I don't have a problem with my digestion

Just because you don't have any obvious digestive symptoms does not mean digestion is a ok.

One startling statistic that highlights this point, is that 1 in 8 people who are diagnosed with Celiac disease do not have any digestive symptoms. In my practice I would also apply this to people who are non-celiac gluten sensitive. These people just like the celiacs can have a plethora of non-digestive symptoms such as:

• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Autoimmune Disease
• Brain Fog
• Canker Sores
• Cold Intolerance
• Depression
• Dry Skin
• Joint Pain
• Menstrual problems
• Neck and Back Pain
• Tiredness

However despite the lack their lack of digestive symptoms I know that gluten is giving their digestive tract all number of issues including:

• Intestinal Permeability or Leaky Gut
• Intestinal Dysbiosis or Bacterial Imbalance
• Poor nutritional absorption

And it does not stop there..

You may not be aware that upto 85% of your immune system can be found in your small intestine. If that is the case then if you have any problem with your health then there is a very high probability that your digestion is in trouble.

And is not only gluten that is giving your digestion the run around...

There are many other factors that can be effecting your digestion including:

• Chlorine
• Foods which cross react with gluten
• Genetically modified Foods
• Molds
• Pesticides
• Prescription medication

All these factors could be silently damaging your gut and immune system.

Finally

I hope you found these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with them.

Health facts on caffeine

I have a confession caffeine makes me lots of money, so

much so I call it the black gold. In my practice it is one of the biggest contributors to chronic back pain. A study, in 1997, concluded “Patients with chronic back pain consume over twice as much caffeine as patients without chronic back pain.”

Below are some more interesting facts about the black gold:

Decaff is not the same as caffeine free. A study looked at nine different types of decaffeinated coffee and determined that all but one contained caffeine.

Caffeine lingers in your body between 8 and 14 hours. This is why most sleep experts recommend you not consume caffeine for at least 8 hours before bedtime. (Shape.com)

Caffeine does not affect everyone the same. The body will process caffeine differently based on gender, race and even if you take birth control pills or if you smoke. You will process it slower if you are a non-smoking Asian male. (Shape.com)

Dark roast coffee beans have less caffeine than lighter beans. (Shape.com)

Caffeine is found in over 160 different plants including tea leaves, kola and cocoa beans.

According to the FDA, 80 percent of U.S. adults consume caffeine each day, with an individual intake of 200mg. To put that in real world terms, the average caffeine-consuming American drinks two five-ounce cups of coffee or about four sodas.

According to a recent BBC article, Finland takes the crown for the country with the highest caffeine consumption, with the average adult downing 400mg each day.

As reported in a national Australian newspaper “One in three teenagers consumes the equivalent of 10 instant coffees a day in energy drinks..”.

AS reported in Kitsapsun.com, “The average 8-ounce cup of coffee has 80 to 125 milligrams.” “Consuming 500 to 600 milligrams a day is enough to cause effects such as insomnia, nervousness, upset stomach, fast heartbeat or muscle spasms in many people.”

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or queries please leave them below.

Foods that may be giving you pain.

As I've mentioned before, as an osteopath working in Ottawa I tend to be the last in line of different

therapists that a client will consult for their pain issues. This is mainly due to many Ottawan's knowing little or nothing about osteopathy. Many, of course, have tried chiropractic, massage and physiotherapy, and because they now sit in my office the results from these approaches have been at most short term. When presented with such people I would often play a bigger emphasis on looking at their diet rather than physical therapy to alleviate their pain. On this note here are my top 7 foods that I find commonly cause pain:

1. Wheat gluten (Gliadin) - typically causing neck stiffness, chronic pain between the shoulders and lower back pain but can effect joints such as knees and hips. It is also linked autoimmune arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Caffeine - Most notably associated with neck and lower back pain.
3. Soya - typically associated with shoulder pain.
4. Fluoride - although not a food, it is found in our drinking water, typically associated with finger stiffness and arthritis.
5. Artificial Sweeteners - most often associated with lower back pain.
6. Dairy particularly cheese - typically associated with sinus headaches and migraines.
7. Night Shade vegetables particularly potatoes and tomatoes - associated with headaches, migraines, upper back pain, and heavy legs.
8. Antibiotic feed chicken - typically causes general joint pain and stiffness.

This list is not exhaustive but gives you the most common foods and food additives which I find at the root of my clients pain issues.

If you know of any other foods that you know give you pain please let me know in the comments box below.

Caveman Osteopathy - The Paleo Solution

There were of course no osteopaths around in the time of the cavemen but also there were far fewer chronic diseases either. What cavemen osteopathy refers to is not treating your bad back by bashing it with a big club but getting you to eat more like a cavemen. Probably the main root cause of my clients health problems is their diet.

