"Vitamin D May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk" Jeanie Lerche Davis, WebMD Medical News, 2/18/05,
"Vitamin D supplementation, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations, and Safety" Reinhold Vieth, M.D., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 69, No. 5, May 1999, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sun Exposure (UVB) Protects Against 16 Types of Cancer, Chapuy MC, Chapuy P, Meunier PJ. Calcium and vitamin D supplements: effects on calcium metabolism in elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr. 1987;46:324-8.
Cardiovascular Problems Due to Lack of Vitamin D, Diabetes Care March 2006; 29(3): 722-724
Juvenile Diabetes: British researchers published a collective analysis of five previous studies from around the world and calculated that taking vitamin D reduced the risk of developing type 1 diabetes by almost a third. Dr. Bill Hagopian, a principal scientist at PDRI said. "This may be the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential benefits of vitamin D on autoimmune diseases." Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute (PDRI)
Vitamin D Guards Against Artery Disease: Vitamin D may protect against peripheral artery disease (PAD), a disease in which fatty deposits restrict blood flow to your limbs. PAD most often reduces blood flow to your legs, causing pain and numbness. It can impair your ability to walk and in some cases lead to amputation. Scientists found that people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood experience an increased risk for the condition. The 25 percent of people with the lowest vitamin D levels were 80 percent more likely to have PAD than those in the highest 25 percent.
Sources: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology April 16, 2008
The May, 2008 issue of the American Medical Association journal Archives of General Psychiatry reported that older men and women with elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and low levels of vitamin D were more likely to be depressed than those with normal levels.
Vitamin D treatment in kidney disease cuts deaths by one-fourth. An article published online in advance of the August, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reported that giving an oral form of activated vitamin D known as calcitriol to chronic kidney disease patients was associated with a 25 percent reduction in mortality over a 1.9 year period. Calcitriol has been previously associated with improved survival when given intravenously to kidney dialysis patients to treat hyperparathyroidism; however, its effect in nondialysis kidney disease patients was unknown.
Breast Cancer Survival Linked to Vitamin D - The Independent - London 05-20-08
Patients whose levels of the vitamin are below average are twice as likely to see the cancer spread, and 73 per cent more likely to die within a decade of diagnosis, according to a study due to be presented next month by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Women who were pre-menopausal, weighed more, had high insulin levels or more aggressive tumors generally had a deficiency.

]]> Vitamin D http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=14 Mon, 26 May 2008 18:36:27 -0400 Staying Well Newsletter http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=13 Dr. David G. Pellington, D.C.
Pain Relief & Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222


“Thirty Life Changing Days”
- Charlie McLendon, Conyers, Georgia

Three Steps to a Healthier Life

Step One: Initiate - You can’t win until you begin!
Four weeks ago on March 11, 2008 I began a ‘Nutritional Detox and Weight Loss Program’ sponsored by Life Dance Wellness Center and Dr. David Pellington.
The internal detoxification of my body was the goal (if I also lost weight, then ok). For three years blood work from my local physician had shown high liver enzymes. My goal was to see if this program could really clean up my insides.
So why not try it. Nothing else had made any difference. After all, ‘it was only a 30 day trial.’ What did I have to loose? I took the 1st Step and signed up.

Step Two: Be Honest – Document what’s wrong with your body!
I started with a physical and complete blood work up from my medical physician. I didn’t discuss my plans (depending on your health situation, maybe you should). If I could clean up my body after all the years of junk I’d put in it, then it would be worth a 30 day effort. I determined to make an honest effort to follow the program directions (after all, it was only for 30 days).

Step Three: Be Prepared
Within 15 days people began making comments and asking questions. The results won’t let you keep it a secret. “You seem so energetic”; “Your voice is stronger and your speech is quicker”; “Haven’t you lost some weight?”; “What’s going on with you?” These comments are flattering and confidence boosters. So be prepared to tell your story and enjoy your enthusiasm.

My Story – “Thirty Life Changing Days”
On Feb. 14, 2008 I went to my physician for a check up and blood test:
Waist – 54 inches
Weight – 316.2 pounds
Blood Pressure – 132/78
Triglycerides – 388
Cholesterol Total – 173
Glucose – 221
After having just completed 30 days on the program I returned for another check up and blood test:
Waist – 50 inches (with room to spare)
Weight – 300.5 pounds
Blood Pressure – 110/70
Triglycerides – 123
Cholesterol Total – 138
Glucose – 134

Before the program I was taking 15 units of Humalog Insulin with every meal to keep my blood sugar below 150. That has been discontinued. Now I start the day with a blood sugar average at 105 and end the day around 135 to 145. And for now, I am still taking my oral medications. I wonder what will happen in the next 30 days?

My physician was so impressed he asked me to write up an account of my experience and provide him information on the ‘Detox Program’ so he could refer his clients. The cost of the supplements has been more than compensated for by the savings from meals I was normally paying for! A supplement shake in the morning before I leave for work and one again for supper allows me a regular meal during the day while I’m out.

A healthier body, more energy, clearer mind, and no more aches and pains have given me a new sense of victory in my life. I’m staying with the program. It’s flexible and rewarding. From now on I’m taking life 30 days at a time – and loving it!

Sincerely, Charlie McLendon, Conyers, Gerogia

Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program
We are exposed to chemical toxins in our air, water and food, in household cleaners and medications, and even in our personal care products. Those toxic foreign chemicals accumulate in our bodies, disrupt our metabolism, depress the immune system and cause weight gain.

Some symptoms of Toxic Overload include:
• Chronic Fatigue
• Overweight issues
• Sleep Disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Menstrual Irregularities
• Chronic Pain
• Joint Pain
• Asthma
• Chronic sinus problems
• Frequent headaches
• Depressed immune system
(get sick a lot)
• Environmental or food allergies
• Constipation
• Poor memory, mental confusion
• Depression
• Chronic skin conditions

Everything we put into our bodies through breathing, eating, applying to our skin, etc. must be filtered and cleaned by the liver and the kidneys. These organs are our body’s internal filters.

One of the ways the body deals with toxic chemicals is to increase body fat to isolate those toxic chemicals and to protect the body from their influence.

People who are just 20-30 pounds overweight have a 300% to 400% greater chance of developing Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

“41 million Americans are pre-diabetic, a condition that will likely progress to diabetes without appropriate preventive treatment.” – Healthy Georgia Diabetes and Obesity Project, 2007

We’re the richest nation on earth yet we’re getting sicker and sicker.

What we need is better prevention!

What we need is a new approach!
Healing the body from the inside out.

The program consists of fortified, nutritional meal replacements and herbal and nutritional support to promote systemic detoxification, specifically, liver, kidneys and bowels.

Why is weight loss such a common result from detoxifying the body?

Most diets are not successful for long term weight loss because they don't address the need to cleanse the body of impurities.

The result is REBOUND - the body goes into emergency fat production and the person gains back the weight that was lost (and often gains more weight).

CLEANSING
Full-body cleansing is an essential part of maintaining our internal health, strengthening our vital organs and giving our bodies a fighting chance against environmental impurities and nutritional challenges.

Detoxification is what encourages sustainable weight loss.

This supervised protocol fortifies your body with the essential nutrients it needs to eliminate toxic chemicals. It helps kick-start your metabolism. As your body begins to regain its internal, metabolic balance you begin to burn fat naturally. No stimulants are used. Losing weight becomes easy and enjoyable. (and…by all reports, EXCITING)

You will likely also gain more energy, reduce unhealthy cravings, and improve your mental clarity.

Note: The information given here has not been evaluated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and is offered for educational purposes only. The testimonial featured in this brochure reflects the actual results experienced by the participant. Individual results will vary.

Inflammatory News About Fat Cells: Agricultural Research, 03-01-06
The study was done at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
Scientists began looking at fat cells not just as yellow blobs that make our clothes too tight, but as cells that have many functions; releasing energy-producing fatty acids, storing fatty acids for future use, and secreting hormones that regulate body weight. Unfortunately, they're also a source of inflammatory chemicals now believed to be how excess body fat increases the incidence of many degenerative and inflammatory diseases.

People in their 40s with larger abdomens have double or triple the risk of dementia when they reach their 70s. - Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, March 26, 2008

Metabolic Syndrome
Experts estimate that an astounding 25% of the population suffers from this potentially deadly combination of
• abdominal obesity
• high blood sugar
• hypertension
• blood lipid abnormalities
• prothrombotic state (tendency to form blood clots)
• proinflammatory state.
- International Diabetes Foundation

And… half of those people don’t even know they have it.

Fortunately, the body has an almost miraculous ability to heal and rejuvenate itself when the negative influences are removed and healthy, fortifying measures are taken.

“Everyone has a doctor in him or her, we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”
- Hippocrates

Can it really be that simple?

Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program

This program is not designed to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

We’re supplying the body with ESSENTIAL NUTRITION, and helping it to reverse the damage caused by years of poor choices based upon bad information.

Because of the scientific and clinically validated approach to meal construction, the most predictable results are weight loss and blood sugar/insulin balance and the resulting reduction in systemic INFLAMMATION, through nutritional fortification.

Individual results will vary.
There are four related goals:

1) Detox. For reasons that are probably obvious, given our toxic environment and the fact that we accumulate chemical toxins over our lifetime that adversely affect our nervous system, hormonal system and generally adversely affect our internal function and health, it’s a good idea for people (whether they have any symptoms or not) to do a detox, a cleanse periodically. Prevention is wise.

2) Weight Loss: we’re seeing a typical weight loss of ½ pound a day; about 15 pounds a month. Some people more, some less, but that’s the average.

3) Easy: The program has to be easy to do. It is.

4) Maintain your weight easily: Once your target weight has been reached, without a doubt, the most important thing is that you are able to maintain your weight easily, eating regular, grocery store foods.

So many people who are overweight, have diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. are told to “diet and exercise.” Given no plan.

We all know “diet and exercise.” But knowing and understanding how to do it are two very different things. People try to do the right thing and fail, not because they lack will power, not because of some character flaw, but because they have never been given a step by step by step plan for success.

Well, here’s a plan. A plan that works – predictably. A plan that is easy to follow for immediate and long-term gains. Healthy weight loss is a byproduct of rebalancing your body’s internal function.

This has become a passion. When you see people getting healthier in a matter of just a few weeks, as we do, it becomes a passion. We want to help as many people as possible regain control of their health.

And we want it easy, affordable and we want you to feel good all along the way. You will not be depriving yourself of anything. We’ll even show you what to do if you cheat; how to offset any damage those cheating foods may cause internally.

We want you to reach your goals and we will give you ALL the guidance you will need so that in a short period of time you will no longer need the guidance because you will clearly understand the sound, scientifically proven principles for maintaining good health on your own. That is the key to long-term success. That’s what we want for your long-term health.

Not just living longer.
Living better longer!

Depending on your current state of health, and how much weight you want to lose, you may not reach your goal in 30 days but, because this is a well-designed, balanced, nutritious program, not a starvation diet, there are no contra-indications to continuing the program past the initial 30 days until you reach your goal.

Physiologically, biologically we have changed very little over the past thousands of years.

Technologically we have advanced very rapidly in the last 100 years.

Our metabolic pathways CANNOT evolve over a period of 100 years to adapt to the barrage of man-made chemicals and artificial and toxic “non-foods” we are now exposed to.

When the body cannot eliminate environmental toxins efficiently, they accumulate in our organs and in our fat cells, disrupting our hormonal and metabolic balance.

Inflammation

High blood sugar stimulates insulin production. Insulin transports blood sugar (glucose) into our cells. It’s a storage hormone. It signals the body to make fat out of the excess glucose. And, it also signals the body not to let go of any fat it has already stored.

But… that’s not all!

“If there is a single marker for lifespan, as they are finding in the centenarian studies, it is insulin, specifically insulin sensitivity.” – Ron Rosedale, M.D.

Insulin, though necessary, promotes systemic (throughout the body) inflammation.

Inflammation is a common link in most degenerative diseases depending on which tissues are affected the earliest. Asthma: airway inflammation. Heart disease: blood vessel inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease: inflammation of the brain. Crohn’s disease and Colitis: inflammation of the small and large intestine. Arthritis: inflammation of the joints. Diabetes is so devastating because there is widespread inflammation throughout the body. It damages the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, eyes, etc.
There is a major inflammatory component to cancer, cognitive decline, stroke, psoriasis, osteoporosis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis. And on and on and on.

None of these diseases come on rapidly.

If you’re diagnosed with heart disease tomorrow, were you healthy last week?

The progressive, internal damage is occurring LONG BEFORE symptoms are EVER FELT! They come on slowly as the involved tissues are damaged and progressively deteriorate.

Thin People: AND, if you’re not eating to control insulin in your body, insulin is creating inflammation inside your body whether you are gaining weight or not.

