August 2006

From the desk of Simon King

What happened to Summer? Was that it?

I have just returned from a few days in Cyprus where I was invited to teach a 3 day seminar in Proprioceptive Medicine. Apart from enjoying the sunshine and the food, it was great to meet such an enthusiastic bunch of chiropractors – there are only 10 on the Island; eight of them were at the seminar with imports from Finland and Scotland completing the small group.

On the last day I invited them to bring me their most difficult patients

One of the patients they bought to see me was an American who had been an Olympic athlete. A giant of man – still in great shape, muscles from places ordinary people don't have places, little to no body fat. And yet, he has had spinal surgery FOUR times and is trying to avoid his fifth.

How can it be that someone so strong and fit suffers from injuries normally associated with wear and tear? The answer, as always, is in muscle control – the control that results from good proprioception.

Testing his muscles, I felt his power, which was immense. But as he moved to different positions, his strength deserted him, leaving him weak and vulnerable to sprain, strain and injury - the type of injury that causes disc degeneration and failure. This loss of power is the classic sign he has a disturbance of proprioception. Proprioception is the term given to the incoming sensory information sent to the brain by the body. The nervous system uses this incoming information to control our muscles.

Once I had found his weakness, it was easy to change his proprioception and track down the cause of his slipped discs. All I did was remove his neck chain. Without his neck chain there was no sign of the weaknesses that had caused his injuries.

Only after I told him about the chain did he tell me that his back injuries started at 18 years old, the very same year his grandfather had given him the neck chain. He had never removed it since that day.

In health care, more than in any other area of life, it's the things we don't know that will do us the most harm. Our body is finely tuned, it will tolerate almost anything for short periods, but we interfere with it's function at our peril. Could jewelery be causing your aches and pains? It might be. There only 2 ways to find out. The safest is to have us check it for you at the Naturality. The other way is to take it off for 2 weeks and see how you feel. This second method has a major draw-back. If the jewelery is only 20% of your problem you may well notice no difference from removing it. This might leave you with the mistaken impression that the jewelery is no problem.

Fortunately with Proprioceptive Medicine it is easy to tell whether or not your health is being sabotaged by something as simple as a neck chain. A check-over every 3 months or so will spot any potential problems and give you practical solutions that could save you years of suffering, useless medications and destructive surgery. Remember that piercings are even more damaging than neck chains, rings or watches.

The number to ring is at the bottom of the page.

Patient Story by Karen England, Journalist.

Steven Peet of Croydon, Surrey, played rugby to international level as a schoolboy, and progressed on to county team, pursuing his hobby for 25 years. He suffered the usual injuries that accompany the demanding sport, and has sought relief for neck and shoulder pain from a number of health professionals over the years. Nobody could solve his problems, and gradually his health worsened as he gained weight and felt increasingly lethargic.

Steven tried many different diets but could not shift the extra pounds. He had treatment for his neck pain from chiropractors, osteopaths, acupuncturists, homeopaths and masseurs. Again, nothing worked. Then a friend told him about a chiropractor who claimed to have developed a new type of treatment called proprioceptive medicine. Steven felt he had tried everything else and would have one last attempt at finding a solution, so he visited Dr King, who has practised chiropractic and kinesiology for 20 years.

After several tests, Steven was given a diet programme to address his specific weight issue, and was pleased when his weight reduced very fast. He was less convinced when Simon King diagnosed that his neck problems were due to an adverse reaction to metals contained within the fillings in some of his teeth. He undertook some Internet research into this idea, and his scepticism reduced somewhat when he found medical research papers exploring the toxicity of dental fillings. He decided to go ahead and follow Simon King's advice and have the fillings replaced with non metal ones.

"I am so glad that I did not let my doubt get in the way" said Steven. "Since having the fillings replaced, my neck pain has totally gone, and I feel much more relaxed and flexible across the shoulders. I also feel less tired after working at my computer, and my general wellbeing has vastly improved. I could have resigned myself to pain for the rest of my life, as do many retired sports players."

