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May 26 MS Breathing Classes?

5/27/2016

What Does Breathing have to do with MS?

Breathing is huge in our lives. It grows more important the older we get. Breathing also affects MS symptoms.

Fatigue and MS
It is common knowledge that one of the most often reported symptom of MS is fatigue. Breathing affects this symptom.

One study reports “ Fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly prevalent and severely impacts quality of life….Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) significantly contributes to fatigue in MS.Study” (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/msi/2013/286581/).

Why is a breathing disorder associated with fatigue? For this reason: “People with weakened ventilatory muscles have to work harder to inhale and exhale. This extra effort can be quite tiring” (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/SymptomsDiagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Respiration-Breathing-Problems#section-0).

Sleep Disorders and MS
Another study explored two forms of sleep disorders and found them both to be higher in MS patients, particularly among those with brainstem involvement, than in the general population.

Obstructive sleep apnea [symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness and sudden waking cessation of breathing during sleep caused by something obstructing the breathing (VC vital capacity)]
Central apneas [the main symptom is stopping breathing during sleep] (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3425840/).

Can we improve our breathing capacity?
Yes!

Researchers from Sweden led a study that offered breathing training, aimed at improving capacity. They found that VC (the amount of air we normally breathe out after we breathe in deeply) was improved, as was FVC (the amount of air we can force out, forced vital capacity). “After 2 months of deep breathing exercises, MS patients showed a significantly different relative change in lung function, as compared with a control group” (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/crj.12272/full).

What else is affected by breathing?
Besides lung capacity and fatigue issues-- why is breathing so essential for treating MS? The answer is mitochondria.

Mitochondria
Mitochondria is to our bodies like the battery is to our ipod. It produces the energy needed to operate.

MS is one of the diseases which is affected by a disfunction of mitochrondria (http://www.umdf.org/atf/cf/%7B28038C4C-02EE-4AD0-9DB5-D23E9D9F4D45%7D/revised%20facts%20and%20links%20121608.pdf).
For instance, disfunctional mitochondria is now being found to support MS progression (http://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/2015/07/08/mitochondria-may-play-a-role-in-ms-development-and-progression/, http://www.drdalepeterson.com/
Secondwind_508daf4b1839e306a3654.html).

What can we do to support mitochondria?
One thing is—we can BREATHE!
Studies show that mitochondrial diseases are associated with shallow breathing (http://www.umdf.org/atf/cf/%7B858ACD34-ECC3-472A-8794-39B92E103561%7D/mito101_Pulmonary_Koumbourlis.pdf).

When we breathe deeply, using the diaphragm fully, we support the efficient use of oxygen in our body, which supports mitochondria (http://www.drdalepeterson.com/Secondwind_508daf4b1839e306a3654.html).

Supplements, losing weight, and exercising so that we increase deep breathing are suggested ways to increase mitochondrial capacity (http://www.drwhitaker.com/3-ways-to-tune-up-your-mitochondria-and-enhance-energy/, http://www.cpmedical.net/newsletter/mitochondria-resuscitation-the-key-to-healing-every-disease)

How do we breathe more deeply?
First, we can exercise, second, we can focus on deep belly breaths. A sedentary lifestyle is terrible for mitochondria. All forms of movement and exercise along with full belly breathing can improve the performance of mitochondria throughout the body. Exercise reduces oxidative stress and boosts mitochondrial activity— improving oxygen flow and our blood’s pH (http://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/3-ways-improve-your-mitochondrial-function).

Doctors report that receiving oxygen at the cellular level induces health. Here are three studies that discuss the different results from constant shallow or deep breathing:

Dr. H. J. Schunemann found in a long-term study that lung function predicts mortality rates (Framingham study, see http://www.breathing.com/articles/clinical-studies.htm). The power of breathing makes it a predictor of long life (Framingham study and vital capacity: shttps://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Schunemann+and+Framingham+study&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1_o_5_MrMAhWG_R4KHWn3AFIQgQMIGjAA).
Dr. Wendell Hendricks, (Two-time Nobel Laureate, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Cancer Research, Hendricks Research Foundation) reported that lower oxidation rates are associated with cancer and with allergies;
Dr. Arthur Guyton theorized that all chronic pain, suffering and diseases are caused from a lack of oxygen at the cellular level (http://www.naturalhealth365.com/breathing-exercises.html/).

Deep breathing exercises are now looking more and more helpful.

My sister used to take breathing classes. I would laugh. After all, don’t we all know how to breathe?

No. We don’t. We can do better, and it will make us healthier!

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Joint Pain, or How to Survive a 24 Hour Plane Ride

5/22/2016

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Joint Pain

Stiff, sore muscles can hurt. I know from experience.

Once I had a job that included standing on concrete for hours at a time (one of those jobs! I found that after work, when I went to visit someone and sat for a few minutes, it hurt to stand up and move around.

