Welcome to the February 2008 edition of our Women’s health newsletter.  I hope you are having a great New Year, and the New Year finds you healthy and happy.

Thought of the Day

“Every patient carries his own doctor inside him.  They come to us not knowing the truth.  We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides in each patient a chance to go to work”   Albert Schweitzer,  French philosopher and physician.

On the Personal Side

Although I don’t make a habit of sharing personal information in this newsletter, several events have occurred recently that remind me just how tentative life is and how we often take our health for granted.  One event occurred this summer when my 22 year old son was diagnosed with an intermediated grade malignant brain tumor, an oligodendroglioma to be more specific.   He received surgery from a very talented neurosurgeon at the University of Washington, radiotherapy, Temodar, which is a chemotherapeutic agent , and a variety of natural compounds which have effects on cancers in general, and with either proven or strong evidence to support efficacy in brain tumors.  His oncologist has been very accommodating in combining my treatments with hers.   At this point his MRI is clean which was unexpected and a surprise to all involved since about 20 percent of the tumor was not able to be removed.   I believe God’s hand is surely present in my sons response to treatment. 

The reason I shared this is to remind all of us that our health is never to be taken lightly, and we should do everything necessary to remain or regain our health.   Do yourself a favor and take a moment to reflect on your health and what steps you can take to improve it.  You and your family will be glad you did.

 Diabetes and Cardiac Death

A recent study (ACCORD study) found that diabetics who keep their blood sugar under strict control actually had a greater incidence of cardiac deaths than those that were less strict in maintain normal blood sugar levels.  This was a surprise to say the least.  I am sure further research will be conducted to confirm these findings, but the researches shut down the wing of the study that involved the strict control of blood sugar because of the increase in deaths.

My Comments
Reminds me of a statement made by a speaker at a symposium I attended.  The individual was a brilliant physician and neurobiologist.  He said, and this is a paraphrase.  “we know nothing about biology and ten times less about medicine, it will be a thousand years before we have any idea what we are doing”.  With that in mind, it’s just one more reason to keep yourself healthy.

Web Site of the Month

There is an excellent web site with a huge data base of information on natural health.  Although I don’t always agree with the information presented, it is an excellent site.  The address is www.mercola.com

Vitamin D 

I have on several occasions discussed the need for extra vitamin D, especially during the winter.  Are you getting enough?  Vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to an increase in breast, colorectal and prostrate cancers as well as others.  Additionally, deficiency will increase your chances of developing MS, osteoporosis, depression, pain syndromes and other health related issues.  So what is the correct dose?  Ultimately the correct dose is based on your vitamin D level and serum calcium level.  If you are not on a substantial dose of vitamin D, I can almost guarantee you are deficient.  The RDA is 400 IU daily.  This is without a doubt to low, way too low.  Some health care providers are recommending 1,000 IU daily, some 5-10,000 IU daily and some are using 50,000 IU 2-3 times per week.  I personally take 10,000 IU daily during the winter.  If I am in the summer sun with reasonable amounts of skin exposed to the sun, I decrease my dose.  Sometimes I might not take any during the summer.  Full body sun bathing, which means nude sun bathing, on a cloudless day when the sun is at its apex, a fair skinned person will produce about 10,000 IU of vitamin D in 30-40 minutes.  When taking higher doses of vitamin D you are best served by having your 25(OH)D and serum calcium levels checked after a couple months on the higher dose.  Once the labs come back a new disagreement begins; what is the appropriate level.  In the last 4 or 5 years the normal range for 25(OH)D has doubled.  Generally, as long as your serum calcium is normal, keep your vitamin D level in the upper end of normal.  The vitamin D council has a considerable amount of information on this topic and I would encourage you to check it out.  The web address is www.vitamindcouncil.com.  By the way, use D3 rather than other forms.

Estrogen Dominance could it be Luteal Phase Defect?  – What is it and should you care?
(do you experience premenstrual symptoms, breast pain, breast cycts…)

Many women experience symptoms of estrogen dominance, which can cause or aggravate premenstrual syndrome, breast cysts, uterine fibroids and other problems, including infertility.  The luteal phase is part of your menstrual cycle and results in a substantial increase in progesterone to prepare for possible pregnancy.  When you have a luteal phase defect, rather than your progesterone level increasing shortly after ovulation, it either remains relatively unchanged or may decrease.  This results in a relative estrogen excess.  The relative estrogen excess is where the problem lies. 

So what can you do about it?  The problem is often times a function of age.  The older you are, the more likely this will be a problem.  How old is old?  Well I see this in women in their 30’s and older typically.  By mid 40’s this is not an uncommon problem.  There are several ways to approach the problem including the herb Vitex, Chinese herbs and the use of progesterone are my favorite methods.  Nutritional considerations may also be a factor. 

To answer the original question, yes, I believe you should care.  Not only does luteal phase defect have the potential to make you uncomfortable, the long term relative estrogen dominance increases your breast cancer risk.  A simple saliva test will usually indicate if luteal phase defect is a problem.

Cell Phone Towers and Health Risks

Do cell phone towers in close proximity to you increase your risk of cancer?  The official word is no.  But as with so many things, if you dig a little deeper, the answer may change.  I noticed the other day a petition being signed in my neighborhood of Lazy Mountain.  Apparently there is an attempt to place a cell tower on Lazy.  The following information comes from the Mercola web site I mentioned earlier.

