How Naturopathy can support Chiropractic care

You may be having regular visits with your chiropractor to maintain a healthy spine and  nervous system, and as you will know, these are the fundamentals of overall health and wellbeing.  But have you thought about using supplements that support all the efforts made by both you and your practitioner?  Are you taking products already to support joint care, inflammation, pain or even digestive health, but aren’t entirely sure if you are on the right ones?  

Hopefully this article will provide you with some insight as to the right kind of products to suit your needs.

Firstly I’ll talk about glucosamine, a widely utilized product taken from shark or bovine (cow) cartilage to promote….healthy joints?  cartilage repair?  Actually glucosamine works on the mucous membrane lining of the gut, to reduce inflammation and therefore inflammation for the joints.  It actually works for only 60-70% of people, and should work within 4-5 weeks at 500mg per day, or it won’t help at all.  It is more effective in treating knee problems than ankles, and will have a small impact on pain if you are one of the people that responds to it.   Due to the gut connection, glucosamine can work well for people with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis.  Again, for those who are non-receptive, an alternative would be Green Lipped mussel at 3000g per day.

For reducing inflammation throughout the body, omega 3 is an important nutrient.  We derive this from oily deep sea fish (not farmed), flax oil, hemp oil, and oily nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds, brazils and macadamias.  Fish oil products vary greatly in quality and dosing, so be mindful of where you purchase as this will effect their heavy metal content, purity and levels of omega 3 available.  There are also algae derived omegas for sale now, that reduce the impact on the environment.  Krill oil also receives much hype, though this is more effective if you also have cardiovascular issues (cholesterol, high blood pressure etc), obesity or Type 2 diabetes issues on top of joint problems.  Correct dosing should be worked out with your practitioner.

Trials on herbs such as Rehmannia have proven to be very effective in their ability to act like corticosteroids without the side effects.  If you suffer with arthritic pain, other herbs such as Devil’s claw, Echinacea & Baical skullcap can be very beneficial depending on the type of arthritis.

If you suffer with discomfort due to regular muscle cramping, this needs a different approach, namely specific forms of magnesium and electrolytes, as well as balancing the nervous system to prevent further reoccurrence.  Tight muscles will not support your spinal adjustments so it is important to address this.  A consult will help establish any potential causes from medications, lifestyle or dietary factors.  Magnesium rich foods include wholegrains, nuts & seeds and vegetables.  Electrolyte rich foods include bananas, coconut water, himalayan salt, dates and vegetables.

Finally turmeric is a very popular superfood and for good reason – it contains compounds that act as anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and circulatory stimulants.  Turmeric is also a proven analgesic, so is fantastic for treating painful conditions when used in specific high dosing through supplementation.

Visit Mikaela for a naturopathy appointment if you would like further advice on how to best support your musculoskeletal health and overall wellbeing.