Controlling inflammation inside your body is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, vitality and longevity. This program will give you both the experience and the knowledge, the tools, to do just that.

There is a solution.

And that solution is ultimately positive action based on personal understanding.

You’ll be an inspiration to others.

You will be your own Success Story.

]]> Current Newsletter http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=13 Mon, 26 May 2008 18:04:02 -0400 Why You Need Omega 3 http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=12 A Fish Story

Why you need to be taking EFA (Omega-3) supplements?

Bottom line answer: “because you need it and it’s hard to get from food now-a-days.”

Expanded answer: KEEP READING!

EFA stands for Essential Fatty Acids

They are called “essential” because our bodies cannot manufacture omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) and we must therefore, get them through our diet.

As is often true in nature, balance is essential.

Our bodies need both omega-3s & omega-6s, but the correct ratio is necessary for health.

Omega 6s are inflammatory; they promote inflammation in our bodies.

Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory. They are necessary to “turn off” the inflammatory response in our bodies.

For thousands of years human diets had an Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio of about 2:1

Over the last 75 years or so, omega-6s in our diet have soared. Now the ratio is about 20:1. The average American eats 10 times more omega-6 than our ancestors.

Where do these “essential” fatty acids come from?
• The main sources of inflammatory omega-6s are vegetable seed oils (soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc.), processed foods (with vegetable seed oils added) and grain-fed beef and farm-raised fish.

• Our main sources of Omega 3s today are egg yolks, flax seeds, walnuts and cold-water fish (farm-raised fish has NO Omega 3s). Since most people don’t eat enough of those foods each day to offset the damage of the Omega 6s (and fluctuating insulin levels in the bloodstream and the resulting systemic inflammation), supplementing with fish oil capsules is prudent.

Two of the essential Omega 3s are EPA & DHA. Our bodies can make these from other Omega 3 fatty acids, but not very efficiently. They are only found in cold water fish oil, egg yolks, grass-fed beef and game animals (deer, rabbits, etc).

Over 2,000 studies have demonstrated association with Omega-3 deficiencies and the following disorders:

• ADHD and learning and behavior disorders
• Dyslexia
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Memory problems
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Eczema and other skin disorders
• Macular degeneration
• Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis

In last week’s email, I wrote:

Inflammation is a common link in most degenerative diseases depending on which tissues are affected the earliest. Asthma: airway inflammation. Heart disease: blood vessel inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease: inflammation of the brain. Crohn’s disease and Colitis: inflammation of the small and large intestine. Arthritis: inflammation of the joints. Diabetes is so devastating because there is widespread inflammation throughout the body. It damages the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, eyes, etc. There is a major inflammatory component to cancer, cognitive decline, stroke, psoriasis, gum disease, osteoporosis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis. And on and on and on.

COMMON DENOMINATOR… INFLAMMATION!

None of these diseases come on rapidly.

The progressive damage is occurring LONG BEFORE symptoms are EVER FELT or DETECTED! They come on slowly as the involved tissues are damaged and progressively deteriorate.

Controlling inflammation inside your body is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, vitality and longevity.

Now, here comes the research…

A Purdue University study showed that children low in Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA) are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and to display behavioral problems. Imagine a child in school. The act of learning requires the brain to form new neural pathways. DHA is needed, especially for the delicate neural synapses which are composed entirely of DHA. If this child, like the vast majority of U.S. children, eats almost no Omega-3 fatty acids, what does the brain do? It uses other types of fats, which are the wrong shape. The neural network develops slowly and is defective. The child has learning and memory problems as well as behavior problems.

A Tufts University study analyzed ten years of data taken from more than 1,100 elderly men and women. Those who had high levels of DHA had a 48 percent reduction of Alzheimer's Disease risk. The researchers cautioned that high intake of omega-6 fatty acids interferes with the potential benefits.

The human brain is more than 60% structural fat. But it has to be certain types of fats, and the same types of fats (Omega 3s) our ancestors ate are largely missing from the typical American diet. We eat man-made trans-fats and vegetable seed oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all of which interfere with our body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that we do get.

Bad Information: The health “gurus” of the 1970s and 1980s made (another) big mistake. They implicated red meat in the development of heart disease because grain-fed, commercial cattle have a very high, (20:1) ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s.

But they never chose to investigate why native cultures – who eat meat from grass-fed cattle – have very low incidence of heart disease.

The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio in wild or grass-fed animals (animals that eat their natural diets), is very different picture from cattle that are “finished” on grain (corn and soybeans). The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio of wild or grass-fed animals ratio is dramatically reversed – and heart healthy – about 0.16 to 1. In other words, the culprit is not the fat in meat. It’s the unnatural foods that we force the cattle to eat that dramatically changes the ratio of fats in their bodies.

It’s not natural for cattle to eat grain and it changes their physiology. Their fats are converted from healthy Omega 3s to unhealthy Omega 6s.

The same is true for farm-raised fish.

Fish oils contain fats (EPA and DHA) that help keep platelets from sticking and forming unwanted clots, and are useful in the management of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. P.Palozza, et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64: 297-304, 1996.

Bone Loss and Bone Density: The British Journal of Nutrition recently published their study of omega-3s and bone health: Researchers divided middle-aged rats into 3 groups. One group received a diet high in omega-3s, a second group got a mix of omega-6s and omega-3s and the last group were fed only omega-6s.

The first group – who received the highest level of omega-3s – had the highest bone mineral and bone density, with an enhanced ability to absorb calcium. They also showed high levels of the various hormones needed for bone production. Shen CL, et al. Protective effect of omega-3 on bone loss. Br J Nutr. 2006 Mar;95(3):462-8.

Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved the same in a human study. After following 1,500 men and women for four years, they found those who consumed the highest levels of omega-3s had the strongest bones and the lowest risk of osteoporosis. Weiss LA, et al. Ratio of fatty acids and bone density. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):934-8.

Cancer: With the rising levels of inflammatory omega-6s in our food, studies from around the world show the resulting lack of omega-3s are linked to rising cancer rates. Bartram HP, et al. Potential role of the n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratio. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1995 Jun;4(3):231-7.

Mental health Findings show a connection between a lack of omega-3s and various mental health disorders. These include depression, anxiety, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.

The studies show that supplementing with omega-3s can relieve these symptoms: A recent Italian study found that people who took omega-3s for just a month felt improved attention, elevated mood and a “sharper mind,” better equipped for complex information processing. Peet M, et al. Omega-3s in treatment of psychiatric disorders. Drugs. 2005;65(8):1051-9.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a disorder of the center of the retina, called the macula. Approximately 800,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. There are two types; dry ARMD (the most typical), and the far more debilitating wet ARMD in which blood vessels begin to grow in areas of the macula where they shouldn't be, creating bleeding and scar tissue that leads to severe vision loss.

In research by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) - the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health, NEI scientists analyzed omega-3 fatty acid consumption through fish intake on subjects whose status ranged from healthy and free of ARMD, to severe cases.

Subjects who ate just one or two servings of fish each week, reduced their chances of developing wet ARMD by about one-third, while subjects that consumed more than two weekly fish servings cut their chances of wet ARMD in half.

As the name implies, age is the primary risk factor for ARMD, with people over the age of 60 being in the greatest danger. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and a history of immediate family members with ARMD. Prescription blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors create a greater ARMD risk than smoking. Women are at somewhat more risk than men.

Baked or broiled, not fried.

A University of Washington study demonstrated how those who regularly ate tuna and other baked or broiled fish (3 or more times per week) had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who ate the same fish infrequently. Those who regularly ate fried fish, however, had a higher risk of both heart attack and death due to CHD (culprits: vegetable seed oil? trans-fats?).

The common denominator of the AREDS study and the University of Washington study is the omega-3 fatty acid content of the fish oil - recognized in both studies as being the active agent that successfully controlled both CHD and ARMD.

Here again, I believe that foods are far superior to supplements. Unfortunately, because of our polluted seas, some fish, depending on the waters in which they lived, may contain unhealthy levels of mercury.

The best sources of omega-3s are dark or pink-fleshed fish: salmon, mackerel, and sardines are the most concentrated sources, with an average of 1.5 grams of omega-3s per 6-ounce serving. Canned tuna provides about .45 grams per serving.

Note: farm-raised salmon does not contain the same amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s the cold water (and natural diet) that causes the fish to produce omega-3’s. Farm raised fish are still an excellent source of protein, but not omega-3’s.

Water-packed tuna is reasonably safe to eat in limited quantities. But, pregnant women and nursing mothers can pass mercury on to their children, potentially causing birth defects and growth disorders.

Anyone on blood-thinners should advise their physician before taking fish oil supplements.

Health comes from within.

“Food may be the most powerful drug you will ever take. Hormones are hundreds of times stronger than drugs. Every time you eat, you start a hormonal cascade. Either you control it, or for the next four to six hours it controls you.
“Furthermore, many of the chronic diseases associated with aging--heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, for example--are strongly connected with (hormonal) imbalances.” – Barry Sears, Ph.D. from Enter the Zone (recommended reading).

I wish you success. You will be your own success story!

Sincerely,
Dr. David Pellington
Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
DrPellington.com
]]> Omega 3 http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=12 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:02:16 -0400 Why You Need to Take Omega 3 Fish Oil http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=11 A Fish Story

Why you need to be taking EFA (Omega-3) supplements?

Bottom line answer: “because you need it and it’s hard to get from food now-a-days.”

Expanded answer: KEEP READING!

EFA stands for Essential Fatty Acids

They are called “essential” because our bodies cannot manufacture omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) and we must therefore, get them through our diet.

As is often true in nature, balance is essential.

Our bodies need both omega-3s & omega-6s, but the correct ratio is necessary for health.

Omega 6s are inflammatory; they promote inflammation in our bodies.

Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory. They are necessary to “turn off” the inflammatory response in our bodies.

For thousands of years human diets had an Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio of about 2:1

Over the last 75 years or so, omega-6s in our diet have soared. Now the ratio is about 20:1. The average American eats 10 times more omega-6 than our ancestors.

Where do these “essential” fatty acids come from?
• The main sources of inflammatory omega-6s are vegetable seed oils (soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc.), processed foods (with vegetable seed oils added) and grain-fed beef and farm-raised fish.

• Our main sources of Omega 3s today are egg yolks, flax seeds, walnuts and cold-water fish (farm-raised fish has NO Omega 3s). Since most people don’t eat enough of those foods each day to offset the damage of the Omega 6s (and fluctuating insulin levels in the bloodstream and the resulting systemic inflammation), supplementing with fish oil capsules is prudent.

Two of the essential Omega 3s are EPA & DHA. Our bodies can make these from other Omega 3 fatty acids, but not very efficiently. They are only found in cold water fish oil, egg yolks, grass-fed beef and game animals (deer, rabbits, etc).

Over 2,000 studies have demonstrated association with Omega-3 deficiencies and the following disorders:

• ADHD and learning and behavior disorders
• Dyslexia
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Memory problems
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Eczema and other skin disorders
• Macular degeneration
• Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis

In last week’s email, I wrote:

Inflammation is a common link in most degenerative diseases depending on which tissues are affected the earliest. Asthma: airway inflammation. Heart disease: blood vessel inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease: inflammation of the brain. Crohn’s disease and Colitis: inflammation of the small and large intestine. Arthritis: inflammation of the joints. Diabetes is so devastating because there is widespread inflammation throughout the body. It damages the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, eyes, etc. There is a major inflammatory component to cancer, cognitive decline, stroke, psoriasis, gum disease, osteoporosis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis. And on and on and on.

COMMON DENOMINATOR… INFLAMMATION!

None of these diseases come on rapidly.

The progressive damage is occurring LONG BEFORE symptoms are EVER FELT or DETECTED! They come on slowly as the involved tissues are damaged and progressively deteriorate.

Controlling inflammation inside your body is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, vitality and longevity.

Now, here comes the research…

A Purdue University study showed that children low in Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA) are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and to display behavioral problems. Imagine a child in school. The act of learning requires the brain to form new neural pathways. DHA is needed, especially for the delicate neural synapses which are composed entirely of DHA. If this child, like the vast majority of U.S. children, eats almost no Omega-3 fatty acids, what does the brain do? It uses other types of fats, which are the wrong shape. The neural network develops slowly and is defective. The child has learning and memory problems as well as behavior problems.

A Tufts University study analyzed ten years of data taken from more than 1,100 elderly men and women. Those who had high levels of DHA had a 48 percent reduction of Alzheimer's Disease risk. The researchers cautioned that high intake of omega-6 fatty acids interferes with the potential benefits.

The human brain is more than 60% structural fat. But it has to be certain types of fats, and the same types of fats (Omega 3s) our ancestors ate are largely missing from the typical American diet. We eat man-made trans-fats and vegetable seed oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all of which interfere with our body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that we do get.

