Puberty is an important physiological time in both the male and female roles, mainly due to the major transformations that are going on within the human body. Not only does puberty have an effect on the body physically, but mental, emotional, and social changes happen as well. Most of us probably don’t delve into the details of what actually happens when our bodies go through puberty, but the changes that occur have lifelong implications. (1)

With biological changes beginning around the average age of 12 in boys and average age of 11 in girls, events within the endocrine system begin as well. Hormones typically rise at the onset of puberty, then continue increasing at a steady rate until peaking around 25 years of age. Puberty also causes an increase in growth, occurring around the average age of 14 in boys and an average age of 12 in girls. So how early is too early for puberty to start? (2)

Looking deep within the biological realm of how puberty works, it’s interesting to see that all of these changes begin by the brain producing a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (otherwise known as GnRH). With the production of this hormone, a small gland in the brain called the pituitary gland activates the female ovaries to start making estrogen; estrogen then stimulates the body to begin puberty, and for physical changes to start, such as growing of the breasts. After this, females get their period within a certain amount of time, which also correlates with the process of puberty. (3)

But what happens when this process begins too early? Breast development has been noted in girls as young as age 7, with the onset of periods as early as age 8! (4) With signs of puberty beginning that early, there does come an increase in possible diseases later in life, even cancer. What is causing this to happen early though? The main factor: rising levels in body weight. This happens in several ways, but a significant one being that fat tissue, or adipose tissue, has a big impact on how metabolism works within the body. Fatty tissue can advertently change androgens to estrogen, and adipose can also increase the body’s resistance to insulin…this in turn decreases binding levels of sex hormones, and increases the availability of sex steroids. (4) 

There is a substance called leptin that is found within these fatty tissues in the body, and plays a big part in the onset of puberty, fertility levels, and adipose storage.  These levels of leptin increase before puberty begins, and studies have shown that there is a strong association between onset of when a female starts her period and the levels of leptin within the body. For example, an increase in leptin – and an increase in body fat – decreased the age of onset of menarch. (4)

So, what is the biggest physical consequence to puberty beginning early like this? The answer: increased exposure to estrogen. Estrogen is necessary in order to maintain many functions within the female body, including protecting against diseases and decreasing risk of osteoporosis as we age. (5) However, research has shown that excessive amounts of estrogen within the body (such as when beginning menstruation early) can lead to increased risks of breast cancer later on in life. Granted, this doesn’t take into consideration any lifestyle factors that might play a part, such as physical activity, drug and alcohol consumption, family history, diet, etc., but it is something to consider. (3) On top of cancer, the higher the estrogen the worse the ratio of testosterone, one of the more important immune protecting hormones we possess.  Did you know that ⅛ people who develop an auto-immune disease are men? This is because testosterone is an immune regulating hormone! Because of various factors such as persistent organic pollutants (pesticides, plastics, flame retardants, etc.) our estrogen receptors are bombarded consistently and this in turn creates estrogen dominance and abnormal hormonal ratios, thereby triggering an inflammatory cascade which may lead to autoimmunity, cancer and one of the biggest red flags is premature onset menstrual period!

Other consequences that might arise from puberty starting early in females are the emotional and social aspects; for one, a decrease in self-confidence and increase in depression might present themselves in females who are developing at a quicker rate physically than their counterparts in school. Research has also shown that another consequence of early development in females are risky behaviors like drinking and early sexual activities, since they might be involved in social arenas that bring forth occasions that they aren’t prepared to emotionally and socially handle yet. (1)

What is the solution to these early puberty consequences in females? Incorporating fitness activities into everyday routines and ensuring adequate intake of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins can help, especially in relation to weight and overall emotional health (insulin resistance creates fat and fat makes estrogen!). Another possible benefit would be to learn about puberty and bodily changes early on, so that girls are educated when the time comes on what is happening with their bodies, and what to expect. (3)

From a functional medicine perspective you have to ask the hard questions…..Why?  There are multiple potential scenarios why this could happen and you need to dig deeper into how the process developed and what can be done.  One of my favorite ways to reduce estrogen in the body is through increasing fiber intake! Fiber binds onto estrogen which is why vegetables are so important on a daily basis.  Also, broccoli seed sprouts or sauerkraut are superfoods that can also assist in the process (Hormone protect by xymogen is a great combo product!).