The caveman or paleo diet is becoming more popular in main stream media. I myself have been Paleo for the last year in which time I have lost 30 pounds and my blood pressure is now a perfect 120/70 compared to 140/90. I have also seen positive results in a number of my clients who I have encouraged to follow the same diet helping to rid their bodies of chronic pain.

While many detractors may say this is just another fad diet I would argue it a lifestyle choice which has proven successful for 250,000 million years, which is as long as our ancestors have roamed the earth. It is only since the introduction of agriculture and grains that most of our modern health problems have emerged.

The paleo lifestyle is simply about:

1. Eating more whole foods that provide better food for your body, and
2. Avoiding processed, refined foods, nutrient-poor factory foods.

This means avoiding all grains, legumes (beans) refined sugar and pasteurized dairy products.

Put simply: JUST EAT REAL FOOD!

Many people see eating real foods as hard work and time consuming, but it really is not. It may be an adjustment, but for many who have made that leap back in time, the effect on their health and general wellbeing is will worth the sacrifice.

The driving principle behind Caveman Osteopathy is about treating the root cause of disease. While there are many other root causes getting a person eating real food can only help to make their body stronger and more resistant to the challenges of the modern world. I will be writing much more about this subject but you are interested in reading more about the science behind this way of eating, I recommend the following books:

• The Paleo Diet - Dr Loren Cordain.
• Practical Paleo - Diane Sanfillippo.
• The Paleo Solution - Robb Wolf, Biochemist.

What do osteopaths treat?

Osteopaths are generally known to treat musculoskeletal pain conditions such as:

• headaches
• neck pain
• back pain
• hip pain
• knee pain
• ankle and foot pain
• General muscle pain such as Fibromyalgia
• Joint problems caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

As well as musculoskeltal pain osteopaths also can help with physiological conditions such as:

• Digestive issues such as Coeliac Disease, Crohns, heartburn, indigestion, IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome), Ulcerative colitis.
• Menstruation and menopausal symptoms.
• Respiratory conditions such as asthma, recurrent sinus and throat infections.
• Skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.

Osteopaths also use a technique called Cranial Osteopathy, which is similar to craniosacral therapy, that is excellent for babies and children. Conditions that can be helped include:

• Croup
• Digestive issues
• Feeding problems
• Hyperactivity
• Trauma from long birth/labour

These are just a few of the many conditions osteopaths treat. 

Back pain relief: Do it yourself

Lower back pain is one of the commonest conditions I see in my practice. As an Osteopath working in Ottawa I am normally the end of a long line of physical therapists that back pain sufferers consult. Osteopathy is very much a mixture of many of those therapies as we a re trained to use many of the techniques used by chiropractors, physiotherapists and RMT's. Therefore it is unlikely that I am going to get any further with relieving peoples back pain.

So what's the answer?

The answer is often within the person themselves. What are they doing to their bodies that makes them hurt much. The first thing I look at is what they are putting in their mouths. Much of today's processed or even fresh foods are full of health time bombs. My top five food lower back pain time bombs are:

• Caffiene
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Antibiotics
• Fluoride 
• Gluten 

By getting lower back pain sufferers to avoid some or all of these I have seen amazing transformations in their pain levels and general wellbeing. Try it you might be pleasantly surprised.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

Osteopathy, Back Pain and Water - Could Water Be the Answer to Your Lower Back Pain?

For many people, maybe like yourself that suffer with lower back pain a visit to their local chiropractor, physiotherapist or osteopath can be a god send. But how many of you have to go through the same process again months or even weeks later? The problem is that by using just manipulation or massage you are not getting at the underlying reason for the problem. This article takes a look at how a few litres of water a day can give you long term relief from your lower back pain.

One of my failings as a business man is that I get my clients better too quickly and that I am able to give people the right advice to keep their lower back pain for long periods of time. I am happy with that because it makes me a good osteopath and also because it would drive me crazy seeing the same people again and again week after week.

Whenever I mention that I am an osteopath the conversation inevitably gets on to lower back pain. They say that they have had it for years and they usually have to go and see their chiropractor, physiotherapist, or osteopath who sorts them out over a few sessions. This is a bit of an occupational hazard. The situation gets more uncomfortable when they ask me for my advice. The reason it is uncomfortable for me is because, through experience many people aren't going to like my answer. Many people through conditioning are happy to accept an explanation of "your vertebra is out of line" or, "you have a trapped nerve". When I start to mention things like diet or nutrition I quickly see peoples eyes glaze over and they quickly go on the defensive, saying that their diet is fine.

For people a bit more open such yourself the simple answer is that if people are dehydrated then it can lessen the strength in the muscles in your lower back. In particular the psoas muscles which large core muscles that are important for stabilising the back. These are particularly sensitive to changes in hydration.

So if your lower back pain starts to resurface again try drinking a pint or two of water and see what happens.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

This information given in this article is not intended to replace the services of a physician. Information in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, and particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on your part in response to the information provided in this is article at the reader's discretion.