Integrative Health Blog

Various studies worldwide have shown the prevalence of insomnia is 10%–30% of the population, with some studies even as high as 50%–60%! It is common in older adults, females, and people with medical and mental health issues. (1)

Studies also show that insomnia negatively affects work performance, impairs decision-making, can damage relationships, increase chances of work-related/motor vehicle accidents, and lead to an overall decline in the quality of life. (2)

As you talk with your doctor, the following criteria must be met for it to be considered insomnia, rather than a short-term sleep issue:

• The problem should be present for at least 3 nights per week.
• It has occurred for at least 3 months.
• It is not the result of medication or a medical/mental disorder.

Diabetes and increasing age are significantly associated with insomnia. Hence, all diabetic patients should be screened for insomnia by the primary care physician using a self-assessment questionnaire.

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Understanding of Insomnia

While the Coronavirus pandemic has certainly taken its toll on in-restaurant dining, many of us have continued to feel comfortable ordering take out. But leaving aside for a moment the impact on the economy, there are likely health reasons to consider preparing your own food at home (food here is defined as anything your great-grandmother would have recognized as food).

The fact is that fast food samples have been found to contain chemical toxins, several of which have been linked to cancer, endocrine conditions, difficulty losing weight and testicular abnormalities. Chemical contamination of food may disproportionately impact marginalized groups, given the higher densities of fast food restaurants in neighborhoods predominantly populated by marginalized peoples.

Dr. Ron Murray works to unlock your body’s innate ability to heal itself using Manual Regulation Therapy which he created himself. If you have ever had a traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion, or unexplained pain in your body, he works to resolve this trauma. Ron’s MRT uses biological and energy medicine alongside manual body-mind therapies to help your body heal itself.

He will begin with a body scan to identify increased levels of rigidity in your body and then treat those problem areas using his specially designed therapy. He has training in advanced forms of cranial, visceral, somato-emotional release and psycho emotional work, to name a few. He will use gentle manipulation of your extracellular matrix to get extraordinary results.

Read through his patient Ebony’s success story to gain a better understanding of Ron Murray’s work and how he helps to heal his patients who had previously lost hope, in just a few visits!

Where do you start when you want to work on your aches and pains on your own?

This is the start of a 3 part series on how to address your body’s pain and dysfunction from a very simple approach. It has all to do with posture!

Posture relates to the spatial positioning of the head-shoulder-hips/pelvis-knee-ankle from the side and backside of your body. The backside view is the relationship of body segments to the horizontal plane, in this case the floor. Level shoulders, level head and level hips are the key. From the side it is the relationship of body parts that are in line with one another. If we drew a perpendicular line on the side of the body it should intersect the ear, shoulder, hip and ankle regions through the middle. These both would be labeled correct posture.

When there are asymmetries to the ideal/correct posture it creates compensation in our body which can create muscular, tendon, ligament, joint and nerve issues.

Let’s look at your posture. Posture is what your body looks like from the side and the backside.   Here are some positions that you may have seen in your own posture:

Are you experiencing autoimmune inflammation? 

In an autoimmune based illness, the immune system mistakes part of your body, like your joints or skin, as foreign and releases proteins called auto antibodies that attack healthy cells. Autoimmune conditions can range from skin conditions such as psoriasis, to rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus, all the way to Chronic Lyme disease and CIRS. 

Lifestyle choices can make a profound impact on optimal health. Many of us don’t realize the simple yet powerful steps we can take to prevent, improve and even reverse some of the most worrisome conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic syndrome. With CVD being among the leading causes of death in the United States for nearly a century, it goes without saying that heart health should be a priority. Unfortunately, we may be missing some critical tools to support our longevity in ways very much within our reach.

According to the research of James Yeh, MD, MPH, instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital, “Nearly half of all premature deaths may be due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as insufficient exercise, poor diet, and smoking. These risk factors increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.” (2019) The flip side is that healthy lifestyle choices have been found to play a vital role in prevention of these same morbidity factors. According to a 2017 review, successful modification of lifestyle choices can reduce the relative risk of cardiovascular disease and the risk factors for CVD such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. (Masana, et al.)

A lingering long haul syndrome phenomenon and what you can do about it!

An interesting complication for some of those who have had COVID-19 is a loss of smell (anosmia) or decreased ability to smell (hyposmia). This condition is called Post Infectious Smell Loss (PISL) and some studies show that it can affect up to 10% of individuals with Post Covid Syndrome. It is thought to be related to damage to the supporting cells around the olfactory nerves. 

We all have heard the reasons for wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, however are you aware of the oral side effects from wearing a mask for an extended time? 

When wearing a mask, the dryness in your mouth increases which makes your mouth a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses to grow. This dryness, which prevents your saliva from doing its job as a protective barrier can also lead to other problems in the mouth such as:

Increase in Tooth Decay- without saliva to bathe the teeth there is a higher risk of getting cavities.

Gingivitis, or Inflamed Gums- an increase in bacteria in the mouth sends your immune system into action, which may cause inflammation.

Do you have problems with your performance in the boardroom or the bedroom?

Do you have irregular menstrual cycles or infertility concerns?

Are your hands and feet often cold?

Pay attention, as these could be signs of early cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Many people think of CVD in those who have had a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure or cholesterol problems. And while these are major diseases of the cardiovascular system, it is important to broaden your understanding as YOU may be at risk and need to intervene early.

For example, if you have been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction you have vascular disease in your penis. This is actually an early sign that you likely have blood vessel problems in other organs throughout your body. Memory problems could also be a sign that you have brain vascular disease. Alzheimers is, in fact, considered type 3 diabetes.

For women, irregular menstrual cycles may be the result of a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which can contribute to infertility. The pathophysiology of PCOS is insulin resistance which is a major risk factor for CVD.

Your body is brilliant at trying to give you clues that something is going on with your vascular system. It is up to you to pay attention to these early signs to ultimately prevent severe disease from happening.

PREVENTION

Digestive enzymes are necessary to break down the food we eat. If we are not breaking down food properly, we do not gain the nutrients needed for the body to absorb and turn into energy for good digestive health. 

Both kinds of digestive enzymes, animal-derived and vegetarian, are involved in many biological functions, including digestion of proteins and fats and cell signaling. Amylases digest starch, carbohydrates and sugar, Proteases digest protein and Lipases digest fats, the three principle components of food.

The Building Blocks of Life

Proteins are the “building blocks” of life, and the proteins we consume had been assembled, according to the DNA instructions in plants and animals, which we then break down into its amino acids with our digestive enzymes when we eat them, and then use our DNA to reassemble them into new proteins in our body. After we die, they will be broken down again, especially by fungus, so that our amino acids can be recycled and reassembled into another life form. The amino acids and fatty acid that make up our bodies have a long history of being components of many previous life forms, perhaps all the way back to ancient bacteria and dinosaurs.

Digestive enzymes may be the most important nutrients I prescribe for my patients, because when good digestion occurs, a lot of very important healthful benefits will happen as well.