If you’re needing more help within the clinical nutrition realm of puberty and assistance with improving functional health at this important span of life, contact your local functional wellness doctors in the Denver metro/Boulder area in order to assist with anything you might need!

Let Your Health (not estrogen) Soar,

Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, IFMCP

(1) Cavanagh, S. E., Riegle-Crumb, C., & Crosnoe, R. (2007). Puberty and the Education of Girls*. Social psychology quarterly, 70(2), 186–198.

(2) Blakemore, S. J., Burnett, S., & Dahl, R. E. (2010). The role of puberty in the developing adolescent brain. Human brain mapping, 31(6), 926–933. doi:10.1002/hbm.21052

(3) Maron, D. (2015). Early Puberty: Causes and Effects. Scientific American 312, 5, 28-30.

(4) Biro, F. M., Greenspan, L. C., & Galvez, M. P. (2012). Puberty in girls of the 21st century. Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology, 25(5), 289–294. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2012.05.009

(5) Hilakivi-Clarke, L., de Assis, S., & Warri, A. (2013). Exposures to synthetic estrogens at different times during the life, and their effect on breast cancer risk. Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia, 18(1), 25–42. doi:10.1007/s10911-013-9274-8

What is LiveO2?

At Dr. Autoimmune, we hope to help you gain control of your health once and for all. Instead of taking a pill to mask the symptoms of your chronic health problem(s), we deeply explore the root cause of your health issues in order to rehabilitate your health, and then prepare your body to take whatever life throws at it and soar. LiveO2 (exercising while breathing in 100% oxygen) is just one of the extraordinarily effective therapies we have in office that not only helps you heal from any current health concerns and bring you back to baseline, but it also works to take your body and brain far beyond “normal” allowing you to live your most optimal and vivacious life.

The single most important thing for your body to heal and repair is oxygen because it is the key to unlocking all the energy in your body. If your cells are not getting enough oxygen (making them hypoxic), they can’t make energy and they can’t repair. LiveO2 has a myriad of effects that all ultimately enhance the amount of oxygen your cells receive and increases your cells efficiency in using that increase in oxygen.

Dr. Von Ardenne showed many years ago that if you exercise with 100% oxygen, you get a higher head of pressure in your arterial system that causes the oxygen to move through your capillaries at higher pressure. This pushes the oxygen to the Venous end of the capillary, which is generally oxygen starved causing the tissues at that end to be more oxygen starved as well. LiveO2 turns on these capillary endothelium (cellular lining) and gets their pumps working properly so that the swelling in those endothelial cells (causing you inflammation) can get pumped out. This causes the cells to regain their optimal,  flattened shape resulting in oxygen being able to get across the interstitial space and into the tissues. Essentially, this process restores surplus oxygen to all of your cells. While your exercising, your heart is forcing that high head of pressure through even faster, so your cells become nourished with a higher head of oxygen pressure. Overall, Live O2 helps recover from fatigue, tune and enhance your brain function, promote healing and recovery throughout your body,  maintain vitality, and optimize your immune system.

Why Use LiveO2 – How is LiveO2 going to affect your life?

• Increased energy

Across the board, everyone tends to see an increase in energy with the use of LiveO2. Dr. Von Ardenne was one of the pioneering researchers that started developing this technology over 20 years ago and did many different studies on the body and oxygen saturation and the body’s ability to use oxygen. One of the graphs in his book, Oxygen Multistep Therapy, measures the oxygen utilization of many different people from ages 0-90 (the body’s efficiency of utilizing oxygen). From age 0 to 22, the graph shows an upward trajectory, meaning that the body gets more and more efficient at utilizing oxygen. But at age 22, the graph peaks and then starts to trend down, meaning that after age 22, the body gets worse and worse at utilizing oxygen as we age.  We can extrapolate from this that it makes sense why children and young adults have more energy than people in their 50s or 60s because their body is more efficient at using oxygen. However, with LiveO2, we can diffuse 200-400% more oxygen into your blood plasma so you’re in a buffered and bolstered state at all times, which leads to an increase in your overall energy.