Bad Information: The health “gurus” of the 1970s and 1980s made (another) big mistake. They implicated red meat in the development of heart disease because grain-fed, commercial cattle have a very high, (20:1) ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s.

But they never chose to investigate why native cultures – who eat meat from grass-fed cattle – have very low incidence of heart disease.

The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio in wild or grass-fed animals (animals that eat their natural diets), is very different picture from cattle that are “finished” on grain (corn and soybeans). The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio of wild or grass-fed animals ratio is dramatically reversed – and heart healthy – about 0.16 to 1. In other words, the culprit is not the fat in meat. It’s the unnatural foods that we force the cattle to eat that dramatically changes the ratio of fats in their bodies.

It’s not natural for cattle to eat grain and it changes their physiology. Their fats are converted from healthy Omega 3s to unhealthy Omega 6s.

The same is true for farm-raised fish.

Fish oils contain fats (EPA and DHA) that help keep platelets from sticking and forming unwanted clots, and are useful in the management of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. P.Palozza, et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64: 297-304, 1996.

Bone Loss and Bone Density: The British Journal of Nutrition recently published their study of omega-3s and bone health: Researchers divided middle-aged rats into 3 groups. One group received a diet high in omega-3s, a second group got a mix of omega-6s and omega-3s and the last group were fed only omega-6s.

The first group – who received the highest level of omega-3s – had the highest bone mineral and bone density, with an enhanced ability to absorb calcium. They also showed high levels of the various hormones needed for bone production. Shen CL, et al. Protective effect of omega-3 on bone loss. Br J Nutr. 2006 Mar;95(3):462-8.

Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved the same in a human study. After following 1,500 men and women for four years, they found those who consumed the highest levels of omega-3s had the strongest bones and the lowest risk of osteoporosis. Weiss LA, et al. Ratio of fatty acids and bone density. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):934-8.

Cancer: With the rising levels of inflammatory omega-6s in our food, studies from around the world show the resulting lack of omega-3s are linked to rising cancer rates. Bartram HP, et al. Potential role of the n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratio. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1995 Jun;4(3):231-7.

Mental health Findings show a connection between a lack of omega-3s and various mental health disorders. These include depression, anxiety, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.

The studies show that supplementing with omega-3s can relieve these symptoms: A recent Italian study found that people who took omega-3s for just a month felt improved attention, elevated mood and a “sharper mind,” better equipped for complex information processing. Peet M, et al. Omega-3s in treatment of psychiatric disorders. Drugs. 2005;65(8):1051-9.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a disorder of the center of the retina, called the macula. Approximately 800,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. There are two types; dry ARMD (the most typical), and the far more debilitating wet ARMD in which blood vessels begin to grow in areas of the macula where they shouldn't be, creating bleeding and scar tissue that leads to severe vision loss.

In research by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) - the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health, NEI scientists analyzed omega-3 fatty acid consumption through fish intake on subjects whose status ranged from healthy and free of ARMD, to severe cases.

Subjects who ate just one or two servings of fish each week, reduced their chances of developing wet ARMD by about one-third, while subjects that consumed more than two weekly fish servings cut their chances of wet ARMD in half.

As the name implies, age is the primary risk factor for ARMD, with people over the age of 60 being in the greatest danger. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and a history of immediate family members with ARMD. Prescription blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors create a greater ARMD risk than smoking. Women are at somewhat more risk than men.

Baked or broiled, not fried.

A University of Washington study demonstrated how those who regularly ate tuna and other baked or broiled fish (3 or more times per week) had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who ate the same fish infrequently. Those who regularly ate fried fish, however, had a higher risk of both heart attack and death due to CHD (culprits: vegetable seed oil? trans-fats?).

The common denominator of the AREDS study and the University of Washington study is the omega-3 fatty acid content of the fish oil - recognized in both studies as being the active agent that successfully controlled both CHD and ARMD.

Here again, I believe that foods are far superior to supplements. Unfortunately, because of our polluted seas, some fish, depending on the waters in which they lived, may contain unhealthy levels of mercury.

The best sources of omega-3s are dark or pink-fleshed fish: salmon, mackerel, and sardines are the most concentrated sources, with an average of 1.5 grams of omega-3s per 6-ounce serving. Canned tuna provides about .45 grams per serving.

Note: farm-raised salmon does not contain the same amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s the cold water (and natural diet) that causes the fish to produce omega-3’s. Farm raised fish are still an excellent source of protein, but not omega-3’s.

Water-packed tuna is reasonably safe to eat in limited quantities. But, pregnant women and nursing mothers can pass mercury on to their children, potentially causing birth defects and growth disorders.

Anyone on blood-thinners should advise their physician before taking fish oil supplements.

Health comes from within.

“Food may be the most powerful drug you will ever take. Hormones are hundreds of times stronger than drugs. Every time you eat, you start a hormonal cascade. Either you control it, or for the next four to six hours it controls you.
“Furthermore, many of the chronic diseases associated with aging--heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, for example--are strongly connected with (hormonal) imbalances.” – Barry Sears, Ph.D. from Enter the Zone (recommended reading).

I wish you success. You will be your own success story!

Sincerely,
Dr. David Pellington
Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
DrPellington.com
]]> Why You Need Omega 3 http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=11 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:55:40 -0400 Essential Omega 3 Fatty Acids - Fish Oil http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=10 A Fish Story

Why you need to be taking EFA (Omega-3) supplements?

Bottom line answer: “because you need it and it’s hard to get from food now-a-days.”

Expanded answer: KEEP READING!

EFA stands for Essential Fatty Acids

They are called “essential” because our bodies cannot manufacture omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) and we must therefore, get them through our diet.

As is often true in nature, balance is essential.

Our bodies need both omega-3s & omega-6s, but the correct ratio is necessary for health.

Omega 6s are inflammatory; they promote inflammation in our bodies.

Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory. They are necessary to “turn off” the inflammatory response in our bodies.

For thousands of years human diets had an Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio of about 2:1

Over the last 75 years or so, omega-6s in our diet have soared. Now the ratio is about 20:1. The average American eats 10 times more omega-6 than our ancestors.

Where do these “essential” fatty acids come from?
• The main sources of inflammatory omega-6s are vegetable seed oils (soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc.), processed foods (with vegetable seed oils added) and grain-fed beef and farm-raised fish.

• Our main sources of Omega 3s today are egg yolks, flax seeds, walnuts and cold-water fish (farm-raised fish has NO Omega 3s). Since most people don’t eat enough of those foods each day to offset the damage of the Omega 6s (and fluctuating insulin levels in the bloodstream and the resulting systemic inflammation), supplementing with fish oil capsules is prudent.

Two of the essential Omega 3s are EPA & DHA. Our bodies can make these from other Omega 3 fatty acids, but not very efficiently. They are only found in cold water fish oil, egg yolks, grass-fed beef and game animals (deer, rabbits, etc).

Over 2,000 studies have demonstrated association with Omega-3 deficiencies and the following disorders:

• ADHD and learning and behavior disorders
• Dyslexia
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Memory problems
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Eczema and other skin disorders
• Macular degeneration
• Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis

In last week’s email, I wrote:

Inflammation is a common link in most degenerative diseases depending on which tissues are affected the earliest. Asthma: airway inflammation. Heart disease: blood vessel inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease: inflammation of the brain. Crohn’s disease and Colitis: inflammation of the small and large intestine. Arthritis: inflammation of the joints. Diabetes is so devastating because there is widespread inflammation throughout the body. It damages the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, eyes, etc. There is a major inflammatory component to cancer, cognitive decline, stroke, psoriasis, gum disease, osteoporosis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis. And on and on and on.

COMMON DENOMINATOR… INFLAMMATION!

None of these diseases come on rapidly.

The progressive damage is occurring LONG BEFORE symptoms are EVER FELT or DETECTED! They come on slowly as the involved tissues are damaged and progressively deteriorate.

Controlling inflammation inside your body is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, vitality and longevity.

Now, here comes the research…

A Purdue University study showed that children low in Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA) are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and to display behavioral problems. Imagine a child in school. The act of learning requires the brain to form new neural pathways. DHA is needed, especially for the delicate neural synapses which are composed entirely of DHA. If this child, like the vast majority of U.S. children, eats almost no Omega-3 fatty acids, what does the brain do? It uses other types of fats, which are the wrong shape. The neural network develops slowly and is defective. The child has learning and memory problems as well as behavior problems.

A Tufts University study analyzed ten years of data taken from more than 1,100 elderly men and women. Those who had high levels of DHA had a 48 percent reduction of Alzheimer's Disease risk. The researchers cautioned that high intake of omega-6 fatty acids interferes with the potential benefits.

The human brain is more than 60% structural fat. But it has to be certain types of fats, and the same types of fats (Omega 3s) our ancestors ate are largely missing from the typical American diet. We eat man-made trans-fats and vegetable seed oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all of which interfere with our body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that we do get.

Bad Information: The health “gurus” of the 1970s and 1980s made (another) big mistake. They implicated red meat in the development of heart disease because grain-fed, commercial cattle have a very high, (20:1) ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s.

But they never chose to investigate why native cultures – who eat meat from grass-fed cattle – have very low incidence of heart disease.

The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio in wild or grass-fed animals (animals that eat their natural diets), is very different picture from cattle that are “finished” on grain (corn and soybeans). The omega-6s and omega-3s ratio of wild or grass-fed animals ratio is dramatically reversed – and heart healthy – about 0.16 to 1. In other words, the culprit is not the fat in meat. It’s the unnatural foods that we force the cattle to eat that dramatically changes the ratio of fats in their bodies.

It’s not natural for cattle to eat grain and it changes their physiology. Their fats are converted from healthy Omega 3s to unhealthy Omega 6s.

The same is true for farm-raised fish.

Fish oils contain fats (EPA and DHA) that help keep platelets from sticking and forming unwanted clots, and are useful in the management of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. P.Palozza, et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64: 297-304, 1996.

Bone Loss and Bone Density: The British Journal of Nutrition recently published their study of omega-3s and bone health: Researchers divided middle-aged rats into 3 groups. One group received a diet high in omega-3s, a second group got a mix of omega-6s and omega-3s and the last group were fed only omega-6s.

The first group – who received the highest level of omega-3s – had the highest bone mineral and bone density, with an enhanced ability to absorb calcium. They also showed high levels of the various hormones needed for bone production. Shen CL, et al. Protective effect of omega-3 on bone loss. Br J Nutr. 2006 Mar;95(3):462-8.

Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved the same in a human study. After following 1,500 men and women for four years, they found those who consumed the highest levels of omega-3s had the strongest bones and the lowest risk of osteoporosis. Weiss LA, et al. Ratio of fatty acids and bone density. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):934-8.

Cancer: With the rising levels of inflammatory omega-6s in our food, studies from around the world show the resulting lack of omega-3s are linked to rising cancer rates. Bartram HP, et al. Potential role of the n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratio. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1995 Jun;4(3):231-7.

Mental health Findings show a connection between a lack of omega-3s and various mental health disorders. These include depression, anxiety, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.

The studies show that supplementing with omega-3s can relieve these symptoms: A recent Italian study found that people who took omega-3s for just a month felt improved attention, elevated mood and a “sharper mind,” better equipped for complex information processing. Peet M, et al. Omega-3s in treatment of psychiatric disorders. Drugs. 2005;65(8):1051-9.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a disorder of the center of the retina, called the macula. Approximately 800,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. There are two types; dry ARMD (the most typical), and the far more debilitating wet ARMD in which blood vessels begin to grow in areas of the macula where they shouldn't be, creating bleeding and scar tissue that leads to severe vision loss.

In research by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) - the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health, NEI scientists analyzed omega-3 fatty acid consumption through fish intake on subjects whose status ranged from healthy and free of ARMD, to severe cases.

Subjects who ate just one or two servings of fish each week, reduced their chances of developing wet ARMD by about one-third, while subjects that consumed more than two weekly fish servings cut their chances of wet ARMD in half.

As the name implies, age is the primary risk factor for ARMD, with people over the age of 60 being in the greatest danger. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and a history of immediate family members with ARMD. Prescription blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors create a greater ARMD risk than smoking. Women are at somewhat more risk than men.

Baked or broiled, not fried.

A University of Washington study demonstrated how those who regularly ate tuna and other baked or broiled fish (3 or more times per week) had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who ate the same fish infrequently. Those who regularly ate fried fish, however, had a higher risk of both heart attack and death due to CHD (culprits: vegetable seed oil? trans-fats?).

The common denominator of the AREDS study and the University of Washington study is the omega-3 fatty acid content of the fish oil - recognized in both studies as being the active agent that successfully controlled both CHD and ARMD.

Here again, I believe that foods are far superior to supplements. Unfortunately, because of our polluted seas, some fish, depending on the waters in which they lived, may contain unhealthy levels of mercury.

