What is Neurologic Relief Center Technique?

Dr. Reddick here…..

About a year ago I went to a seminar in Chicago where I learned a new and still developing technique called Neurologic Relief Centers Technique™.  NRCT helps relieve the symptoms of neurological disorders such as Fibromyalgia, RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy), Migraines, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Parkinson’s Disease, Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and numbness and tingling of arms or legs.

The symptoms to these disorders can include headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, digestive disturbances, sleeping difficulties, high blood pressure, brain fog, failed surgeries, body pain, facial pain, arthritis, nervousness, dizziness, breathing difficulties, wake up exhausted, communication problems, severe low back or hip pain and emotional difficulties.

So, what is Neurologic Relief Centers Technique™? (NRCT)

When you have had physical or emotional traumas (stress), tension can build up at the base of your skull and can pull on the meninges, which are not that flexible.  Meninges are attached to all the nerve roots that exit your spine.  When the meninges are pulled it could irritate those nerves.

NRC Technique (NRCT) releases the tension in the meninges thus releasing the irritation to the nerves.

When your nerves are irritated you may experience many symptoms because nerves control every function of your body.

The vast majority of health problems other than infectious diseases could be stress and neurological in nature.  We advise everyone to be tested to see if NRCT (Neurologic Relief Centers Technique™) could help them.

NRCT is non-invasive and is usually painless.  I will perform a test to see how you respond to help determine if you are a candidate for NRCT.  Many people respond to the test with a percentage of their symptoms relieved for minutes or days.

Since my first training a year ago, I have attended 2 more training seminars.  I have practiced the technique and have had discussions with other doctors across the country.  NRCT only has 200 practitioners nationwide.  Now, I am ready to share my newfound health knowledge.

But, some people don’t know what these syndromes are.  So this post will go over some of the syndromes and diseases that NRCT can help.

Fibromyalgia

Because there is a lack of a specific test for fibromyalgia, diagnosing fibromyalgia has become more often a ‘diagnosis of exclusion’—ruling out other conditions with a similar set of symptoms.  Fibromyalgia tends to be treated rather dismissively, sometimes with cynical overtones.  But the sufferers of fibromyalgia feel the pain, the sleeplessness, the fatigue, the depression, anxiety and stress.

The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by long term stress—physical and/or emotional.  The stress causes overactive nerve stimulation, which causes almost constant pain, which causes sleeplessness, which causes fatigue, which causes pain and on and on and on.  There is no cure for fibromyalgia.  Only reducing stress and controlling the symptoms.

 RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)

Like fibromyalgia, RSD can be difficult to diagnose and required excluding other conditions that produce similar symptoms.

RSD usually follows a physical trauma—a broken bone, an automobile injury—but not always.  It starts with burning pain and swelling in the injured area and then spreads to the rest of the body.  Sometimes symptoms can disappear for years and then reappear with another injury.  Again, like fibromyalgia, there is no cure, only controlling the symptoms.

Migraines

Migraines are severe debilitating headaches that can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours.  There are many different reasons for migraines, from hormonal imbalances and diet, to environmental allergens and seasonal changes.

Migraines can be the result of a direct cause or be a symptom of another condition or syndrome.  The severe headaches can be located anywhere in the head and can have the feeling of stabbing, throbbing or stinging.  They can be accompanied with visions of flashes of light or tingling in the arms or legs.

Some people get migraines only once in their lifetime, while others have migraines several times a month.

Accompanying symptoms of migraines can include light sensitivity and nausea with or without vomiting.

CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes CFS as a distinct disorder with specific symptoms and physical signs, based on ruling out other possible causes.  So like Fibromyalgia and RSD, CFS is ‘diagnosis by exclusion.’

The exact cause of CFS is unknown, but may be caused by inflammation along the nervous system and that this inflammation may be some sort of immune response or process.