Going to a movie was excruciating, because sitting for a long time in one position meant that my knees were going to complain loudly (only I could hear, of course) when I stood up to move again.

More recently, my DC trip showed me the limits of what my body wants me to put it through. I got painfully stiff and sore knees and legs when I went for leisurely long walks with my niece.

Ironically, studies suggest that walking (along with other things like diet and other exercises) help MS symptoms and pain (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3874223/).
But—walking caused the problem! How would walking possibly get rid of the pain that walking brings on!

Solutions for joint pain
I tried things.

I learned to insert a few minutes of rest on walks. Do it all, suggested the Olympiad Jimmie Huega, after he was diagnosed with MS, just take breaks when needed! That was my new plan. It helped. It didn’t do it all.
I got highly recommended walking shoes.

That helped a great deal. But, though the pain was gone, I still was stiff when I got home from walks and when I got up in the mornings.

I needed to do more.

What finally helped was something very simple.

I created oil for my sore joints, in a minute of doing range-of-motion stretching.

Two years ago a yoga instructor, Mara Gallagher, gave me simple range-of-motion joint movements for my hips and ankles. Ever since, my had begun with them.

The goal? To increase something called synovial fluid.

It turns out that moving our joints increases an oil that lubricates them! This is why when we have sore and stiff muscles it really won’t fix things to sit still for a long time. We need to move, to create synovial fluid.

About Synovial Fluid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synovial_fluid)
What does it do that helps sore joints?
It absorbs shock.
It reduces friction.
Is there a limited amount available?
No, we can create it just by moving our joints! That’s all we need to do.
Synovial fluid is called weeping lubrication, because when we move, the synovial fluid that is held in the cartilage seeps out. We only need to move our joints!

After the joint stress I had in DC, I wondered: “Why won’t this synovial fluid help with this huge knee joint pain?

I tried a rendition of Myra’s method, a 60-second workout. This is what I did: I lifted my sore knees up and down, then lifted my knee up, slowly kicking my foot forward, then moving my foot behind me, as though I were trying out for a ballerina position. I repeated this up-and-down, front-and-back motion until a minute passed, and my knees felt great.

I didn’t know about synovial fluid before. Now I do and I use it.

Surviving 24-hour plane rides with synovial fluid
I just completed a 24-hour flight to Australia, and I’m about to do the same trip, in reverse, to get back home. I decided to create synovial fluid to make the trip more comfy.

I know how to let my knees lubricate themselves on 19 hour plane rides.

No, I don’t do the ballerina position in the aisles. What I do is this: I move my hips and knees around while in my seat. I walk up and down the aisles every single hour that I am awake.

Maybe the people on the flight wonder what is calling me to the back of the plane every hour, or what makes me squirm in my seat, but, as my mom used to say, “Those people will never see you again anyway!”

Synovial fluid is easy to create. It is always available. It helps!

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MS: Location, Location, Location--Plus Our Input!

5/12/2016

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Does everybody know the motto of real estate? Location! Location! Location!

Maybe you also know the motto of Multiple Sclerosis prevalence: location, location, location.

MS is more prevalent in some areas of the world. We can use this information and plan how we want to approach our own MS—using the strength of location, finessing the challenges.

What about Geography and MS?
A Web-md article says this about MS and geography: The number of people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) increases the farther away they are from the equator.
In areas near the equator, MS occurs in fewer than 1 out of 100,000 people. In areas farther from the equator-such as northern Europe and northern North America-MS occurs in around 30 to 80 out of 100,000 people. When moving south of the equator, the number of people with MS is less dramatic, but the same trend is seen.

Most experts agree that this unusual relationship between geographic location and MS suggests that an environmental factor is partly responsible for causing the disease (http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/tc/multiple-sclerosis-and-geographic-location-topic-overview)

This link is to a map of the US in terms of MS prevalency .The results are not completely intuitive: lots of sun is supposed to be associated with low counts of MS, but Arizona isn’t doing as well as New Mexico. However, all northern US states have a medium to high

Here is a link to the world map of MS prevalency. The map basically says that Northern United States and Canada, and some European countries, win the MS prevalency prize.

The print is small, so this is a list of what it says: Blue=High Risk; Red=Probable High Risk; Dark Yellow=Low Risk; Light Yellow=Probable Low Risk; Green= North/South gradiant risk; White=Other Risk. This map demonstrates unequal distribution of multiple sclerosis around the world. There is no explanation for the terms ‘North South Gradiant Risk’ or ‘Other Risk’, but the picture basically says that Northern United States and Canada, and some European countries, win the MS prevalency prize.

Despite this geographical picture, the prevalency MS cannot be explained by any individual environmental or genetic factor. For instance, population studies have also been performed that demonstrate difference in susceptibility to MS. When the racial differences are correlated, White populations are at greater risk than Asian or African populations (http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/ms/epidemiology.html). Diet is also a factor (See below for the effect of fish in the diet).