The best sources of omega-3s are dark or pink-fleshed fish: salmon, mackerel, and sardines are the most concentrated sources, with an average of 1.5 grams of omega-3s per 6-ounce serving. Canned tuna provides about .45 grams per serving.

Note: farm-raised salmon does not contain the same amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s the cold water (and natural diet) that causes the fish to produce omega-3’s. Farm raised fish are still an excellent source of protein, but not omega-3’s.

Water-packed tuna is reasonably safe to eat in limited quantities. But, pregnant women and nursing mothers can pass mercury on to their children, potentially causing birth defects and growth disorders.

Anyone on blood-thinners should advise their physician before taking fish oil supplements.

Health comes from within.

“Food may be the most powerful drug you will ever take. Hormones are hundreds of times stronger than drugs. Every time you eat, you start a hormonal cascade. Either you control it, or for the next four to six hours it controls you.
“Furthermore, many of the chronic diseases associated with aging--heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, for example--are strongly connected with (hormonal) imbalances.” – Barry Sears, Ph.D. from Enter the Zone (recommended reading).

I wish you success. You will be your own success story!

Sincerely,
Dr. David Pellington
Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
DrPellington.com
]]> General Articles http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=10 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:44:01 -0400 Cleansing Weight Loss Program http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=9 My Story – “Thirty Life Changing Days”
- Charlie McLendon, Conyers, Georgia

Three Steps to a Healthier Life
Step One: Initiate - You can’t win until you begin!
Four weeks ago on March 11, 2008 I began a Nutritional Detox and Weight Loss Program sponsored by Life Dance Wellness Center and Dr. David Pellington, D.C.
The internal detoxification of my body was the goal (if I also lost weight, then ok).
For three years blood work from my local physician had shown high liver enzymes.
My goal was to see if this program could really clean up my insides.
So why not try it. Nothing else had made any difference. After all, ‘it was only a 30 day trial.’ What did I have to loose? I took the 1st Step and signed up.

Step Two: Be Honest – Document what’s wrong with your body!
I started with a physical and complete blood work up from my medical physician. I didn’t discuss my plans (depending on your health situation, maybe you should). If I could clean up my body after all the years of junk I’d put in it, then it would be worth a 30 day effort. So I determined to make an honest effort to follow the program directions (after all, it was only for 30 days).

Step Three: Be Prepared
Within 15 days people began making comments and asking questions. The results won’t let you keep it a secret. “You seem so energetic”; “Your voice is stronger and your speech is quicker”; “Haven’t you lost some weight?”; “What’s going on with you?” These comments are flattering and confidence boosters. So be prepared to tell your story and enjoy your enthusiasm.

My Story – “Thirty Life Changing Days”
On Feb. 14, 2008 I went to my physician for a check up and blood test:
Weight – 316.2#
Blood Pressure – 132/78
Triglycerides – 388
Cholesterol Total – 173
Glucose – 221
After having just completed 30 days on the program I returned for another check up and blood test:
Weight – 300.5#
Blood Pressure – 110/70
Triglycerides – 123
Cholesterol Total – 138
Glucose – 134

Before the program I was taking 15 units of Humalog Insulin with every meal to keep my blood sugar below 150. That has been discontinued. Now I start the day with a blood sugar average at 105 and end the day around 135 to 145. I take a once daily dose of Lantus Insulin which has now been reduced by 5 Units. And for now, I am still taking my oral medications. I wonder what will happen in the next 30 days?

My physician was so impressed he asked me to write up an account of my experience and provide him information on the ‘Detox Program’ so he could refer his clients. The cost of the supplements has been more than compensated for by the savings from meals I was normally paying for! A supplement shake in the morning before I leave for work and one again for supper allows me a regular meal during the day while I’m out.

A healthier body, more energy, clearer mind, and no more aches and pains have given me a new sense of victory in my life. I’m staying with the program. It’s flexible and rewarding.
From now on I’m taking life 30 days at a time –
and loving it!

Sincerely,
Charlie McLendon
Conyers, Gerogia

Vivian’s Story


I’m thrilled. I’ve tried everything and nothing else has worked at all.

For the last 5 years I just couldn’t lose anything. I had even hired a personal trainer, I exercised and it just wouldn’t go down. Well, it was a good experience but I still didn’t lose any weight. I couldn’t lose a pound. It’s been quite frustrating for me. That’s the reason I even went to my endocrinologist to see if my thyroid was OK. I was perplexed as to why I couldn’t lose anything!

I’ve lost 12.5 pounds in 30 days. I’m thrilled. And, I lost it right where I wanted to lose it. I see a tremendous difference in my belly. That’s my biggest thing. For a woman to have a waistline over 35 inches puts you up for a heart attack, or a stroke. I was trying everything. It was frustrating.

I did Weight Watchers about 5 years ago and I lost some weight but then I just gained it all back again. I promised myself then that I would never, never, never go on another diet.

I don’t consider this a diet. This month gave me an opportunity to look at food in a way I hadn’t before.

Vivian Cowan, Covington, Georgia

Michael’s Story (to date)

Dr. Pellington,

I'm not sure where to begin.

1. I'm no longer hungry 24 hours a day
2. Energy is fine
3. I can see my ankle and feet bones again
4. I seem to have no trouble adhering to the program
5. The first four days the joints in my hands, feet, knees, and back ached quite a bit, however, those issues have subsided.
6. I used to sweat profusely at any temperature above 70 deg F and run the air conditioning in the house at 70 deg F to keep cool. I am at this time writing from my desk, with the a/c off in the house and the temp at 80 deg F in perfect comfort. Was it the nutrition in the program or the vitamins? I’m not sure what helped with this issue, obviously, something was out of whack for the past 20 years.
7. Basically, I've become indifferent to food, don't get me wrong, I want to eat the one meal we get a day, and it tastes wonderful (I have never looked forward to vegetables at meal time as I do now), thankfully the urge to eat ANYTHING isn't driving me to consume calories every waking moment.

Our second cleanse day will be Sunday, the first one had its moments, however, we both stuck to the program.

I am writing this to keep a record of the transformation. I'll do my best to document the changes as they happen. Obviously, we are both off to a good start.

Thanks
Mike
(Michael Daut, Covington, GA)

P.S. After 2 weeks on the program I’ve lost 16 pounds and the pain, the ache in my hands and knees is a lot less.
Before, I would literally be so stiff after driving just 2 hours that I would have to lean on the car to straighten up.
We were traveling on business last week, and stopped to eat at Ryan’s. The waitress sat us next to the dessert bar and it didn’t even phase us. It’s amazing.


Michael’s Story (continued)

Third week on the program... We are doing well.

No cheating and we are following the program to the letter, with excellent results.

I used to get one heck of a pain in my back just below my right shoulder blade about 30 minutes after meals. My family has a history of gall bladder attacks (obviously linked to diet) and I believe the pain was caused by a gall bladder attack. I was resigned to the fact that someday I too would have to have it removed. Since one week into the program, I haven't had any pain in that area of my body after eating....

Twyla's weight loss is visibly showing in her face, butt, and midsection. Her calves no longer stretch her pants. Like I said, excellent progress.

We have started a workout program - first cardio, then strength exercise. We were concerned once we started with our workouts, hunger might drive us off the program (as it has with other types of weight loss programs). Gratefully, hunger hasn't been a problem.

We both used to get indigestion and take Tums a lot. We haven’t been having any indigestion on this program.

We took our nephews to a cafeteria for lunch last week, we were perfectly happy to eat per the program and watched them fill their plates with food items we no longer consume. They even went for one of my favorite desserts, (chocolate pie) and it didn't bother me a bit.

Oh, I put on a pair of pants today, they were extremely large. If I remember, I'll wear them on our next visit, had to pull the belt in 6 holes just to keep them from falling down.

Thanks,

Mike and Twyla

At 5 weeks into the program: has lost 30 pounds. “I haven’t been 315 in ten years. And the thing is, this is easy.”

Michael’s Story (continued)


From 341 pounds to 303 pounds 7 weeks into the program.

“I feel terrific. The results are incredible! I haven’t seen 300 pounds in 20 years. Not since I was 28 years old!

“If you have anyone who needs to do this but hasn’t, give me their number. I’ll call them. Give me their address. I’ll go to their house.

“There is no decision to make. Just do it. It’s so convenient. It’s easy. The hardest part is the first day. After the first day it’s easy. There’s no decision to make. Just do it.”

Twyla, “He’s tried so hard in the past with other diets that never worked. At one point, he was bicycling 5 miles a day for 2 months and he only lost 5 pounds. It was so discouraging. It brings tears to my eyes to see him succeeding.”


Emily’s Story

My name is Emily, and I have a miraculous story to tell. Sometimes I feel the way I imagine Lazarus in the Bible must have felt – glad to be alive again.

Before getting into the details of my recovery, let me tell you that I have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and acid reflux disease. A couple of months ago I had gradually become weaker and weaker and utterly racked with pain. I was vomiting almost constantly. I became so incapacitated that my medical doctor threatened to send me to the hospital if I did not improve quickly. I really thought that I was going to die.

In order to have the energy to work a few hours each day, I was drinking one coke after another, 6 to 12 a day. It was impossible to sleep without pain pills, sleeping pills and anti-depressants. My huge bag of (10) medications went everywhere I did.

When Dr. Pellington asked me about participating in the Nutritional Detox and Weight Loss Program, I jumped at the opportunity. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I expect such results.

Now I am able to work. I smile, I laugh, and I sing. I have lost 20 pounds, and for the first time in years I am able to sleep soundly. I still have some low-grade pain, which is understandable, but it is something I can live with. I am 80-90 percent improved. I now take only two medications regularly and one as needed. No longer am I vomiting, and my pain is vastly reduced.

My medical doctor is ecstatic and marvels at the transformation, so much so that she is considering recommending it to her patients. And my friends and acquaintances are so envious of my new figure, bright eyes, and clear skin—not to mention my new energy level and new attitude.

Life is worth living again.

Emily Little
Shady Dale, Georgia

P.S. P.S. My waist has gone from 41 to 35 ¼, and my hips from 46 to 42 ½.



Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program: Healing the Body From the Inside Out

We are exposed to chemical toxins in our air, water and food, in household cleaners and medications, and even in our personal care products. Those toxic foreign chemicals accumulate in our bodies, disrupt our metabolism, depress the immune system and cause weight gain.

Some symptoms of Toxic Overload include:
• Chronic Fatigue
• Overweight issues
• Sleep Disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Menstrual Irregularities
• Chronic Pain
• Asthma
• Frequent headaches
• Depressed immune system (get sick a lot)
• Environmental or food sensitivities/allergies
• Constipation
• Poor memory, mental confusion
• Depression
• Chronic skin problems
• Eczema and adult acne

These symptoms, vague disorders treated symptomatically, are all signs of declining health.
Weight gain is also a sign of declining health. Weight is naturally lost as health is regained.

Each year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews an average of 1,700 new compounds that industry is seeking to introduce. The agency approves about 90 percent of the new compounds without restrictions. Only a quarter of the more than 82,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. have ever been tested for toxicity.

Everything we put into our bodies through breathing, eating, applying to our skin, etc. must be filtered and cleaned by the liver and the kidneys. These organs are our body’s internal filters.

Studies by the Environmental Working Group, an environmental advocacy organization that helped pioneer the concept of a "body burden" of toxic chemicals, has found hundreds of chemical traces in the bodies of volunteers.

One of the ways the body deals with toxic chemicals is to increase body fat to isolate those toxic chemicals and to protect the body from their influence.

People who are 20-30 pounds overweight have a 300% to 400% greater chance of developing Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

“41 million Americans are pre-diabetic, a condition that will likely progress to diabetes without appropriate preventive treatment.” – Healthy Georgia Diabetes and Obesity Project, 2007

We’re the richest nation on earth yet we’re getting sicker and sicker.

What we need is better prevention!

What we need is a new approach!

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said “Everyone has a doctor in him or her, we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”

Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program b>

Healing the body from the inside out.

The program consists of fortified, nutritional meal replacements and herbal and nutritional support to promote systemic detoxification, specifically, liver, kidneys and bowels.

Why is weight loss such a common result from detoxifying the body?

Most diets are not successful for long term weight loss because they don't address the need to cleanse the body of impurities. The body holds onto fat and water to protect the rest of the body from the chemical toxins. This is one reason for weight gain that isn’t a result of overeating.

The result is REBOUND - the body goes into emergency fat production and the person gains back the weight that was lost (and often gains more weight).

CLEANSING
Full-body cleansing is an essential part of maintaining our internal health, strengthening our vital organs and giving our bodies a fighting chance against environmental impurities and nutritional challenges.

Detoxification is what encourages sustainable weight loss.