The most common symptoms of CFS are chronic and debilitation fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain and headaches.  The symptoms can come on within a few hours or days and last for 6 months or more.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It results from the death of dopamine-containing cells of the brain.  The cause of cell-death is unknown.

Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related, including shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.

Later, cognitive and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep and emotional problems.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease spread through a tick bite that is infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi).

The first symptoms resemble the flu and include chills, fever, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain.  If treated with antibiotics at this stage further complications can be avoided.

If not treated, the symptoms of advanced stage Lyme disease include decreased concentration, memory disorders, nerve damage, numbness, pain, paralysis of the face muscle, sleep disorders and vision problems.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is an inflammatory auto-immune disease that attacks and destroys the autonomic nervous system.  The myelin sheath that covers the nerves is attacked and scarred.

Symptoms vary and episodes can last for days, weeks or months.  These episodes alternate with periods of remission.

Because nerves in any part of the brain or spinal cord may be damaged, patients with multiple sclerosis can have many different symptoms in many different parts of the body.  Symptoms can include loss of balance, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, coordination problems, walking issues, tremors, weakness, constipation, urinary issues, vision issues, facial pain, decreased attention span, poor judgment, memory loss, reasoning difficulties, hearing loss, slurred speech, difficult chewing and swallowing to name a few.

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis.

This is a short list of the disorders and symptoms that NRCT can relieve.  NRCT does not cure the diseases and disorders; it just helps to control the symptoms.  And it has been successful.

If you or you know of someone who is suffering from any of these symptoms or disorders, contact us for a FREE test.  The test is non-invasive and absolutely free with no strings attached and no further obligation.

Free Chair Massage at Relay for Life

Dr. Reddick here…..

Complete Wellness Center of Orange City supported American Cancer Society Relay for Life on May 20 – 21, 2011 at Victoria Park in Deland, Florida.  We offered free chair massage, free water and free dried fruit to walkers, supporters and survivors.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

At Relay For Life, teams of people camp out at Victoria Park and take turns walking around Victoria Lake.  Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.  Because cancer never sleeps, Relay For Life is an overnight event.

Each year, more than 3.5 million people in more than 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.

Lisa and Sharon, our Massage Therapist, manned the booth at Relay For Life.  They attended the event from Opening Ceremony to the Luminaria Ceremony at 9 PM.

This is our third consecutive year supporting ACS Relay for Life.  Next year, Lisa and Sharon want to have a relay team.  Watch for more information around the first of the year.

Until then, enjoy the pictures.  The Honor Guard is from Orlando International Airport’s Department of Homeland Security.  All the participants in purple shirts are cancer survivors.

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Until next time…..here’s to your complete wellness.

Fibromyalgia and Diet

Dr. Reddick here….

Fibromyalgia consists of a complex array of symptoms that include widespread muscle and joint pain along with overwhelming fatigue. And none of it goes away, no matter how much rest you get.

Fibromyalgia affects up to 4% of the population — mostly women. And there is still no known cause or recognized treatment that works for everyone. That’s one reason, say experts, that so many people have turned to diet as a way to relieve some of the symptoms.

The fact is there’s little scientific evidence to support any single eating plan as a way to deal with fibromyalgia. Nevertheless, a trip around the Internet will show that dietary approaches to fibromyalgia abound. The variety is so diverse it’s hard to imagine they are all aimed at treating the same disease.

Eat more whole grains. Don’t eat any whole grains. All fruit is good. Some fruit is bad. Tomatoes are healthy. Tomatoes are harmful. Sugar is bad. Sugar has no impact. Avoid meat. Eat. . . .

Confused? Don’t be. Experts say diversity is another hallmark of fibromyalgia.

And this, say experts, includes dietary measures.

Kent Holtorf, MD, is the medical director of the Holtorf Medical Group Center for Endocrine, Neurological and Infection Related Illness in Torrance, California. He says, “We’re at the point now where we know diet plays a role in this disease — it’s just not the same diet for everybody. And not everybody is helped in the same way.”

