Weight Lifting for Parkinson’s Disease

Conventional treatment for Parkinson’s is physical therapy to achieve strengthening, flexibility and balance. It shows initial improvement but a return to baseline over a 2 year program. However, progressive resistance and increasing speed with weight lifting maintained a significant improvement over the entire 2 years. This study should change the conventional treatment for a stubborn disease. See the New England Journal of Medicine 2012;366:511-9. www.healthcelebration.com

Obesity Targeted by the AMA

The AMA annual House of Delegates meeting considered a resolution that obesity should be classified as a disease on par with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis with separate coding and reimbursement. Because of a divided opinion, the classification change was referred back to committee for further study. This was evidence that the AMA is taking the problem seriously, especially as a health hazard. See Family Practice News, July 2012, p. 18. www.healthcelebration.com

Cranberry Juice Protects Against Urinary Tract Infections

A meta-analysis (study of studies) from Taiwan confirmed the 2008 USA Cochran analysis that cranberry juice and suitable extracts are effective in preventing urinary tract infections. Hopefully, this will bring this supplement into common use for this purpose. It is another example of how reluctant mainstream medicine is to accept natural products. See Chih-Hung Wang of Taiwan in the Archives of Internal Medicine. www.healthcelebration.com

COPD is the Fourth Leading Cause of Death

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is not only common but it is also the most widely under-diagnosed serious illness, especially for women under the age of 65. A simple breathing test can make the diagnosis. Asthma is characterized by some degree of reversible airway disease. Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis are irreversible variations of COPD. Flare-ups of chronic lung disease accelerate the problem and increase the risk. Medications are available to treat the symptoms. But nutrients might be more effective for preventing infections and exacerbations. Herbal preparations such as virapress are particularly effective. Food allergy assessment and treatment and the Kaufman technique to dissolve trigger points are very good to treat asthma. See the report in Family Practice News, June 15, 2012 issue, p. 1 & 6 on the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. www.healthcelebration.com

ADHD Diagnosis on the Rise

Between 2009 and 2010 the percentage of poor children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity increased from 8 to 12% with a corresponding increase in stimulant drugs as a treatment. Every year, my assistant and I do a good number of physicals for midget football. This year I noticed a good sized jump in the number of kids on these drugs, compared to 2011. It is a shame that Medicaid and most insurances do not cover food allergy blood tests for these kids. Identifying food reactions, along with vitamin B12 and fish oils would go a long way toward solving this difficult problem without the drugs. See Family Practice News, July 2012, p. 6-7. www.healthcelebration.com

Food Allergies and GERD

Researchers at Northwestern University found that food allergies were a significant cause of esophagitis due to reflux disease. Patients were put on an elimination diet, avoiding common allergic foods, including wheat, milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and other fish. Testing of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that serves as a marker for IGE-mediated allergies, showed a significant improvement with the diet. They were puzzled that very few of the patients showed positive skin tests for allergies to these foods, but they claimed to have the first prospective study that documented food allergies as a cause of this important problem. Certainly, they should have given some credit to integrative physicians who have treated GERD with blood testing of IGG-mediated food allergies, followed by a specific elimination diet, with great success for many years. Apparently the professors did not realize that IGG testing does not show up in skin testing, but instead requires the blood test for antibodies. See Family Practice News, June 15, 2012, p. 15. www.healthcelebration.com