This supervised protocol feeds your body cleansing nutrients, detoxifying herbs, vitamins, and ionic trace minerals, fortifying your body with the essential nutrients it needs to eliminate toxic chemicals. It helps kick-start your metabolism. As your body begins to regain its internal, metabolic balance you begin to burn fat naturally. No stimulants are used. Losing weight becomes easy and enjoyable.

You will likely also gain more energy, reduce unhealthy cravings, and improve your mental clarity.

Depending on your current state of health, and how much weight you want to lose, you may not reach your goal in 30 days but, because this is a well-designed, balanced, nutritious program, not a starvation diet, there are no contra-indications to continuing the program past the initial 30 days until you reach your goal.


Note: The information given here has not been evaluated by the FDA and is offered for educational purposes only. The testimonials featured in this brochure reflect the actual results experienced by the participants. Individual results will vary.


Life Dance Wellness Center
Pain Relief & Wellness Solutions
Dr. David Pellington, D.C.
7193 Industrial Boulevard, Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
]]> Weight Loss http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=9 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:32:37 -0500 Internal Cleansing Program http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=8 Emily’s Story
My name is Emily, and I have a miraculous story to tell. Sometimes I feel the way I imagine Lazarus in the Bible must have felt – glad to be alive again.
Before getting into the details of my recovery, let me tell you that I have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and acid reflux disease. A couple of months ago I had gradually become weaker and weaker and utterly racked with pain. I was vomiting almost constantly. I became so incapacitated that my medical doctor threatened to send me to the hospital if I did not improve quickly. I really thought that I was going to die.
In order to have the energy to work a few hours each day, I was drinking one coke after another, 6 to 12 a day. It was impossible to sleep without pain pills, sleeping pills and anti-depressants. My huge bag of (10) medications went everywhere I did.
When Dr. Pellington asked me about participating in the Nutritional Detox and Weight Loss Program, I jumped at the opportunity. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I expect such results.
Now I am able to work. I smile, I laugh, and I sing. I have lost 20 pounds, and for the first time in years I am able to sleep soundly. I still have some low-grade pain, which is understandable, but it is something I can live with. I am 80-90 percent improved. I now take only two medications regularly and one as needed. No longer am I vomiting, and my pain is vastly reduced.
My medical doctor is ecstatic and marvels at the transformation, so much so that she is considering recommending it to her patients. And my friends and acquaintances are so envious of my new figure, bright eyes, and clear skin—not to mention my new energy level and new attitude.

Life is worth living again.

Emily Little
Shady Dale, Georgia


P.S. P.S. My waist has gone from 41 to 35 ¼, and my hips from 46 to 42 ½.


My Story – “Thirty Life Changing Days”
- Charlie McLendon, Conyers, Georgia

Three Steps to a Healthier Life

Step One: Initiate - You can’t win until you begin!
Four weeks ago on March 11, 2008 I began a Nutritional Detox and Weight Loss Program sponsored by Life Dance Wellness Center and Dr. David Pellington, D.C.
The internal detoxification of my body was the goal (if I also lost weight, then ok).
For three years blood work from my local physician had shown high liver enzymes.
My goal was to see if this program could really clean up my insides.
So why not try it. Nothing else had made any difference. After all, ‘it was only a 30 day trial.’ What did I have to loose? I took the 1st Step and signed up.

Step Two: Be Honest – Document what’s wrong with your body!
I started with a physical and complete blood work up from my medical physician. I didn’t discuss my plans (depending on your health situation, maybe you should). If I could clean up my body after all the years of junk I’d put in it, then it would be worth a 30 day effort. So I determined to make an honest effort to follow the program directions (after all, it was only for 30 days).

Step Three: Be Prepared
Within 15 days people began making comments and asking questions. The results won’t let you keep it a secret. “You seem so energetic”; “Your voice is stronger and your speech is quicker”; “Haven’t you lost some weight?”; “What’s going on with you?” These comments are flattering and confidence boosters. So be prepared to tell your story and enjoy your enthusiasm.

My Story – “Thirty Life Changing Days”
On Feb. 14, 2008 I went to my physician for a check up and blood test:
Weight – 316.2#
Blood Pressure – 132/78
Triglycerides – 388
Cholesterol Total – 173
Glucose – 221
After having just completed 30 days on the program I returned for another check up and blood test:
Weight – 300.5#
Blood Pressure – 110/70
Triglycerides – 123
Cholesterol Total – 138
Glucose – 134

Before the program I was taking 15 units of Humalog Insulin with every meal to keep my blood sugar below 150. That has been discontinued. Now I start the day with a blood sugar average at 105 and end the day around 135 to 145. I take a once daily dose of Lantus Insulin which has now been reduced by 5 Units. And for now, I am still taking my oral medications. I wonder what will happen in the next 30 days?

My physician was so impressed he asked me to write up an account of my experience and provide him information on the ‘Detox Program’ so he could refer his clients. The cost of the supplements has been more than compensated for by the savings from meals I was normally paying for! A supplement shake in the morning before I leave for work and one again for supper allows me a regular meal during the day while I’m out.

A healthier body, more energy, clearer mind, and no more aches and pains have given me a new sense of victory in my life. I’m staying with the program. It’s flexible and rewarding.
From now on I’m taking life 30 days at a time –
and loving it!

Sincerely,
Charlie McLendon
Conyers, Gerogia



Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program: Healing the Body From the Inside Out

We are exposed to chemical toxins in our air, water and food, in household cleaners and medications, and even in our personal care products. Those toxic foreign chemicals accumulate in our bodies, disrupt our metabolism, depress the immune system and cause weight gain.

Some symptoms of Toxic Overload include:
• Chronic Fatigue
• Overweight issues
• Sleep Disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Menstrual Irregularities
• Chronic Pain
• Asthma
• Frequent headaches
• Depressed immune system (get sick a lot)
• Environmental or food sensitivities/allergies
• Constipation
• Poor memory, mental confusion
• Depression
• Chronic skin problems
• Eczema and adult acne

These symptoms, vague disorders treated symptomatically, are all signs of declining health.
Weight gain is also a sign of declining health. Weight is naturally lost as health is regained.

Each year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews an average of 1,700 new compounds that industry is seeking to introduce. The agency approves about 90 percent of the new compounds without restrictions. Only a quarter of the more than 82,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. have ever been tested for toxicity.

Everything we put into our bodies through breathing, eating, applying to our skin, etc. must be filtered and cleaned by the liver and the kidneys. These organs are our body’s internal filters.

Studies by the Environmental Working Group, an environmental advocacy organization that helped pioneer the concept of a "body burden" of toxic chemicals, has found hundreds of chemical traces in the bodies of volunteers.

One of the ways the body deals with toxic chemicals is to increase body fat to isolate those toxic chemicals and to protect the body from their influence.

People who are 20-30 pounds overweight have a 300% to 400% greater chance of developing Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

“41 million Americans are pre-diabetic, a condition that will likely progress to diabetes without appropriate preventive treatment.” – Healthy Georgia Diabetes and Obesity Project, 2007

We’re the richest nation on earth yet we’re getting sicker and sicker.

What we need is better prevention!

What we need is a new approach!

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said “Everyone has a doctor in him or her, we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”

Nutritional Detox & Weight Loss Program b>

Healing the body from the inside out.

The program consists of fortified, nutritional meal replacements and herbal and nutritional support to promote systemic detoxification, specifically, liver, kidneys and bowels.

Why is weight loss such a common result from detoxifying the body?

Most diets are not successful for long term weight loss because they don't address the need to cleanse the body of impurities. The body holds onto fat and water to protect the rest of the body from the chemical toxins. This is one reason for weight gain that isn’t a result of overeating.

The result is REBOUND - the body goes into emergency fat production and the person gains back the weight that was lost (and often gains more weight).

CLEANSING
Full-body cleansing is an essential part of maintaining our internal health, strengthening our vital organs and giving our bodies a fighting chance against environmental impurities and nutritional challenges.

Detoxification is what encourages sustainable weight loss.

This supervised protocol feeds your body cleansing nutrients, detoxifying herbs, vitamins, and ionic trace minerals, fortifying your body with the essential nutrients it needs to eliminate toxic chemicals. It helps kick-start your metabolism. As your body begins to regain its internal, metabolic balance you begin to burn fat naturally. No stimulants are used. Losing weight becomes easy and enjoyable.

You will likely also gain more energy, reduce unhealthy cravings, and improve your mental clarity.

Depending on your current state of health, and how much weight you want to lose, you may not reach your goal in 30 days but, because this is a well-designed, balanced, nutritious program, not a starvation diet, there are no contra-indications to continuing the program past the initial 30 days until you reach your goal.


Note: The information given here has not been evaluated by the FDA and is offered for educational purposes only. The testimonials featured in this brochure reflect the actual results experienced by the participants. Individual results will vary.


Life Dance Wellness Center
Pain Relief & Wellness Solutions
Dr. David Pellington, D.C.
7193 Industrial Boulevard, Covington, GA 30014
770-788-8222
]]> Internal Cleansing Program http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=8 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:27:52 -0500 Vitamin D Deficiency is Major Health Risk http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=5 Vitamin D Deficiency is a Major Health Risk

The one thing that nearly all chronic, degenerative conditions have in common is chronic, unchecked inflammation.

The Heart of Inflammation

C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated when there is inflammation somewhere in the body, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Researchers have shown that simple and cheap (natural) vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), even in critically ill patients. Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more.

“C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, may predict a person’s risk for stroke and heart attack.” – NEJM, 1997, 336:973-979

In Dr. Kilmer McCully’s book The Heart Revolution (recommended reading) he describes in detail how cholesterol alone is not an accurate predictor of heart disease, but that oxidized cholesterol & vascular inflammation together, greatly increase the risk.

Vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory actions have long been suspected. Compounds similar to vitamin D have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation when given to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Vitamin D: A Neglected Nutrient

Your vitamin D supplement should be “derived from fish liver oil.” It will be “Cholecalsiferol,” the natural form, not “Ergocalciferol,” the synthesized form. This is not the same as Omega 3 fish oil capsules (which are also essential for good health).

Remember: It only takes about 20 minutes of sun exposure to bare skin to produce 10,000 units of vitamin D, but in (our) non-tropical latitudes, UVB rays don’t even penetrate through the atmosphere from mid-September to mid-May, leaving only about 4 months when sunlight exposure of the skin will stimulate the production of vitamin D. We don’t have to worry about too much UVB. We get way TOO LITTLE.

And… People with dark skin require as much as six times the amount of ultraviolet B (UVB) light to produce the same amount of vitamin D found in lighter-skinned people. While 20% to 30% of UVB radiation is transmitted through light skin, only 5% is transmitted through deeply pigmented skin. So, if it takes about 20 minutes of sun exposure to light skin to produce 10,000 units of vitamin D, it will take 80 minutes to 2 hours of bare skin exposed to sunlight every day for people with dark skin to produce adequate vitamin D.

“Lithocholic acid is probably the most toxic compound that your body naturally makes, so you have to have a way to get rid of it,” laboratory animals given doses of vitamin D and then given lithocholic acid do not get colon cancer.
“Colon cancer patients also have high concentrations of lithocholic acid. The surprise from this study is that the vitamin D receptor, which we normally think of as mediating calcium, also has another role, which is to detoxify lithocholic acid,” – David Mangelsdorf, a professor of pharmacology and a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas

Vitamin D Is Not a Vitamin but a Steroid Hormone Precursor, Journal of Pediatrics August 2000; 137: 153-157.

Diet and Sunlight Linked to Breast Cancer Risk
As for the role of sunlight, researchers found an association between latitude and breast cancer suggesting that higher UV-B exposure was protective. UV-B rays spur the production of vitamin D in the body, it is likely the vitamin is behind the association found in this study.
Cancer January 1, 2002;94:272-281

Whereas sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer, if you get regular sun exposure, but don't get sunburned, you will have a decreased risk of skin cancer.

An Enlightened Approach

"Your overall well-being depends in part on developing an appropriate relationship with the sun. The notion that we have to protect ourselves from the sun all the time is misguided and unhealthy." says Michael Holick, M.D., PhD, a full Professor of medicine, dermatology, and physiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is the author of The UV Advantage, a book about vitamin D that is written for the general public. This book is essential for those who follow the "experts’" advice to stay out of the sun.

Dr. Holick gives some ominous warnings that Americans’ irrational fear of the sun is causing thousands upon thousands of premature deaths each year. He supports his warnings with clear-cut evidence from numerous epidemiological studies.

Study findings show that:
• 27,500 American women die prematurely every year from breast cancer caused by vitamin D deficiency, and according to Dr. Holick’s calculations 55 American women die prematurely every year from breast cancer caused by underexposure to sunlight for every one woman who dies prematurely from overexposure to sunlight.
• 37,000 men die prematurely each year from prostate cancer. This means that 55 to 60 men may die prematurely from underexposure to sunlight for every one that dies prematurely due to overexposure.
• You are three times less likely to die of colon cancer if you have healthy levels of vitamin D.

