Ritalin can lead to problems with bone health in children

Ritalin and other stimulant pharmaceuticals are often a treatment for ADHD. There has always been a concern that these stimulants may have an adverse effect on bone growth in children.

Now, an evidence based medicine study presented at the 98^th Annual Endocrine Society meeting in Boston, USA has determined that bone mineral content is lower in children who use pharmaceutical stimulants.

Therefore, any Integrative Medicine resources for treatment of ADHD children should include the monitoring of bone health and for many ADHD cases the integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies including food and nutrition advice and the incorporation of best quality vitamins and supplements will lead to improved results.

Regular monitoring of Metabolic Syndrome required for Effective treatment

Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly common. The causative factors are the combination of insulin resistance and central obesity.

The need of early diagnosis and treatment is imperative.

For effective treatment of metabolic disease, several tests are essential to treat and monitor the individual using evidenced-based medicine tests.

The tests and parameters confirming Metabolic Syndrome as set out by the International Diabetes Federation are as follows:

BMI greater than 30kg/m²
plus any two of the following four factors:
1)  Raised triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
2)  Reduced HDL cholesterol :
< 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) in males
< 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) in females
3) Raised blood pressure –
systolic BP ≥ 130 or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg or previously diagnosed hypertension
4) Raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners should use the above tests to regularly monitor the progress of treatment advices e.g. pharmaceuticals and/or best quality vitamin and supplements.

Further recommendations for treating ADHD

Misuse of Ritalin is increasing exponentially in Australia according the Australia Data from Poisons Information Centre who reported a 210% increase in ‘Intentional exposures’; ingestion for overdose or recreational reasons rather than therapy.

Professor Louise Newman and co-author Dr Adrian Dunlop have advised that there is also over-diagnosis of ADHD and over prescribing of ADHD drugs especially Ritalin. This contributes to increased rate of poisoning, deliberate overdoses and is further associated with suicide behaviour. Professor Newman also confirmed that some parents are taking their child to a doctor to get the drugs for their own personal use. These actions further highlight the gravity of the problem.

Surely, these findings point to the need of better diagnosis protocols for mainstream conventional care and also a requirement of better treatment regimes for ADHD.

This is also an indication that treatment for mild forms of ADHD should include Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies which include lifestyle advice and food and nutrition advice, which are undeniably important components in the treatment of ADHD.

Benefits of Drinking Tea – Lifestyle advice

There are nearly 9 million new fractures due to osteoporisis worldwide, with an estimated annual cost to our society of  approximately $100 billion  USD.

Black teas has been advised in many Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies as food and nutrition advice for prevention of many diseases For example, in Ayurveda Chai tea has been traditionally advocated as lifestyle advice to improve digestion and from the Ayurvedic perspective improper digestion is the root cause of many disease..

Now researchers have reported that drinking black tea reduces the risk of fractures in older women.

Myers et al carried out a prospective, observational complementary medicine research study of 1,188 women with an average age of 75. The study revealed that having at least 3 cups of tea a day resulted in:
•    34% lower risk of developing a serious osteoporotic fracture
•    42% less chance of sustaining a hip fracture
•    For each 1 cup per day increase in tea intake there was a 9% decrease in the risk of a serious osteoporotic fracture

So how does black tea protect against bone loss?

The most probable mode of action is that the Flavonoids found in black tea inhibit bone resorption and simultaneously stimulate osteoblastic bone formation.

So when you are next at the coffee shop on the way to work in the morning order a cup of black tea instead of coffee for more health benefits.

Researchers Report that Yoga Can Help Prostate Cancer Patients

Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies such as Yoga and Meditation are valuable Integrative Medicine resources in the fight against cancer.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, USA recently reported that patients with prostate cancer undergoing radiation therapy can benefit from Yoga at the Society of Integrative Oncology’s 12th International Conference.

The participants in this complementary medicine research study utilised a therapy called ‘Eischens’ yoga program. This is a series of yoga asanas that address imbalances and weakness in muscle groups. ‘Eischens yoga’ was developed by Roger Eischens a direct disciple of B.K.S. Iyengar.