Simon King's approach is called 'Proprioceptive medicine'. It is based on recognised medical science and draws on his experience gained across 20 years as a successful chiropractor and kinesiologist. When a person is in good health, a complex system of nerves and reflexes maintains good muscle tone and keeps the body moving properly. A healthy person is normally totally unaware of this elaborate system of movements and reflexes – called proprioception – as it operates at a subconscious level. However, if something irritates or interferes with the proprioception, the nervous system may inhibit or even shut down the motion of one or more muscles, causing imbalance and stresses that can lead to any number of problems. The affected muscles are not necessarily located near to the cause, and so traditional diagnosis would not make the link. For this reason other types of treatment may fail to provide a cure.

Simon King has discovered that the interference to a person's proprioception sometimes arises from the most surprising source. Whilst the problem is often due to diet or muscular stresses and strains, he has treated patients whose conditions were caused by a reaction to carpet in their bedroom or metals in their jewellery. Whatever the origin of the irritant, the result is an involuntary or subconscious change in the way a person moves some of their muscles. Due to his chiropractic and kinesiological training, Simon can recognise these malfunctions and has developed special tests to pinpoint the causes. It was these tests that Simon used to discover that Steve's neck pain was linked to his metal fillings. Once the source is known, it is usually a simple question of eliminating it from the patient's environment for a dramatic result to be seen.

Simon has achieved wide recognition for his discoveries, and has trained more than 200 chiropractors, osteopaths and other health professionals to use this new system of treatment. While proprioceptive medicine is in its early days, Simon is encouraging independent research into his theory and believes that one day all health care practitioners will see it as an important option in their toolbox of treatments.

Simon King practises at the Naturality Wellness Centre in Berkhamsted, and can be contacted on 01442 800400.

Health News from around the world:

You are putting yourself at risk of developing pneumonia if you take anti-acid drugs to relieve indigestion and heartburn.

Dutch researchers evaluated data from medical records of more than 360,000 patients. The conclusion was that people who used drugs to suppress gastric acid, were four times more likely to develop pneumonia than patients who didn't use anti-acids.

NB. No surprises here. If you want to mess around with the natural function of the digestive tract, you do so at your peril. Your body needs acid to digest proteins. Without acid, your gall bladder and pancreas don't work efficiently and eventually you will stop digesting proteins and fats. At some stage you will become malnourished and your body will start to break down. Chiropractors often see patients on long-term anti-acid medication when they present with osetoarthritis, caused by malnutrition and lack of digestion.

If you know anyone suffering from indigestion or heartburn, make them an appointment at the clinic for food intolerance testing.

Researchers at John Hopkins University found that women who drank more than three cups of coffee per day, reduced their chances of conceiving in any given month by 25 per cent.

Talcum Powder Cancer Warning

Talc is found in a wide variety of consumer products ranging from home and garden pesticides to antacids. However, the products most widely used and that pose the most serious health risks are body powders Talc is the main ingredient in baby powder, medicated powders, perfumed powders and designer perfumed body powders. Because talc is resistant to moisture, it is also used by the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture medications and is a listed ingredient of some antacids. Talc is the principal ingredient in home and garden pesticides and flea and tick powders. Talc is used in smaller quantities in deodorants, chalk, crayons, textiles, soap, insulating materials, paints, asphalt filler, paper, and in food processing.

Q. Why is talc harmful?

Talc is closely related to the potent carcinogen asbestos. Talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims. For the last 30 years, scientists have closely scrutinized talc particles and found dangerous similarities to asbestos. Responding to this evidence in 1973, the FDA drafted a resolution that would limit the amount of asbestos-like fibers in cosmetic grade talc. However, no ruling has ever been made and today, cosmetic grade talc remains non-regulated by the federal government. This inaction ignores a 1993 National Toxicology Program report which found that cosmetic grade talc, without any asbestos-like fibers, caused tumors in animal subjects.1 Clearly with or without asbestos-like fibers, cosmetic grade talcum powder is a carcinogen.