The best source of vitamin D is a moderate amount of sun exposure on bare skin each day.

“Even a weak sunscreen (SPF 8) blocks out most (at least 88 percent) of the sun’s UVB rays – the ones that trigger our bodies to make vitamin D, so that “all-sunscreen, all the time” rule is actually causing vitamin D deficiency.

“My first recommendation for assuring sufficient vitamin D is to get enough non-winter sunshine without the use of sunscreen to make your skin turn faintly pink.” At that point apply sunscreen.
“Each day that you don’t get enough sun to turn slightly pink, you should take 2,000 – 3,000 units of vitamin D in supplement form (from fish liver oil).”
“it looks like additional sunlight exposure and/or vitamin D supplementation starting in childhood may significantly reduce the risk of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and even Type 1 diabetes.” – Jonathan Wright, M.D.

Vitamin D supplements are very inexpensive – literally, a few dollars for a months supply.


“We – not our Stone Age ancestors – are the Cave People.”

Most people spend less than 20 minutes/day outside and even then, covered with clothing, there is almost no (critically important) skin exposure to the sunlight.

For these reasons, it's impossible for most people to get enough vitamin D from the sun alone. In fact, for many elderly people the vitamin D deficiency problem is compounded because our skin becomes less effective in producing vitamin D as we age. Dr. Wright recommends as much as 4,000 IU for those over 40.

Note: Whereas it is impossible to get too much vitamin D from sunlight exposure, it is possible to get too much vitamin D when taking supplemental vitamin D. Current research shows that it would be necessary to take 10,000 IU’s of vitamin D daily for several months for the average person to get too much of the vitamin.

Exposure of our skin to sunlight is necessary for our bodies to produce vitamin D

Vitamin D does far more than maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus which promotes optimized bone health. Lack of vitamin D has also been associated with the following conditions:
• Diabetes
• Colon, breast, prostate, ovarian, bone (and other) cancers
• Cardiovascular Disease
• High blood pressure
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS)
• Arthritis
• Infertility and PMS
• Fatigue, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Rheumatoid arthritis & Multiple sclerosis
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome (high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, and insulin resistance)
• Osteoporosis & Periodontal Disease

Sun Exposure Decreases Risk of MS
Children and adolescents who had high sun exposure had a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. Researchers concluded that insufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation or vitamin D might therefore increase the risk of MS. British Medical Journal, August 9, 2003; 327:316

British researchers confirm: exposure to sunlight helps prevent prostate cancer. Men with the lowest exposure were found to have a three times greater incidence of prostate cancer than did men with a high lifetime exposure. The researchers suggest that vitamin D may be involved. - The Lancet, August 25, 2001

13 malignancies show this inverse correlation; mostly reproductive and digestive cancers. The strongest inverse correlation is with breast, colon, and ovarian cancer. Other cancers apparently affected by sunlight include tumors of the bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum, and stomach. Cancer March 2002

Insulin Resistance
In a study that analyzed the relation of vitamin D levels to insulin sensitivity in a group of adults with normal glucose-tolerance, those with the lowest levels of D were more prone to develop symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including weaker pancreatic function and greater insulin resistance.

Heart Disease
A University of California, San Francisco, study that showed how vitamin D may cut the risk of heart disease in older women by as much as one-third, primarily due to the ability of vitamin D to prevent the buildup of calcium deposits in the arteries.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) occurs when the expansion and contraction of heart muscle cells is impaired, reducing the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body. Because previous research on animals has demonstrated the possibility that low levels of vitamin D may play a role in heart failure, researchers at the Department of Nutrition Science, University of Bonn, Germany, designed their study to examine the effect of vitamin D on human hearts.

Over a period of five months, fasting blood samples were collected from 54 CHF patients. Their samples were compared to similar samples taken from a group of 34 healthy subjects that did not have CHF.

When the 54 congestive heart failure (CHF) patients was compared to a group of 34 healthy subjects without CHF, researchers found that the CHF patients had vitamin D levels significantly lower than the healthy group, and those with the lowest vitamin D levels tended to have the most severe symptoms of CHF.

People Who Should Not Take Supplemental Vitamin D
Some patients with sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, or lymphoma become hypercalcemic in response to any increase in vitamin D. For these persons, it may be wise to avoid any dietary or environmental sources of vitamin D, unless they are carefully monitored with serum calcium and 25(OH)D levels.

Health comes from within.

“Food may be the most powerful drug you will ever take. Hormones are hundreds of times stronger than drugs. Every time you eat, you start a hormonal cascade. Either you control it, or for the next four to six hours it controls you.
“Furthermore, many of the chronic diseases associated with aging--heart disease, arthritis, and cancer, for example--are strongly connected with (hormonal) imbalances.” – Barry Sears, Ph.D. from Enter the Zone (recommended reading).

Go outside and play!

I wish you success. You will be your own success story!



Sincerely,
Dr. David Pellington
Pain Relief and Wellness Solutions
7193 Industrial Boulevard
Covington, GA 30014

More references:

A large number of teenage girls apparently aren’t getting enough vitamin D, according to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. In fact, researchers found that 73% of the girls participating in the study were vitamin D deficient. Archives of Disease in Childhood 91:569-572, 2006
Sunlight Actually Prevents Cancer Deaths from a range of cancers of the reproductive and digestive systems were approximately twice as high in New England as in the southwest, despite a diet that varies little between regions. Cancer March 2002; 94:1867-75

Breathe in the Sunshine (COPD)
Despite the risk of skin cancer from excessive exposure (burning), sun exposure is vital to our health. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to diseases including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis. Now a study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey links vitamin D deficiency with increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Researchers at the University of Auckland (New Zealand) reviewed data concerning the lung health and blood levels of vitamin D of 14,000 Americans who took part in the survey from 1988 to 1994. After adjusting for other factors, the study showed that people with the highest level of vitamin D in their blood had substantially better lung health than those with the least amount of vitamin D. Amazingly, the difference in lung health between the levels of vitamin D was greater than that seen between former smokers and people who had never smoked.
How Vitamin D Protects Your Heart British Journal of Nutrition October 2005; 94(4): 483-492
Results showed a significant association between low levels of vitamin D and an elevated risk of tooth loss due to periodontal disease. Tufts University (USDA Human Nutrition Research Center). "Association Between Serum Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and Periodontal Disease in the US Population" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 1, July 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
"Higher 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations are Associated with Better Lower-Extremity Function in both Active and Inactive Persons Aged 60 y" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 3, September 2004, ajcn.org

Vitamin D Urged for Breastfed, Dark-Skinned Infants Texas Medicine 2000;96:64-68.

RDA for Vitamin D Too Low for Those with Little Sunlight Exposure J Intern Med 2000; 247: 260-268

Vitamin D for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130:2648-2652

Postmenopausal Women Need Vitamins D and K for Healthy Bones European Journal of Clinical Nutrition August 2000; 54, 626-631.

Vitamin D and Bone Mineral Density American Journal Clinical Nutrition December 2002 76:1446-1453
"Vitamin D May Cut Women's Heart Disease Death Risk" Reuters Health, 4/24/02
"Vitamin D Treats Congestive Heart Failure" Dr. Joseph Mercola, 3/5/03, mercola.com
"Low Vitamin D Status: A Contributing Factor in the Pathogenesis of Congestive Heart Failure?" Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2003 Jan 1;41(1):105-12
Vitamin D Reduces Colon Cancer JAMA December 10, 2003, Lancet November 18, 1989
"Vitamin D Intake and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis" Neurology, Vol. 62, No. 1, 1/13/04, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"Vitamin D Cuts MS Risk" BBC News, 1/13/04, bbc.co.uk
"Vitamin D Supplementation in the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis" Ashton F. Embry, DIRECT-MS, direct-ms.org
"Multiple Sclerosis: Decreased Relapse Rate Through Dietary Supplementation With Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D" Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 21, No. 2, October 1986, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"The Essential Nutrient You Need More Of - And How To Get It Absolutely Free" Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Nutrition and Healing, 11/1/03, wrightnewsletter.com

"Vitamin D May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk" Jeanie Lerche Davis, WebMD Medical News, 2/18/05, my.webmd.com
"Vitamin D supplementation, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations, and Safety" Reinhold Vieth, M.D., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 69, No. 5, May 1999, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Sun Exposure (UVB) Protects Against 16 Types of Cancer, Chapuy MC, Chapuy P, Meunier PJ. Calcium and vitamin D supplements: effects on calcium metabolism in elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr. 1987;46:324-8.
Cardiovascular Problems Due to Lack of Vitamin D, Diabetes Care March 2006; 29(3): 722-724

]]> Nutritional Articles http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=5 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:31:32 -0500 What Your Friends and Neighbors Have to Say http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=4
Here are some of the things your friends and neighbors have to say about results they’ve experienced.
(patient names used with permission)

"You’re the 9th doctor I’ve been to for this. You’re the only one who has been able to help me. I wish I’d come in earlier.” – Betty Brown, retired

“I’m amazed that I don’t get headaches any more. I used to alternate between Tylenol, Ibuprofin and Aleve because I took so much of that stuff.”
– Rita Pikor, customer service.

Charles Morris, publisher – Pain in his upper back and along his shoulder blade aggravated by esp. working on the computer, etc. The muscle therapy and adjustments gave him relief, stretches and exercises addressed the underlying cause of the recurring pain, and now those activities that previously caused that “dull, deep, nasty pain,” no longer bother him.

“I’ve been to so many doctors, and you’re the first one who told me that (with rehab) I could fix this problem.” – L.W.

Jack Cantrell, Cantrell Properties – “You care more about your patients than any doctor I’ve ever been to.”

“Dr. Pellington gave me my life back.” – Jewell Armistead, Spires Interiors

“I appreciate not being treated like a chicken on an assembly line.” – Pierce Cline, land developer

Valerie McKibben, teacher, retired. Foot and ankle pain “for about ten years.” She’d seen an orthopedist, two podiatrists, gone through 3 months of physical therapy and still “(the pain) keeps me from walking for exercise, walking my dog. We like to go to museums and we’ve had to curtail that.” Valerie reported that she couldn’t walk for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. After the initial visit, Valerie said “You’ve spent more time with me than any other doctor.” After just two weeks, “I told my husband last night that my foot hadn’t hurt all day! It’s so nice to walk without limping. Limping takes a lot of energy.” Six weeks later, she hiked five miles a day for 3 days in Big Bend, Texas “up a mountain. I had no problem at all. I’m amazed. It’s a miracle.” “I can walk the dog. All the other walking I do, I don’t even think about it anymore. I was cleaning out a drawer and came across all those elastic braces I used to wear. I just threw them out. I just don’t think about it any more.”

When the time is taken to do what needs to be done, the body generally responds ~ even after ten years.

Audrey Cann, business owner. Now she can dance again! Fifteen years of lower back pain every day. The pain would wake her during the night, it would be there as soon as she got out of bed. She couldn’t stand more than 30 minutes without severe pain. “It hurt all the time.” And every couple of months she would turn wrong and “I’d go to my knees.” After the fourth treatment she went to a wedding. There was a lot of standing. “I couldn’t have done it a week ago.” She even danced!!! She’s in the rehab phase and she’s getting so much stronger. She’s doing great! Her back occasionally gets “a little sore.” There’s more work to do. Now it shifts to her, to do the specific exercises at home to FIX the problem, and hopefully, keep it from coming back.
When the time is taken to do what needs to be done, the body generally responds ~ even after fifteen years.

“You’re the first one I had any confidence in.” – Mike Smith, construction project superintendent

“I’m so tired of the pain. It affects everything I do.” – D.T., administrative assistant

Melanie Henderson, homemaker: more than 2 years of mid-back pain waking her from sleep. The morning after her first treatment she awoke with no pain (the pain did not wake her). “It’s amazing how much better I feel! My husband has even said that he can tell a difference in my attitude and what I’m able to do now. I’ve been to chiropractors before and nobody has ever done the work that you do. I would feel better for a day or two, but that’s all.”

Donna Smith, counselor: “No one has ever done this work before! Is this something that you developed?” Yes. It is.

L. Earl Smith, real estate appraiser. Six months of shoulder pain. The pain would wake him during the night. It interfered with his sleep, his work, just about everything he did. “It feels like someone has a hammer, pounding on the inside of my shoulder.” An orthopedist had given him a cortisone injection with “no improvement.” Then he sent him for an MRI, & told him that he needed surgery to remove a bone spur that was pressing on his rotator cuff. After the first treatment, “I’m amazed that it’s that much better that quick.” Now… he’s PAIN FREE with no disability.
P.S. There may be a bone spur, but that’s NOT what was causing his pain.