There are a number of co-existing health conditions that have a tendency to occur in people with fibromyalgia. Many of these have overlapping symptoms. These include gluten intolerance, gout, and restless leg syndrome.

Moreover, Holtorf points out that because each of these secondary conditions responds to a different dietary approach, it’s not hard to understand why “different dietary recommendations are reported to work.”

Fibromyalgia: Seven foods to avoid

While there may not be a single set of dietary guidelines that are right for all fibromyalgia patients, there are certain foods, or food groups, that appear to make a difference for a significant number of people. But remember, avoiding these foods is not a guarantee that your symptoms will change. Also, avoiding one group may offer benefit while another may make no difference at all. Nevertheless,  eliminating at least some of these foods is worth a try.

1. Aspartame (NutraSweet). For a large majority of people with fibromyalgia, foods sweetened with aspartame could exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms.

“There is a pain receptor in the nervous system known as NMDA,” says McNett. “When pain turns from acute to chronic, it involves opening the NMDA pain receptor. Aspartame, which is classified as an excitotoxin, helps to stimulate this event.” He also says people with fibromyalgia appear to already have overly active NMDA pain receptors, making them more susceptible to the stimulation.

In one study published in the Journal of Rheumatologyin 2006, experts found patients with fibromyalgia did have an increased expression of NMDA receptors in their skin. This indicated a general increase in activity of peripheral nerves.

Holtorf says aspartame may play a role in stimulating those nerve pathways. Then he adds that for some people, “cutting it out of their diet can have a dramatic impact on pain.”

That appeared to be the case for patients in one small study published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy in 2001. Researchers found that, when patients with fibromyalgia avoided aspartame as well as the flavor enhancer MSG, they felt better overall.

Other artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, saccharin, and stevia do not appear to have the same effect as aspartame.

2. Food additives including MSG (monosodium glutamate) and nitrates. MSG is an additive or flavor enhancer that’s found in many processed and frozen foods and in some Asian cuisines. Experts say it can intensify pain symptoms in many individuals. Like aspartame, MSG is classified as an excitotoxin and has the same potential for affecting NMDA receptors.

The same is true, says McNett, for foods containing preservatives such as nitrates, commonly found in lunchmeats like ham or bologna or in bacon.

“A lot of people who don’t have fibromyalgia can’t tolerate nitrates or MSG very well. But one of the hallmarks of this condition is that it amplifies unpleasant reactions,” McNett says. “So a stimulus that some people would find mildly unpleasant becomes very unpleasant in those who have fibromyalgia.” Cutting these ingredients out of the diet, he adds, usually helps.

3. Sugar, fructose, and simple carbohydrates. There is no clear evidence that cutting out simple carbohydrates — like sugar, cake, or white bread — will have an impact on fibromyalgia. What it can do, though, is reduce symptoms of chronic yeast infection — a fungus that thrives on sugars and may be a secondary condition contributing to the pain of fibromyalgia. This theory, however, is still being debated by experts.

“Cutting out sugary foods, particularly high fructose corn syrup, can make a difference in these patients,” says Holtorf. “And that’s independent of any weight loss that might occur when they stop eating these foods.”

Shikhman adds that cutting out carbonated beverages sweetened with fructose may yield even more noticeable results. That’s because the carbonation, he says, causes a metabolic reaction. This reaction results in much more sugar pouring into the blood much more quickly.

“It’s this quick rise in blood sugar,” Shikhman says, “followed by the subsequent fall that exacerbates the fatigue element of fibromyalgia. That, in turn, creates more cravings for sugar, followed by still more fatigue — allowing a vicious cycle to develop.” Cutting out the sugar, he says, particularly soda, can result in better, more even control of blood sugar. Better control will help reduce fatigue and at least some of the related pain.

4. Caffeine — including coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate.Because it is considered a stimulant, many fibromyalgia patients turn to caffeine-rich beverages as a source of energy. But McNett says the boost you get is false — and can quickly exacerbate fatigue.