• Improved memory and mental processing speed

As many of us have experienced, memory and mental processing speed gets worse as we age. In another paper published by Dr. Von Ardenne, called “Increasing Mental Performance with Oxygen Multistep Therapy” (another name for LiveO2), it was found that after a LiveO2 training session all subjects improved their scores on a computerized test that was also taken before oxygen therapy. For sensory mental capacity, scores went up by 19-20% across the board, for time to accomplish tasks involving perception and reaction times, scored increased by 12-18%. This study shows that after just one 15 minute LiveO2 training session, there are palpable increased effects on memory and processing speed and that this lasts for hours. For those experiencing a decline in cognition and memory, LiveO2 can greatly increase quality of life and help get back to what they are used to with regards to mental processing.

• Decreased Inflammation throughout the body

• Therapeutic aid for a specific medical condition

Instead of treating or putting a band aid on just the symptoms of a variety of medical conditions, LiveO2 can be used as a holistic approach for helping the entire body with the underlying condition. Oxygen is the key pin to entire health. Without oxygen, no other system in the body can work properly, so if you have a diminished oxygen saturation and your body is inefficient at using oxygen, that can seriously degrade your health. If oxygen utilization is not working, it is hard to get any other system working in the body. LiveO2 improves your body’s ability to use oxygen optimally in order to help a variety of other conditions.

• Improved immune system function

Everyone knows that feeling right before you get sick; your throat tickles a bit, you feel fatigued, and your head feels heavy. You know you’re about to get sick. Using LiveO2 immediately, even without exercising and just breathing in the oxygen, can drastically reduce the onset of a cold. Again, oxygen utilization affects the entire body and all systems, so surging your system with oxygen allows your immune system to operate at full power to fend off the sniffles.

• Improved athletic performance and recovery

Not everyone is looking to be the next gold medal olympian, but overall if your body worked more efficiently and optimally, you’re going to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. So, LiveO2 is currently used by the highest end professional athletes (NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC, cyclists, MMA, olympians, ect), but it can also be used for anyone who is just trying to be the best version of themselves and operate optimally. It can make going on a hike, taking a ski day, or going on a swim feel completely different and allows your body to recover from the stress of exercise more quickly and with more quality.

Pairing LiveO2 With Neurofeedback Here at RTWC

At RTWC, we use an effective  non-invasive and drug-free process for addressing debilitating neurological symptoms. Research has shown people of all ages see dramatic improvement in ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Brain Injury, Migraines, Seizures, Chronic Pain, Addiction, and more. Results like these through the use of Neurofeedback have become too common to ignore. It’s published in scientific literature that Neurofeedback has been proven to change the brain. It’s used by thousands of licensed health professionals around the world and  could be the most important new tool available for mental and neurological health.

How does Neurofeedback work? The neurofeedback process begins by obtaining a QEEG (quantitative electroencephalography) brain map. Using sensors on the scalp, we can measure and record the electrical impulses happening in your brain. The computer software then takes this information, compares it to normative data, and produces a brain map. This map tells us which areas of the brain are firing appropriately and which are not. We can then use this data to begin training. We use standard conditioning techniques to “guide” the brain to function in a more balanced fashion.  During a session, a patient’s brain waves are monitored in real time by a computer while the patient watches a movie or television show.  The computer program can then use that information to create changes in that patient’s brain wave activity. When the computer picks up irregular brain wave patterns, it triggers an audio or visual cue that alerts the patient that they are outside normal ranges. These cues are received by the brain, which subconsciously adjusts itself back to a normal pattern to resume the movie or music.

With enough repetition of this process, the brain eventually learns to stay in the normal ranges on its own without the computer. With the brain functioning normally on its own, symptoms of irregular brain activity will decline.

It has been well documented that people who suffer neurological problems have abnormal brain waves in certain areas of the brain. For instance, case studies using QEEG “brain maps” have shown that people with Attention-Deficit-Disorder (ADD) have elevated theta brain waves, while those who suffer from depression have elevated alpha brain waves. Those with anxiety will have elevated Beta brain waves, while those suffering from memory loss usually have decreased theta brainwaves.

The best part of neurofeedback is that results are often permanent, allowing a person to reduce or even eliminate medications altogether. Where medications only manage the symptoms, the goal of neurofeedback is to address the underlying cause and restore normal brain wave functions.

What Does a Typical LiveO2 Training Session Look Like?