Do you know someone with chronic or recurring pain? Most conditions begin to respond with just a few treatments. It’s “amazing”.

Betty Brown, retired: More than a year of intense, daily, debilitating pain. Previous: X-rays, MRI’s, nerve studies, pain medication, muscle relaxors, epidural injections, trigger point injections, physical therapy… all with no relief. She was told she had a herniated disc. “It’s gotten to where I can’t even do my housework. I can’t walk for more than 5 or ten minutes without my leg going numb. I can’t do anything. I’m just worn out! That’s just no way to live. My doctor gave me pain medication and that just made me feel drunk. I’d wake up from that and the pain was just as bad. It didn’t help at all. No one could help me. It got to where I didn’t want to leave the house. I would just cry, it hurt so bad and nobody was helping me. I was getting so depressed. I had 5 injections (cortisone and epidurals). They didn’t help either. I left there and didn’t feel any better. You’re the 9th doctor I’ve been to for this. You’re the only one who has been able to help me. I wish I’d come in earlier.”

D.F., Covington – Severe upper back pain following cervical spinal surgery. Previous Trigger Point injections and 3 months of Physical Therapy with “no relief.” Radio-oblation (to kill the nerves) “didn’t help at all.” “I only get 4 hours of sleep. I’m depressed. I usually spend every day at lunch laying in my car resting. This (pain) is worse than the neck pain.” After two treatments in my office, “it’s a miracle to me. I haven’t taken a Soma all weekend. I was taking 3-4 a day.”

Alice Phillips, teacher: “Terrible” lower back pain, getting “worse over the past several years.” Had gotten so bad she couldn’t stand longer than 10 minutes without the pain coming on. Vacuuming would cause “severe” pain, and “after 20 or 30 minutes of yard work I could hardly get out of bed.” After just seven visits, Alice “stood 4 hours (on concrete!!!) at a festival with no pain.” Now… “it’s no longer a problem. It doesn’t stop me at all. I don’t even think about it.” Alice also had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome… for “several years.” Now… No pain, No numbness, No disability.

Kay Lee, consultant – Had back surgery about twenty years ago, which had been successful for relieving (most of) her back & leg pain. She’d done well up until about the last five years, when she began having increasingly more frequent and severe “spells” of often disabling low back pain. After the surgery she’d been given (very) little after-care, and no rehabilitation. When she came in to see me, she was having back pain so severe that she’d been unable to get out of bed for two days. With muscle therapy, spinal adjustments and rehab… she’s pain-free… “I don’t feel delicate anymore. That itself is life-changing.” A proven approach with “life-changing” results. I love this work!

Jack Cantrell, Cantrell Properties. “Before I came to see you (the pain) had gotten so bad I was ready to start knocking on neurosurgeons’ doors. I’m glad you care so much that you take the time with your patients that you do. You care more about your patients than any doctor I’ve ever been to.”

Jewell Armistead had been told that she had bursitis. She had had two cortisone shots in her shoulder before her daughter referred her to my office. Even so, she had terrible shoulder and arm pain and weakness so bad she could hardly even use her right arm. After 3 years of pain, severe disability, sleepless nights and cortisone shots, she couldn’t brush her teeth or comb her hair without supporting her right arm with her left. She hadn’t been able to sleep on her right shoulder “for three years. I couldn’t roll onto it.” Every time she would roll onto her shoulder, the pain would wake her up. Her M.D. told her to wait two months and he would give her another shot. (Hmm… the first two hadn’t done any good) Then, she came to me… after the second treatment, she slept until 5AM. “I haven’t slept six hours in months!” “I can move my shoulder easier.” After the fourth treatment, “When I got up to go to the bathroom (at 6AM), I realized my arm wasn’t even hurting.” Now… She has no pain. She can use her arm through full range of motion with no pain. She was heading full tilt for “frozen shoulder” and now she’s pain-free, with no disability. “Dr. Pellington gave me my life back. I do anything I want to do now. I sleep great now on both sides. I recommend him to all my friends.”
“(You) gave me my life back.” Sounds dramatic, sure. But how would you characterize relief from three years of sleepless nights, and ever increasing daily severe pain and increasing disability? And.. the prospect of what, in the future? Nothing else had helped, and it sure wasn’t getting better on its own. P.S. She didn’t have bursitis at all!!
When the time is taken to do what needs to be done, the body generally responds ~ even after three years.

Alex Rhine, production supervisor. Headaches. Daily neck pain and upper back pain “for twenty years.” After the fourth treatment, “yesterday was the first day I didn’t hurt. And I’m sleeping much better.” With muscle therapy, spinal adjustments and rehab… “It’s so nice to be able to work and not hurt, to go home and not hurt. Gosh, it’s nice. I handle stressful situations better, because I don’t have the pain.” With in-office treatment, he got relief. A personally-tailored exercise program has given him the tools to keep the problem from coming back on him.
Do you know anyone who is living (needlessly) with Headaches, neck pain, back pain?

D. T., administrative assistant. Nineteen years of lower back pain and weakness. One orthopedist told her, “you have a slipped disc. You’ll just have to learn to live with the pain.” “I’ve been in pain my entire adult life. I’m so tired of the pain. It affects everything I do.” After two weeks, significant improvement. “After all I’ve been through (physical therapy, chiropractic & orthopedic treatment), you’re the first one who ever told me I could fix this problem. My back feels stronger than it’s felt in years, thanks to you. I’m so glad I found you.” P.S. She didn’t have a “slipped” disc!

Ray Smith, artist & teacher – “For eight years I had suffered from extreme sciatica in my left hip and leg. I wanted to believe that it might just “go away”. But as the condition progressed, my lower back deteriorated. The pain became constant, affecting everything I tried to do (as well as) my ability to sleep. Working with Dr. Pellington has made all the difference in the world. He has brought me from near disability to a relatively normal and pain free life! He’s given me my life back. What a blessing he has been. Thank you Dr. P.”

Cheryl Roddenberry, teacher. From a serious fall, Cheryl had had pain in her left shoulder, radiating into her arm and hand for about 3 years. “I’ve seen improvement every visit. The convenience of not having to wait to be seen… Not to mention, I can use my arm without pain in my shoulder or tingling in my arm. Your treatment has been very clear and concise. I’m very pleased.”

Betty Harvey – retired. Daily leg and “constant” knee pain, daily back pain; chronic and worsening for “about a year.” The leg pain would wake her throughout the night, and would get worse with walking or climbing stairs. Previous massage had given some “temporary” relief. Previous spinal adjustments, “I don’t think they helped at all.” After her FIRST treatment she slept through the night undisturbed by any pain. After the third treatment she could climb stairs with less pain. “It’s such a relief. It had gotten to where that knee hurt all the time. If someone hasn’t experienced it, they don’t know what it’s like to not be able to sleep (because of pain). It’s wonderful. It’s the first time in… it’s been so long I can’t remember.”

Sherry Autry, retired. Sherry was referred to me for treatment of severe leg pain of about 4 months duration. The pain would wake her from sleep. The day after the first treatment she said, “I can’t believe this. When I left here yesterday (the pain) was gone. I know you said that some people get immediate relief. I even woke my husband in the middle of the night and told him that my leg wasn’t hurting. I wish I’d come in sooner. If it hadn’t been for (her friend recommending Dr Pellington), I’d still be in pain.” With the at-home reconditioning exercises she has gotten much stronger. “Before, I couldn’t even get down on the floor. Whenever I needed something done, like plugging in the computer, I’d ask my husband to do it. Now I just do it myself.” She is now stronger and she’s exercising (and dancing) more.

Marynell Ford, customer service ~ “I’d had physical therapy 3 different times at different places. I’d had trigger point injections in my back. I had tried pain medicines and arthritis medicine, and I’d seen two other chiropractors” for several months. Her neck, upper back and right shoulder hurt every day, and would hurt worse each day as the week progressed. (She sits at a desk all day, on the phone and on the computer.) She’d been in pain “for about five years.” If she rolled onto her right shoulder during the night, the pain would wake her up. She’d gone through physical therapy, cortisone injections and medication. She’d been adjusted how many times? What about all that muscle spasm? What about all the adhesions? What about the weakness from being strained day after day, month after month? Sure there was joint restriction… CAUSED by the chronically strained, contracted, weak and painful muscles. I was as thrilled as she was the day she came in and told me, "My shoulder doesn't hurt." She no longer has neck and upper back pain. “Now I can sleep on my shoulder without waking up. I can type all day without pain.” It’s been months now and still she has no neck or shoulder pain, where NOTHING ELSE had worked. And, she has the tools to keep the problem from coming back.

Janet W. – Was advised that she needed spinal surgery for her severe sciatic/leg pain. She’d been given cortisone injections & Trigger Point injections that “didn’t help at all.” “When I first came to you I didn’t tell you but I was terrified thinking that I would need back surgery, having been in such excruciating pain for so many months and only getting worse in spite of seeing Dr. for 3 months. It’s only been a few weeks but I am so much better (as you know). It’s so nice to be able to sleep through the night with no pain. I’ve been doing the exercises you showed me and my back is feeling stronger too. I am thrilled and so grateful!” With muscle work, spinal adjustments and rehab is now pain-free, with no disability.

Do all patients respond as well? Unfortunately, no. I wish they did. Sometimes the condition has been left untreated for too long. There’s just too much damage. Combining body-work and rehabilitation does give people the best chance of recovery.

Tony Pringle, mechanic. “Used to be 3 hours on a motorcycle and 6 hours lying down. I lived with it every day for years. I look back now and wonder why?”
Over a year of severe hip and leg pain, “numbness and tingling”, markedly worsening over the past several months. During the consultation he reported, “I can’t stand still for more than 2 or 3 minutes” without “sharp, stabbing pain” into his leg. After working all day “I have to (lie) on the sofa for an hour and a half.” After his first visit, “no pain until about an hour before getting off work, rather than all day.” After the second treatment, he was able to stand “for about twenty minutes” before the pain started. A week after beginning treatment, he was able to pressure-wash his deck for five hours. And now… he has no pain at all. NONE. “I’m loving it! I don’t even think about backing off, and I’ve been going at a pretty good clip too! The difference in the way my body feels is tremendous. I’m so glad I found somebody who would do this work, who could do this work. It feels so good to feel good, and able to do anything I want to, instead of not wanting to. Afraid to, I should say. I always wanted to but I was afraid to. Now (the pain) is just a memory! Just a fading, bad memory.”

Bridget Bonds, receptionist. Neck pain and pain and numbness in both hands that “affects everything I do.” It would take her hands “about an hour and a half” to stop tingling and feeling numb in the mornings. This had been going on for over two years, since a serious fall. She’d been treated by two chiropractors and “it didn’t help at all.” Sounds unbelievable, but it’s true, after her second treatment she had no numbness and no pain. “It’s amazing what you forget. When you’re in pain you forget how it feels to feel good. I’m just happy to not be in pain every day.” “I wish more doctors would do this work.”

Peggy Capes, Capes Properties. Five months of daily lower back pain. It had gotten so bad that it would wake her from sleep whenever she would turn over. After five treatments, she was doing so well that she went skiing with her grandchildren. She had no back pain the entire time, and has had no pain since.

Kevin Klein, stained glass artist. Kevin had been diagnosed with a disc herniation, which had been verified by MRI. He’d been having severe lower back and leg pain and numbness for more than a year and a half, in spite of having been treated at the Pain Clinic with medication and six epidural injections. When he first came to see me his pain was constant, day and night. He couldn’t sleep on his back. He couldn’t sleep on his side for more than a short time. Sitting aggravated the pain. “I can’t stand for more than ten minutes without increasing pain. I can’t walk.” He even had to change his occupation because of the pain. After the third treatment, “I’m doing better than I’ve done in a long time. (I’m) sleeping pretty good and without (pain medication).” After the fifth treatment he reported “60%” improvement. (All that muscle spasm was compressing his spine, causing disabling pain.) And now… he has NO PAIN. No back pain, no leg or foot pain. “I’m doing stuff I haven’t been able to do in a long time.” He’s back to working… with no pain. Walking… two miles at a time… with NO PAIN. (Muscle therapy and rehabilitation.)

Regina Arline, office manager – 16 years of chiropractic care!
After five visits. “Dr. P., I know I’ve said it already, but thank you. I’m getting teary saying it. I feel so much better. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
“For the past 25 years I have suffered with (headaches), neck & back pain, stiffness (&) discomfort; also pain while (simply) standing in line at the bank or grocery store. Any other physical activity would have repercussions the following day. When I would get out of the car, I’d hear from my back. When I’d get out of bed, I’d hear from my back. All of this while under chiropractic care for the past 16 years. Then enters Dr. P. A noticeable improvement was experienced the very first visit. By session five, the only words to describe it are “absolutely amazing”. Now I can wash my hair without feeling the pain and pull on my back. I feel free from that bondage I was in. Ladies & gentlemen, let me introduce you to Dr. David Pellington.”
Twenty five years of pain. Sixteen years of chiropractic care! And then… “A noticeable improvement was experienced the very first visit” with me. This approach IS different. It does give results… better and faster.