This complementary medicine research study revealed that the inclusion of ‘Eischens yoga’ in the treatment of these patients resulted in:

• improved quality-of-life
• reduced cancer-related fatigue
• lower prevalence of sexual and erectile dysfunction
• reduced urinary incontinence

The proposed explanations for the benefits of this specific form of yoga include:

• Reducing cancer related fatigue
• Strengthening pelvic floor muscles and improved circulation

‘Eischens yoga’ is available at the Penn Medicine‘s Abramson Cancer Center which incorporates integrative medicine and wellness services. In addition to yoga, patients can receive training in other Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies such as:

• Stress-reduction techniques
• Meditation
• Reiki therapy
• Acupuncture
• Massage

This is one example of the value of Integrative medicine in the treatment of serious disease.

Menopause treatment and Bio-identical hormones – Women’s health issue

A 2015 Australian study conducted by researchers from the Cancer Council NSW found that women who use menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), have double the risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who never used MHT. In addition when women stop using MHT, the increased risk drops and becomes the same as with other women who don’t use it. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, conforms previous findings in the US and UK.
Professor Karen Canfell from the Cancer Council NSW commented, “The message to convey is that it’s important that women check in with their doctor every six months about the continuing use of MHT, because the risk of breast cancer increases as duration of use increases,” .

The researchers affirmed that HRT can still be advised for alleviating moderate to severe symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes and vaginal dryness. However, it is important to note that the risks are greater with use of combined oestrogen-progestagen as opposed to oestrogen-only therapy.

these findings will also encourage the increased use of bio-identical hormones. Bio-identical hormones are hormones synthesised to resemble identically, the natural hormones produced by the ovary. Pharmaceutical companies prefer to produce synthetic hormones (antagonist and agonist based), but these can cause various side effects due to a variety of physiological reasons.

If bio-identical hormones are the preferable mode of treatment then we need to consider the following:

• The physiological concentrations administered
• Pharmokinetics and pharmacological properties
• Do they have the same binding constants, up-regulation, down-regulation effects etc
• Is there a cascade effect post- administration that can be detrimental
• What do current observational studies show?

Possibly the best treatment option for menopause is an integrative healthcare solution of bio-identical hormones with Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies such as Ayurveda, TCM , Homeopathy and Lifeline Technique strategically implemented to deal with the physical and emotional aspects of menopause.

Is there any supplement that can help with Gum Disease?

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease initiated by bacteria. This results in:

• bone resorption
• tooth loss, and
• systemic inflammation

One of the best Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplement for Gum Disease is DHA.A 2010 study from Japan showed that dental disease was1.5 times higher in people with low levels of DHA.

A recent 2014 study by Mukamal et al found that administering 2,000 mg per day of omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with low-dose aspirin reduced periodontitis in humans.

Gingival crevicular fluid samples were analyzed for changes in:

• high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and
• interleukins 6 and 1β (IL-6 and IL-1β)

DHA supplementation decreased mean pocket depth and gingival index; plaque index and bleeding on probing did not change.

However, further complementary medicine research studies are required to determine the mode of action and optimal aspirin concentration or alternative to aspirin. The proposed mechanism of action is that aspirin to produce resolvins and protectins; novel lipid mediators in anti-inflammation and resolution.

Yoga therapy is useful in treating PTSD

Doctor with female patient

Many suffer from the anxiety disorder known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although there are pharmaceutical medications that can help these patients, many seek alternative drug-free treatment for a variety of reasons.

For thousands of years Yoga therapy has been a useful Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapy in the treatment of anxiety and a recent research study has shown its effectiveness in treating PTSD. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is one of the world’s leading authorities on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Yoga, one of the top ten most widely practiced forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the US. It includes: breathing exercises, asanas, relaxation and mindfulness.

A randomised controlled trial was conducted by van der Kolk et al in 2014 on PTSD. The trial participants suffered with chronic PTSD and were unresponsive to prior PTSD treatment. All participants were female and aged 18-58 years old. In total 64 patients were recruited and were divided into two groups. One group received trauma informed yoga and the other group received educated classes. Each session lasted one hour and 10 sessions were given, one per week (total 10 weeks).

The Yoga Group reported reduced dissociative symptoms, approaching statistical significance. Statistically significant decreases in affect dysregulation and increases in tension reduction activities were also reported by the Yoga Group.

This again highlights the use of incorporating integrative healthcare solutions to combat common stress disorders and the value of exercise lifestyle advice such as Yoga; as reflected by the researchers conclusion; ‘It urges us to expand our more traditional “toolkits” and to embrace the mind-body integration that should help lead to better treatment outcomes and safer communities’.