Though America’s health care has become a political battlefield, we the people can be grateful for, among other advantages, our top-notch acute hospital care and our unparalleled ability to guide an injured citizen through a medical crisis. Chronic disease, however, is where we fail miserable so much so, that we’re currently ranked 37th of industrialized nations, yet we spend two times more than the second highest-spending nation.

The solution: functional medicine. A unique and dynamic approach to preventing, assessing, and treating complex chronic disease, functional medicine helps identify the key factors causing physiological and biochemical dysfunctions. It acknowledges the fact that all disease is preceded by long-declining function in one or (usually) more body systems, resulting from lifelong interaction with one’s lifestyle and biochemical individuality– a unique biochemical profile based on one’s genetics, nutrition, and environment.

Functional medicine, then, is necessarily patient-centered, not disease-centered, and applies science-guided information to address an individual’s dynamic balance, internal and external, that affects not only the body but also the mind and spirit. The functional-medicine practitioner tailors a concise, clear, pragmatic plan so that the patient can take charge of their health and restore it to positive vitality.

While not a cookie-cutter modality, functional medicine does have certain elements you can expect. First, a practitioner should use cutting-edge diagnostics that gauge your results against the norms of a healthy population, not according to a bell curve that determines varying diagnoses based on geographic region. Second, a practitioner should explain your results such that you respond, “Oh, that’s why I feel like this!” Third, you should leave the practitioner’s office feeling confident you’re in good hands because you have a treatment plan designed for your body.

Functional medicine is one promising aspect of America’s health-care future, in that it resolves medical issues at their source, before they become chronic challenges in your future.

Most of us understand that Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause serious health concerns. Besides an old broken thermometer or vaccination, what is the most common way we are exposed to harmful levels of mercury? The answer is to look at your teeth!

If you notice dark fillings there is a good chance you may have mercury fillings. And, if you currently suffer from a thyroid condition, these filling may have been the trigger!

A majority of thyroid cases are autoimmune, and mercury can stimulate the body to attack itself. Although few doctors associate dental fillings with a patient’s thyroid condition, a study in the December 2006 Journal of Neuro Edocrinology showed that thyroid antibodies decreased with the removal of mercury containing dental amalgams in patients with mercury hypersensitivity.

Removal of mercury fillings decreased the immune attack against the thyroid and consequently resulted in successful treatment of the thyroid condition. Before you race to your dentist to have your fillings changed, know that there are precautions to take so that escaping mercury will not negatively impact your health, and removal is not the safest answer for everyone. Your thyroid health is dependent on many factor, your teeth are just one of them!

I had the pleasure to present “Nutritional Repercussions of Celiac Disease” to the Boulder County Celiac Association this past August. Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance are very important to me, as I was diagnosed gluten intolerant during a stressful period in Chiropractic College and my grandfather suffered from Parkinson’s disease brought on as a complication from Celiac Disease. Although gluten is becoming a household word, many people including doctors are not aware of the complexity and seriousness of being gluten intolerant or Celiac. It is my hope that you will gain insight into your condition and be empowered to make changes that will improve your quality of life.

Gluten intolerance is ranked as the most common genetic disorder in the United States making it one of the most common lifelong disorders a physician will encounter. Unfortunately, for every one patient diagnosed there are 8 others whose symptoms are not overt and therefore are misdiagnosed. This is because Celiac is thought of as a gut condition; however celiac and gluten sensitivity affects almost every system in the human body from skin and teeth to the liver and brain.

The consequences of intolerance have dramatic repercussions as described in a 2005 Alimentary article: “Children identified, but never put on a gluten-free diet, as adults have a significantly higher percentage of auto-immune disorders, osteoporosis, dental enamel defects, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, sexual habits and lower neo-natal weight in their children with subsequent shorter breast-feeding time”. Furthermore, gluten “sensitivity” is nothing to shake a stick at according to a 2009 JAMA article: “looking at 30,000 patients, there was a 39% increased risk of death in those with Celiac Disease, a 35% increased risk of death in those with Gluten Sensitivity but no CD, and a 72% increased risk of death in those with gut inflammation related to gluten. It is shocking to think of the patients who have been told “it’s just a mild elevation in antibodies”, or “try eating smaller amounts and we’ll see how you do” after reading that article!