Q. What kind of exposure is dangerous?

A. Talc is toxic. Talc particles cause tumors in human ovaries and lungs. Numerous studies have shown a strong link between frequent use of talc in the female genital area and ovarian cancer. Talc particles are able to move through the reproductive system and become imbedded in the lining of the ovary. Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumors and have found that women with ovarian cancer have used talcum powder in their genital area more frequently than healthy women.2

Talc poses a health risk when exposed to the lungs. Talc miners have shown higher rates of lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses from exposure to industrial grade talc, which contains dangerous silica and asbestos. The common household hazard posed by talc is inhalation of baby powder by infants. Since the early 1980s, records show that several thousand infants each year have died or become seriously ill following accidental inhalation of baby powder.3

Q. What about infants?

A. Talc is used on babies because it absorbs unpleasant moisture. Clearly, dusting with talcum powder endangers an infant's lungs at the prospect of inhalation. Exposing children to this carcinogen is unnecessary and dangerous.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

Either do not buy or use products containing talc. It is especially important that women not apply talc to underwear or sanitary pads.

OR Buy non-toxic talc alternatives like:

Miessence Luxurious body powder

A smooth, silky blend of certified organic cornstarch and China clay, infused with a calming and uplifting aromatic blend of enchanting citrus and exotic blossoms.

Ingredients
Organic cornstarch (zea mays), white kaolin (kaolinite) clay, organic lavender (lavandula angustifolia) essential oil, lime (citrus aurantifolia) essential oil, organic bergamot (citrus bergamia) essential oil, organic clove (syzygium aromatica) bud essential oil, organic vanilla (vanilla planifolia) extract, organic geranium (pelargonium graveolens) essential oil, organic patchouli (pogostemon cablin) essential oil. 90% Organic Product. Available at the clinic for £6.00.

Cytogold - our premium multivitamin and mineral formulation. 1 per day - Four months supply! Usually £20, this month 20% off, only £16.00.

· Natural, wholesome, complete one-a-day Food State formula
· Easily absorbed and used by our body
· Gentle and effective
· Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
· Can be taken at any time of day with or without food
· Easy to take whole or to break in two
· Suitable for all the family

What is Cyto Gold?

The new Cyto Gold contains optimal levels of the nutrients we need for health in a food state or wholefood form. It is the most complete Food State multivitamin and mineral formulation in a single tablet - ideal for everyone concerned about protecting their nutrient intake on a daily basis.

What does the Cyto Gold contain?

NEW CYTO GOLD contains high levels of all B vitamins, (most have 100% RDA) plus vitamin C,E, K and D at good levels. It also contains optimum levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium and other trace minerals. We feel this product is the most perfectly complete one-a-day multivitamin and mineral formula - and of course it has the great added benefit that all the nutrients are in a highly bioavailable food state.

Who might choose to take the new Cyto Gold?

In short - anyone and everyone. It is an ideal formula for pregnancy, students, working men and women and senior citizens too.

 Enjoy what is left of your Summer and you holidays if they are still to come.

Don't forget we still do Free Healthchecks for Kids during the Summer Holidays. Have your kids checked before the new term starts. We will only charge for treatment or advice.

Bringing you the best in Health

Simon King and the team at Naturality Wellness Centre
42 Lower Kings Road
Berkhamsted
Herts HP4 2AA

Tel 01442 800400
www.naturality.org.uk

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AND FINALLY:

This from a recent email:

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me, and we all could use more calm in our lives.

By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr. Phil show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace was to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and before leaving the house this morning I finished a bottle of Muscato, a bottle of Gewurtraminer, a bottle of Jack Daniels, a bottle of Alize, a package of Oreos, chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, the remainder of the Valium prescriptions, a plate of ribs, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel.

Please pass this on to those you feel are in need of inner peace.