• 15 minute workout (most protocols take only 15 minutes, however there are more intense protocols typically used for athletes).
• We use an exercise bike here at RTWC, but any exercise equipment work (this means having a dance party will work). The goal is to get your heart rate up to a minimum threshold and keep it there for 15 minutes.
• 15 minutes every 3 days minimum allows for the best results to keep your oxygen within normal ranges amongst normal stress levels from life. Using it every day is okay.
• 170 minus your age is the minimum target heart rate you want to hit when you are training on a LiveO2 session and maintain it throughout the whole 15 minutes.
• You will be wearing a SpO2 monitor while training, so you can monitor your heart rate allowing you to exercise a bit harder if your heart rate in not hitting at least that minimum number. The SpO2 also indicates to you how much oxygen is attached to your hemoglobin on you red blood cells, which gives you an idea of how saturated you are with oxygen at your red blood cell level, which is helpful when training people (especially when using the Adaptive Contrast protocol with involves desaturating your red blood cells for a period of time which mimics altitude training).
• Follow certain protocols with the help and guidance of our RTWC staff so that you can get the most out of the training session.

How Does a LiveO2 Training Session Work?

• You will breath in 800 liters of pure Oxygen in 15 minutes

You’re also doing that with the elevated respiration and blood pressure rates due to exercising. Exercise is essential to be able to get the oxygen into your blood.

• Dramatically increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in your blood.

Typically, this means 200-400% more dissolved oxygen in your blood plasma over baseline.

• Elevated Oxygen levels typically last up to 3 days after one 15 minute session.
• A synergistic effect from increased respiration, elevated heart rate, and pure oxygen is the mechanism that causes the diffusion of oxygen into your blood plasma.
• Conditions users to take deeper breaths at all times.

There is a slight amount of resistance from the hose and breathing through a mask that your not used to. Over time this slight increase in resistance actually strengthens your ability to breath, it makes you a stronger, deeper breather every time you take a breath for the rest of the day.

• The protocols helps support higher aerobic capacity and improved overall health.

Summary

LiveO2 accelerates both health and fitness. It amplifies exercise so that a short workout will reproduce big health results. For athletes, this same effect means that the same training will create more performance in less time with less fatigue with almost no soreness and nearly instant recovery. The secret of LiveO2 is the simple secret of Oxygen and energy. It creates real health because it primes and repairs the internal systems that move oxygen from the air you breath to your cells. This cellular oxygen is the hidden source of your body’s natural ability to produce energy, to resist disease, and to stay young. Regular LiveO2 users often restore health they enjoyed 10-20 years ago within a few weeks. LiveO2 is designed to allow your body to move as much oxygen as possible to your cells by switching  between oxygen rich and oxygen reduced air which creates a perfect storm of maximum blood flow with maximum oxygen. This doesn’t just affect your body, but your brain as well. An oxygenated brain thinks well,  sleeps well and is calm. Brain O2 users often improve brain function in days.

Resources:

Oxygen multistep therapy: physiological and technical foundations

Manfred Ardenne – G. Thieme – 1990

The Definitive Guide To Exercise with Oxygen (ewot in 2018)https://liveo2.com/ewot/?inf_contact_key=23e67239cd9b7cf2c07287e72b66bbb8680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1

Are you living with shoulder pain? If so, you are in good company. According to statistics, approximately 26% of the adult population seek care for pain in the shoulder and up to 70% of people will experience clinical shoulder pain in their lifetime.^[1] This makes shoulder pain the third most common complaint in musculoskeletal clinical setting.^[2] There is a large number of potential causes of shoulder pain and they are diverse; from postural issues to gallbladder inflammation to cardiac issues, a thorough history and physical examination are vital to correctly addressing the root cause of the problem.         

Let us briefly discuss the anatomy of the shoulder:

The shoulder joint involves three bones: the scapula (shoulder blade), the humerus (upper arm bone), and the clavicle (collarbone).

The shoulder is actually comprised of two separate joints that work together to provide your shoulder with its flexibility and mobility.

The joint that most people think of when describing the shoulder joint is the glenohumeral joint. This is a ball and socket type joint featuring the head of the humerus (ball) and the glenoid fossa (socket). The acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) is formed by the distal end of the clavicle and a part of the scapula called the acromion. This joint is commonly injured with overhead activities.

The glenohumeral joint is home to a layer of cartilage called the labrum. The labrum serves to provide padding between the bones so they can articulate smoothly. Also contributing to this smooth movement are small fluid filled sacs called bursae. The bursae produce fluid that helps lubricate the joint and prevent friction.