One of the most important take home messages I feel is that according to a 2001 Neurology article, Gluten sensitivity can be primarily and at times exclusively a neurologic disease. Specifically, the most common neurologic symptoms I encounter and this article indicates are: 1) Fatigue & Depression 2) Headaches (especially migraines) 3) Peripheral neuropathy (unusual symptoms in the extremities) 4) Behavioral disorders, and in my personal clinical opinion 5) Brain Fog or Fuzzy Headed. It is known that far fewer celiacs achieve university degrees or higher paying jobs.

Additionally, behavioral disorders in children and adults are common and have become a passion of mine. The standard treatment are schedule II narcotics which have potentially life altering side effects. ALL children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD showed a significant improvement in their behavior and functioning after 6 months on a gluten-free diet according to the Journal of Attention Disorders, 2006. Results like these are unheard of in medicine, making this finding very exciting! Although it can sound daunting to remove gluten from a child’s diet, knowing that they will perform better in school and live and longer, healthier and more prosperous is comforting.

The incidence of celiac disease increased by 400% in the past 50 years!

Why? To understand, we must know three things about all auto-immune diseases: There is an environmental trigger, genetic susceptibility and a gut abnormality (Surprises From Celiac Disease, Scientific American Aug 2009). Triggers can range from stress, gastro-intestinal infections, dysbiosis (poor gut bacteria ratio), trauma/child birth, inadequate vitamin D, lectins or early exposure to gluten, enzyme deficiencies, NSAIDS, steroids, anti-biotics, and excessive alcohol consumption. Our gut mucosal barrier called secretory IgA depends on a tightly regulated stress hormone called cortisol. If the body fails to adapt to stress, that barrier may be weakened until the stress is addressed and the hormone is balanced. Gut infections are very common in the United States. Helicobacter Pylori is estimated to reside in 80%+ of Americans. Additionally, viruses, bacteria, molds and fungi may cause inflammation and toxicity, which create a vicious cycle with gluten in the mix!

Genetics of course play a central role in celiac disease. Currently, there are two genes commonly connected to celiac disease: HLA-DQ2 & HLA-DQ8. Most genetic tests will address these two; however they are not 100% sensitive since all genes coding for celiac disease and sensitivity are not yet known. A diagnosis of Celiac can be frightening, but also a relief. It’s great to know what’s wrong, but it’s challenging to adhere to a strict diet.
Yet that diet is the glimmer of hope to improved quality of life. Unfortunately, the gut is often damaged from years of gluten consumption, causing wide spread vitamin deficiencies including: A,E,D,K,B6,B12 zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, carnitine and fatty acids. Signs are the body’s way of showing deficiencies. A larger forehead (vertical dimension) indicates long-term gluten intolerance.

Additional signs are white spots or lines on nails or teeth, rashes on the extremities, dry eyes, night blindness, bruising easily, and rough red spots on the back of arms. Even if you feel “fine” and do not notice these signs, the June 2003 New England Journal of Medicine indicated that patients with celiac disease should be treated, whether or not they have symptoms or associated conditions!

With a strict gluten free diet and the coaching to maintain this lifestyle plus a functional medicine workup anyone can turn their life around! Nutritional deficiencies can be a challenge for anyone’s health, but with modern diagnostics and a thorough history and examination your health can begin to turn around. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and a celiac has a long road to making sure their health is strong and robust.

Thank you for letting me educate you a little more on celiac disease and gluten sensitivity and remember, everything we learned about is reversible or preventable – it only requires your determination and willingness to let your health soar.

Most everyone has experienced some form of pain in his life, whether falling off a bicycle, lifting a heavy box, a stress headache, or due to a car accident. All of these different injuries stem from the same response in the body–inflammation.

This is the unsung hero of pain, because while inflammation causes pain, it also protects the body and is necessary for injuries to heal. Unfortunately, sometimes the body is unable to regulate inflammation properly and chronic pain can result. There are many ways to support the body when pain becomes overwhelming.

In my office, I address pain in a multifaceted way – through the use of chiropractic adjustments, specific muscle work, diet, and proper exercise. These categories in combination target inflammation, decrease pain, and ultimately improve function.

A quick way to determine if you are not healing appropriately is to ask yourself these questions. Is your pain preventing you from doing something? Did you use to heal quickly? Do you want more relief? If you answered, yes to any of these consider finding a doctor of chiropractic who can help your body heal and let your health soar!