Don Johnson, retired. Daily, constant “intense heel pain” for FIVE YEARS; worsening. After standing for “just a couple of minutes, I have to rock onto my toes to take the pressure off my heels.” “It’s hard to concentrate on other things when my feet hurt so bad.” He spent “a day at Six Flags two weeks ago. I still haven’t recovered from that.” Over the past several years he’d seen TWO PODIATRISTS. Both diagnosed “plantar fascitis” and prescribed (two different) orthotics. They didn’t help. “It gets old living in constant pain.” (I found tremendous involvement in his calf muscles, explained what we were going to do together; me treating hands-on, him doing SPECIFIC stretches and exercises to speed things up.) Remember: FIVE YEARS OF DAILY “INTENSE” PAIN. At the end of ONE WEEK (of hands-on treatment, getting in there, working out the spasm, breaking up the scar tissue and adhesions that had accumulated over the years, manipulating the joints of his feet (‘cause joints are designed to move. Joints stay healthy when they move properly)) and… “they’re 90% better. I can do things without my attention being on my feet.” FIVE YEARS OF DAILY “INTENSE” PAIN, gone in one week. (The orthotics didn’t work because the majority of the involvement wasn’t in his feet, it was in his legs. The calf muscles attach into the heels. The tighter the calf muscles got, the more pain he felt in his heels. It’s like hanging on a clothesline. It doesn’t matter where along the clothesline the force is applied, the force is felt where it attaches.)

Wesley Hayes, systems engineer. Lower back pain radiating into his buttocks. Two and a half years of constant pain affecting “anything I do.” The pain was even worse sitting, and would wake him throughout the night. An MRI in August of 2004 showed a herniated disc. He was treated a Pain Center with VAX-D (spinal decompression), “every day (except weekends) for thirty days. It made it worse.” When he came in to see me it was “getting worse” as the weeks went by. He’d get sharp, “stabbing” pain with movement. “I’d like to go back to the gym. I can’t do anything ‘till I get this resolved.”
Now: “My back feels a lot stronger and a lot more flexible.” “I never thought about it being in my muscles. I’m amazed at how much better (my back) feels. I’m a pretty smart guy. If it took me this long to find something that worked, I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who don’t know what to do.”

“Dear Dr. P., I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your level of care and concern. Never having had this level of pain and injury before it has been such a comfort to have a doctor that is competent, knowledgeable, and caring as you have been. Thank you so much for your excellent care. Sincerely, Jeannine C.”

Bruce Smythe, manager – Daily “nagging” neck and shoulder pain “for several years,” aggravated by computer work, etc. Had been seeing a chiropractor for several months. Had even been put on a decompression table… With “no improvement.” In the two weeks before he came in to see me, he’d had “two chiropractic treatments & three massages.” I called him after the first visit to be sure he wasn’t sorer after the muscle work I had done. “Not only am I not sorer, it’s better than it’s been in the past two weeks. It’s fundamentally better.”

“Dear David, Just a note to tell you how much I value your interest and patience with my condition. I appreciate your advice and caring way to help me. I know this is your profession but you give to your patients that extra care. Thanks, Virginia Cordak”

Loyce Kompar, registered nurse: Six months of lower back pain. “By the end of the day I’m miserable.” Now… “I’m pain-free. My range of motion is gradually increasing and I have no activity limitations. As far as I’m concerned, I am another success story of yours. I am “relentless” (with the stretches and exercises) you taught me.”

Valerie Payne: “I feel so much better. I get so few headaches now compared to how many I used to get.” Had been treated with spinal adjustments in the past that had given her some temporary relief, but without the deep muscle therapy the muscles would just continue to pull and pull, like a bungee cord around a sapling tree.

Diane Pringle: spoke with her 2 months later, “My feet and legs feel good. The pain and numbness has not come back.”

Susan Fielder, homemaker. Chronic hip pain and tightness for 7 to 8 months. After just one treatment, Susan said, “I can’t believe it. I feel so much better. I’ve been putting up with this all these months for no reason. I don’t even feel it anymore in my hip. That deep throbbing pain is gone.” After one week, “I’m amazed. I feel like I have both sides of my body back. I didn’t even realize how much I’d been giving into it. In hindsight I realize how I’d been compensating climbing stair and even just walking and little things like putting on my shoes.”

Stefen Hooson, Steffen came in shortly after being in a car accident. Not surprisingly, he was experiencing neck pain and headaches. During the initial consultation he reported that even prior to the accident he would suffer 3 to 4 headaches a week and a “migraine” about once a month. After examining him, I was confident that, with his participation, his neck would heal, and I was also very confident that in doing what was necessary to heal the new injuries, that there was a high likelihood that in so doing we would also significantly reduce the severity and frequency of his chronic (before the accident) recurring headaches.
As expected, he recovered from the accident injuries with no residual impairment. When I saw him for a follow-up visit, he reported that not only did he have no recurrence of the neck pain, but he had had no headaches at all for the last 8 weeks. An average of 3 to 4 headaches/week for 8 weeks = about 24 days of headache pain he hadn’t suffered.
I certainly don’t believe the car accident was a good thing, but the good that came out of it is that he doesn’t get those daily headaches anymore, and with just a little bit of attention to his neck (there’s a weak link in every chain, no matter how strong), they may never be a problem again. Prior to coming in for the car accident injuries, he didn’t even know that his headaches were coming from his neck.

Bernadette Smith, writer, consultant. More than 10 years of neck and upper back pain, worsening over time. The pain was aggravated by simple, routine activities; driving, lifting, computer work. She couldn’t sleep on her back or stomach without her arm going numb. She had had numerous chiropractic adjustments with only very temporary relief. “when you told me it would eventually just feel like pressure, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s amazing!

Bonnie Mays, Paralegal. Upper back and neck pain for “twenty plus years.” Had gone through physical therapy, numerous chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, TENS unit, with no lasting improvement. Had been taking medication, daily, (that had helped) for more than five years. Was concerned about the long-term affect of the medication. “My life revolved around beating pain.” She changed careers because of the pain. One orthopedist had told her to “live with it.” After 4 weeks of treatment (and a specific, at-home stretching and strengthening program), Bonnie was able to discontinue the medication, (with the guidance of her M.D.), with no recurrence of the pain.
“What I was running into before was people would say ‘I’ve heard of Trigger Points,’ but no one knew how to treat them (effectively). I felt like I was handed information and I had to act on it. It’s exciting to me. I’ve fought it so long and so hard. I feel better now at 60 than I felt at 40.”

]]> Patient Comments http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=4 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:02:41 -0500 When Pain-Killers Just Take "The Edge" Off http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=3 When Pain-Killers Just Take “the Edge” Off

Imagine if someone had hold of your finger and was cranking it backward. You could take all the pain-killers, all the anti-inflammatories in the world and it would not stop the pain. The cause of the pain is not chemical, it’s caused by the mechanical stress on the joints, ligaments and muscles. The pain (headaches, arm/shoulder pain, back pain) will only stop when the mechanical, the physical cause of the pain is eliminated. Medication may take the edge off temporarily, but they do not eliminate the pain because the pain is not chemical, it’s mechanical.

Muscles are the line of first defense in any injury. They take the hit first to protect and hopefully spare the deeper, more vital tissues.

As an example:
Think about a car accident… the head weighs about 12 to 14 pounds. It’s supported by a relatively delicate cervical spine. During the impact of a collision, the muscles suddenly, forcefully contract to decelerate the head. If the muscles get torn but protect the more delicate and vital structures, i.e. the ligaments, the spine, the spinal nerves and the spinal cord, they’ve done their job. Clearly muscle injury is less threatening to our survival than is spinal cord injury. The muscles have done their job, but they’ve suffered the damage.

Of course, if the trauma is greater than the muscles can successfully protect against, then even the deeper, underlying ligaments, etc. will also be damaged, and the degree of injury will be greater still. With any injury, the muscles are always involved.

Now, it’s important to remember, it doesn’t matter whether the injury is the result of one single traumatic event like a car accident, or whether it’s the result of small, seemingly insignificant injuries accumulated over time, (ex: the damage to the neck, upper back and shoulder muscles that affects hairdressers & computer operators, and the damage to the arm and hand muscles in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), the muscles are still affected the same.

It’s also important to remember… that this is NOT philosophy. It’s NOT a belief system. It’s physiology!


This is the process in a nut shell:

Injury > inflammation > scar tissue adhesions (& pain) > muscle shortening (& pain) > (now comes the) joint restriction (& pain) > muscular weakness, stiffness (& pain) > decreased function > more damage due to more weakness and less function > more inflammation, adhesions, weakness and PAIN. It becomes a vicious cycle. Medication does not address the physical mal-adaptation, and leaves the underlying damage untreated. With time, it will ONLY get worse.

Now ~ this process of maladaptation and dysfunction does involve the joints by altering the mechanics (unequal muscle pull on the bones that make up the joint), creating loss of normal motion, fixation and predisposing the joints to an accelerated rate of wear and tear (degenerative arthritis), BUT ~ it is NEVER JUST A JOINT PROBLEM. IT’S A MUSCLE PROBLEM ~ OR a MUSCLE AND JOINT COMPLEX PROBLEM.

Injured muscles contract (that’s all muscles can do to protect themselves from being torn further). They contract & pull on their attachments, and they hurt. When muscles have become weak due to injury or disuse, they are more easily overtaxed, (it's a lot easier to hurt weak muscles than it is strong muscles) and they (relentlessly) contract in response.

It sounds simple, but no less true, "Nothing in nature stays the same." It's either getting stronger and more vital, or it's (slowly or quickly) getting weaker and less healthy.

If that abnormal muscle contraction is not relieved, the body begins to physically shorten the muscle(s) with scar tissue. Adhesions begin to glue the muscle layers together. It begins to feel like "shrink wrap" around the involved area. This process of deconditioning and maladaptation nust be revversed to achieve any long lasting pain reloief and healthy function. Otherwise it leaves the muscles even weaker and more easily injured each time they are overtaxed.

Typically, (not always), pain from muscle contraction (spasm) is present first thing in the morning, but subsides to some degree as you begin to move around. Then it becomes increasingly more painful as the day progresses. Why? The capacity of the muscles to do work is less than even the daily routine demands of them. Then what? They contract even more in response to being overtaxed. Over time, the body responds by infiltrating the contracted muscles with cob-webby scar tissue, and sticky scar-tissue adhesions start to glue the muscle layers together. Adhesions HURT. The muscles become weaker still, and more easily overtaxed as time goes by.

No matter whether the injury is to the muscles alone (strain), or to the ligaments (sprains), or to the bones (fractures)… no matter what tissue is injured, the muscles, being the most FUNCTIONAL tissue responsible for protecting the deeper, more sensitive structures… no matter how deep the injury goes, the muscles are always involved. Always. (Read ~ Always)

The Downward Spiral

Pain hurts. To avoid more pain we use the parts that hurt even less. Even more weakness is the result of less demand. The muscles lose endurance (we can walk for 15 minutes, but not for 3 hours). The muscles are more easily over-taxed than they were before the injury. When muscles are overtaxed, they contract, they get (involuntarily) tight. They get tighter and tighter. They hurt. The body responds by shortening the muscles with more of the same scar tissue. Adhesions form between the muscle layers because they’re not being used throughout their full length. Adhesions hurt. The limb is used less to avoid pain. The decreased use results in more weakness, & less endurance. More pain. Less use. The muscles tighten even more. The contraction hurts. We do less to avoid the pain. The less we do, the weaker the area becomes. The weaker the muscles become, the more they contract. The more they contract, the more they hurt… the less we do… the weaker they become… the more they contract, the more they hurt. And on and on.

Our Bodies (and Minds) Take Shape According To The Things We Do Routinely!
The only fix (read ONLY fix) is to first eliminate the contraction (Trigger Points), the spasm within the involved muscle groups, and then to systematically bring the strength and endurance back up so that the capacity of the muscles is greater than any routine demand. This will restore the functional capacity to the involved area so that it is no longer the weak link that always fails first. This is what I focus on, giving you the tools to keep the problem from coming back on you.

It’s a lot more than relief from pain. It’s about being able to enjoy the things you love to do; things you may have given up, just trying to keep the pain at bay.

Pain is a miserable companion. Enjoy What You Love With More Vitality and Renewed Mobility!

Be Your Own Success Story!


Related articles:
Are adjustments beneficial?

]]> Meds Only Take The Edge Off http://drpellington.com/index.phpindex.php?itemid=3 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:39:37 -0500