There are nine major muscles that act on the shoulder joint, but the four smallest of these muscles account for more than two thirds of cases of shoulder pain. These four muscles are collectively called the rotator cuff. They are supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

All of the muscles of the shoulder, as well as the muscles of the arm and forearm, are controlled by the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is a network of peripheral nerves that runs from your neck all the way down to your fingers. When people say they ‘hit their funny bone’, they actually mean they hit their ulnar nerve, which is a branch of the brachial plexus.

The primary movers of the shoulder joint are the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and deltoid muscles. As these three muscles move the humerus on the scapula, the rotator cuff muscles work like a seatbelt to make sure the joint stays stable and does not move in a way that would result in injury (i.e. dislocation).

Misalignments in the spine or the shoulder itself can place increased wear and tear on the small muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff. If this persists for long enough, a tear or strain can occur. Once there has been an injury to the rotator cuff, that shoulder becomes prone to damage and degeneration. Repetitive tasks either overhead or with the arm extended back fully should be limited and are consistently linked with damage to the shoulder joint and should be very limited, especially at work.^[3] 

Rotator cuff injuries themselves are notoriously painful; there are specific scales that have been developed, such as the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index, that measure not only physical pain, by the associated psychological factors that can arise with a rotator cuff injury.^[4] Research has even shown psychological factors to be a consistent indicator of how well patients recover.^[5] 

With so many muscles and tendons crossing and attaching to the shoulder joint, it is possible for them to become trapped by other tissues. This is called impingement syndrome. Patients with impingement syndrome have difficulty lifting their arms up overhead or lying on their affected side. They generally complain of consistent pain without any trauma to the region.  Inpingement can progress to frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis if it is not correctly diagnosed and treated.

Impingement syndrome is often associated with rotator cuff issues. There is somewhat of a chicken or the egg debate in the healthcare community over whether rotator cuff injury causes impingement, or if it is the other way around.^[6] Impingement syndrome is also associated with inflammation of the bursa, which further complicates the picture. As the bursa becomes swollen, it encroaches on the space that should be open for the tendons. This also interferes with the bursa providing proper lubrication for the joint, leading to damage to the joint.

Injuries to the shoulder can also damage the brachial plexus. Nerves are more susceptible to damage from physical compression or stretching than muscles, or ligaments (i.e. hitting your funny bone, ulnar nerve). When the brachial plexus is damaged, patients often complain of numbness and tingling in the affected arm. Clinical research has shown a correlation between brachial plexus injuries and issues with the rotator cuff.^[7] This correlation further demonstrates the importance of the rotator cuff to shoulder health.

So what can be done for a rotator cuff injury? Well our very own Dr. Ian was faced with this same question when an MRI of his shoulder revealed degeneration as well as a tear in his subscapularis tendon about a year ago. Being a chiropractor requires him to use his arms and be active to be best able to help his patients. He also wanted to avoid the down time associated with recovering from surgery.

Maybe you have heard of corticosteroid injections for joint pain. This is commonly done for these types of injuries. Unfortunately, this type of injection simply reduces the pain, but can accelerate the degenerative process, making the damage happen at a faster rate (surgery is also statistically higher when they are used). It can also lead to side effects such as GI upset, osteoporosis or heart attack.^[8] 

Surgery was the next option. With the prolonged recovery process, risks associated with going under anesthesia, as well as the wide variance in shoulder surgery success rates, this was quickly ruled out as well.

It was then that a colleague of Dr. Ian’s made a recommendation that changed his life!

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC’s) have provided doctors with a revolutionary ability to regenerate tissue within the shoulder. Dr. Ian saw positive results within 1 week, and after a few months had regained full range of motion and strength with no pain.

In our office, we use MSC’s derived from healthy (exhaustively screened with 20 tests) umbilical cord tissue. There are several benefits to this as opposed to using stem cells harvested from one’s own body. First off being that stem cells decrease as we age, therefore the concentration in a newborn’s umbilical cord is exponentially higher. Another factor to consider is how active these stem cells are. You are born with all the stem cells you will ever have, and as you age, this declines rapidly. Your stem cells in your body are as old as you are. Stem cells derived from umbilical tissue are still fully charged and have been shown to replicate on a much higher level.

In summary our stem cell product is more potent and easier to use. To find out more, and potentially save $500 or more on your stem cell injections, come out to one of our group consultations or read more of our blog posts.

Our office phone number is (303) 882-8447.

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