“The problem with caffeine is that the ‘up’ is relatively brief and transient,” he says. “And it’s followed by substantially longer and deeper sedative effect.”

Because people with fibromyalgia are already tired, McNett cautions, those sedative effects can be much more powerful. “They are starting off from a point of fatigue, so the sedative qualities are amplified — leading to a much deeper and long lasting sense of fatigue.”

The good news is that cutting out caffeine can make a difference within less than a week. “Most patients begin to see a difference in their fatigue level almost right away,” he says.

5. Yeast and gluten. Although these are two separate food substances, they frequently appear together — particularly in baked goods like cake, donuts, and bread. For this reason, cutting out one, usually means you are cutting out both. That can actually yield two separate benefits for people with fibromyalgia.

In the case of yeast, some doctors say it fosters the overgrowth of the yeast fungus in the body. This overgrowth may cause or exacerbate much of the joint and muscle pain experienced by people with fibromyalgia. Research, though, has yet to confirm this link.

Gluten can exacerbate a condition known as gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance, Shikhman says, frequently results in a variety of stomach ailments and other digestive problems. It also is associated with fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia.

“I have seen people with and without fibromyalgia experience enormous positive changes in their health by simply cutting out gluten products,” Shikhman says.

 6. Dairy. Be they low fat or high fat, some experts say, dairy products — particularly, milk — have been known to drive the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Avoiding these products may help some people turn their health around.

7. Nightshade Plants: Tomatoes, chili and bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplant. There are over 2,000 species of plants that that can be listed under the category of “nightshade.” Those which are edible comprise a group that some say can trigger flares of various types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia.

“I have seen patients who do much better when they cut these foods out of their diet,” says Holtorf. We’re not sure why, but it seems to work in a significant percentage of fibromyalgia patients.” At the same time, these vegetables are among the most nutritious. So if they don’t trigger your fibro pain, don’t ban them from your fridge.

A final word – Nutrients and the power of a healthy diet

Avoiding certain foods may help individual patients better cope with their disease. Nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD, says, however, that most can also benefit from an overall heart-healthy approach to good eating.

“When you are eating a heart-healthy diet – one low in saturated fat, lean meats, and poultry and high in the fresh fruits and vegetables that don’t cause you problems, your body is going to work in a more healthful way, ” Heller says.

“When your body is healthier overall,” says Heller, “you may be better able to cope with any disease, and better able to respond to even small changes you make.”

One small study published in the journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2001 found that patients who ate a vegetarian diet consisting of mostly raw whole foods did see a reduction in their fibromyalgia symptoms.

Holtorf also believes that sticking to a heart-healthy diet may yield some specific helpful effects. “Patients with fibromyalgia have documented mitochondria dysfunction,” he says. “This is the area of the cell where energy is made. Consequently, it’s necessary to have high levels of nutrients to get the mitochondria to work and for energy to be produced.” So, Holtorf adds, the higher your level of dietary nutrients, at least theoretically, the better off you might be.

What can also help, he says, is a high potency vitamin supplement as well as supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids — which are also found in foods such as fish oil, flax seed, walnuts, some fortified cereals, and eggs — are the “good fats” that have been shown to have an impact on inflammation.

“For some fibromyalgia patients,” Holtorf says, “they work extremely well.” Then he adds, “It is definitely worth a try.”

Along with a healthy diet, exercise and stress reduction, NRCT (Neurologic Relief Center Technique) can help reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia even further.  Complete Wellness Center of Orange City is proud to be part of the NRC family.  With only 200 chiropractors trained in the unique, innovative technique, we feel honored to help those with these debilitating symptoms.

Feel free to give us a call if you would like to try a FREE NRC test at 386-775-6879.  Most people have a reduction in symptoms for minutes, hours or even days.  We hope to hear from you soon.

Until next time….here’s to your complete wellness.