How do we build on the strengths of a location?
When a location has loads of sun, we can enjoy the Vitamin D that is soaking into our bodies via walks outside. Vitamin D is now shown to play a role in both preventing and treating MS.

How do we finesse the liabilities of a location?
Here is one way. Diet. According to the MS World Map Japan and Scandinavia should have high MS prevalency, but they have a low incidence of MS. Why? One thing that is common in these places is a diet high in Omega 3—fish.

What else can we do? Studies support these things: lower stress, eat a diet with lots of colorful vegetables, stay away from the kind of oil that comes in potato chips, exercise 30 minutes a day 4 times a week.

These are things that are suggested for good health for all people, and for us, it becomes even more important. We often see changes in our MS symptoms, huge and dramatic changes, when we do these things.

I’m visiting a low-incidence country this week, Australia. I am taking notes to see what, besides sun, is conducive to low MS rates here. Our disease is like a whodunit novel, there are hints, but the answer, the solution, is still puzzling the experts. We are part of the solution, we with MS who try new things, learn more ways to live the lives we want! Geography, location, are not the final word. We are.

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Do Everything. Include Rest Stops.

5/5/2016

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Does anyone remember Jimmy Huega?

He won an Olympic medal for skiing in 1968—and then was diagnosed with MS in 1970.

When Jimmy got MS the common wisdom was to rest. Rest in bed. Get in bed and get ready to stay there for the duration.

Jimmy thought there must be another approach. He gave motivational speeches for relate people with MS with a radical departure from the current wisdom. His message: get moving! Push yourself to the limit, he said.

But don’t overdo it. If you get tired, stop. Rest. Then: get up and keep going till you reach your goal.

I have a friend with MS who told me how she stays positive. I DO NOT OVERDO IT—I NOTICE WHEN I NEED REST.

Jimmy Huega’s advice to stop and rest never really applied to me. My friend’s choice to notice when she needs rest doesn’t relate to me. I also don’t have spasticity as a result of MS.

So I thought.

This week I learned (1) that spasticity causes more than a jerking movement, it also results in painfully stiff muscles when I don’t rest when needed, and (2) Huega and my friend are right— DO NOT OVERDO IT—REST WHEN NEEDED.

What does spasticity have to do with ignoring rest?
This week my niece walked with me so that I would get ‘my miles’ in. Donned in cushioned sneakers, I was ready for the DC sidewalks—or so I thought!

Three days in a row I was limping by the time I got home, though I did my best to camouflage it (my niece is very kind, and I will never know if she noticed that I was grabbing rails to get up her steps and back in the house).

I knew something was happening—either MS was claiming another piece of my body or else I was not treating my stiff muscles right. That is when I learned more about spasticity.

What studies say about Multiple Sclerosis and spasticity
“Spasticity happens because of an imbalance in the electrical signals coming from the brain and spinal cord, often when multiple sclerosishas damaged the nerves there. This unevenness makes muscles contract on their own and makes them tense” (http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/controlling-muscle-spasms-multiple-sclerosis).

This article explained that we with MS, more than others, are more likely to experience spasticity when we work out.

In other words the result of hard exercise, on some people with MS—not me—is spasticity is uncontrolled muscle jerking or contracting.

So I thought.

Spasticity more than a muscle jerking
Another study explains: “spasticity can be defined as a tightening or stiffness of the muscle due to increased muscle tone, and is often made worse when muscles are quickly stretched or moved (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/NationalMSSociety/media/MSNationalFiles/Brochures/Brochure-Stretching-for-People-with-MS-An-Illustrated-Manual.pdf)

MS causes my leg muscles to get tight and stiff when I push myself to the limit. That’s spasticity.

Huega’s Approach Jimmy Huega didn’t say stop pushing to do the most you can do. Huega said to do everything you can do, just take rests.

Like my friend I will learn to notice my body and to not ignore it when it wants a rest.

It is ironically empowering to identify where the painful stiffness came from. Now I can strategize and it is easier to deal with. I follow Huega’s advise—I am learning to rest for a couple of minutes when I feel the invisible pain start.

One form of rest for me is sitting down when I feel stiffness and that invisible beginning of pain. Admitting when my body wants to take a break is something to learn—but Huega is my coach now, and when I need the 5 minute rest, I am determined to take it.

.................................................................................................................................................................
The studies have another method to counteract spasticity. Next week I’ll share that, and also the unexpected perk of that method.

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May 26 MS Breathing Classes?

Joint Pain, or How to Survive a 24 Hour Plane Ride

MS: Location, Location, Location--Plus Our Input!

Do Everything. Include Rest Stops.

Author--
Rosalie Richards

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Categories

May 26 MS Breathing Classes?

Joint Pain, or How to Survive a 24 Hour Plane Ride

MS: Location, Location, Location--Plus Our Input!

Do Everything. Include Rest Stops.

Author--​Rosalie Richards

Archives

Categories

Author--
Rosalie Richards