There is a cell phone tower in London on top of an apartment complex.  Residents in five of the eight apartments on the top floor developed cancer.  The tower was put up in 1994 and a movement was started to bring in down in 2002.  It is remarkable for people to develop cancer that quickly.  This is likely due to the proximity of the residents to the tower.  But what is the cancer incidence going to be in 10 or 20 years to those living in the surrounding areas?  Keep in mind it is not only the presence of the cell tower, but think about all the radio waves you are exposed to at home, at work, as you drive around town.  Cordless phones, cell phones, wireless routers for your internet connection, WiFi hot spots and some entire communities are not WiFi.  Recent research at MIT (I believe) and the cell phone industry is casting doubt on the safety of cell phone use.  Headaches, sleep disturbances and other problems are now linked to cell phone use.  We are often times our own worst enemy.

Special of the Month

With each newsletter I will be offering a special on either services or supplements.  The special is only available to readers of this newsletter so be sure to mention the newsletter to receive your discount.  This month (through February) there will be three specials.

1.       If you receive acupuncture for a pain related problem, a region of interest thermogram , if indicated will be provided free of charge.  This is a $98 dollar savings.  A region of interest thermogram involves imaging of one area of the body.  For example, if you suffer from migraines a cervical thermogram is often times provided.  A shoulder complaint would involve imagining the shoulder.  From more information on thermographic imaging for pain related problems follow this link to our web site.  premieracupuncture.com/painthermography.

2.       If you have not received a breast thermogram or are due for one and you bring someone in with you to receive a breast thermogram, the second thermogram will be reduced in price to $100.  Breast thermograms are usually $220.  If you and a friend come together and split the cost this will bring the cost down to $160 each.  This is better than our yearly October Breast Cancer Awareness special that is so popular.  The special is only valid if the person you bring in has not previously received a thermogram from us.  This special cannot be combined with any other special.

3.       Supplements can be purchased at a 15% discount.

Thermographic Fact

Did you know that breast thermography is not only an excellent way to evaluate the breast for cancer, thermography can also tell us about the health of the breast and whether you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.  Additionally, many women who have abnormal thermograms indicating an unhealthy state, choose to treat the problem.  With successful treatment, which typically results in significant improvement in the thermogram, breast cancer risk is reduced and problems such as breast pain, cysts, etc., improve or resolve completely.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise;  these benign changes in the breast are not normal, and represent an unhealthy state which is likely to impact your breast cancer risk.  The argument for many years has been these changes (fibrocystic breast changes, cysts, fibroadenomas, etc.) are so common they must be a normal part of aging.  I would argue that just because something is common, does not make it normal.  Until recently the incidence of breast cancer has continued to increase and breast cancer is on the increase in younger women.  Ignoring unhealthy changes in the breast is not a good idea.

Your Questions

The following question comes up from time to time, and did so again a couple days ago. 

Q:  “Does wearing a bra affect breast cancer risk?”

A:  Maybe.  The book “Dressed to Kill” addresses this more completely.  It is available through Amazon

According to the authors the answer is yes.  The problem has to do with constriction of the breast tissue.  The tighter the bra the bigger the problem.  Underwire bras were worse.  The more hours per day a women wore a bra the more likely she is to develop a breast cancer.  Although the authors hypothesis has been debated, it does follow the thinking behind Chinese Medicines theory about breast cancers.  The underlying cause of breast pathology, benign or malignant, from a Chinese Medical point of view has to do with impeded flow of energy, blood, lymph in the breast tissue.  This is one reason why I have stressed over the years the importance of not ignoring “benign” breast complaints.  These “benign” complaints are evidence of an underlying problem that should be addressed.

Q:  Is acupuncture useful for infertility?

A:  Yes.  Both male and female infertility.  Although infertility care is available in many acupuncture offices, the field has become a specialty and integrative medicine clinics offering both allopathic (standard medical care) and Traditional Chinese Medicine care have sprung up around the country.  There is substantial research showing the use of acupuncture greatly enhances fertility and increases the success of various infertility treatments.

Did You Know…

Two difficult to treat problems, sciatica, specifically sciatica related to the piriformis muscle and plantar fasciitis, can be quickly and effectively treated with acupuncture.  The success rate is high.  Both of these problems have the potential to result is prolonged pain, pain which can significantly interfere with quality of life. 

A Request

Please take a moment and send me any health related questions you might have.  You can use the pacmnewsletter@yahoo.com address.  I will answer your question as soon as possible and then in the next newsletter I will post the question and answer for everyone’s benefit.  Your name will not be used so if the question is of a personal nature, your privacy will be protected.  If there is a topic you would like discussed, let me know.  This could be on herbs, nutrition, acupuncture, specific health problems, etc.  If you would like a shorter newsletter, let me know.  The purpose of the newsletter is to help you improve your health.  So please let me know what you want.

The Legal Stuff
The information in this news letter is not intended to be taken as medical advice specific to you, but rather the information should be used to educate yourself and as a place to begin further research.  If you have any questions as to how this information might apply to you, please make an appointment with me or other health care provider knowledgeable in this area.  Use of this information is in no way intended to or should be interpreted as establishing a physician patient relationship.

Yours in health

Dr. Mike