Acupuncture Helps Nerves Regenerate

Several experiments have been conducted on animals to study the effects of acupuncture or electroacupuncture on nerve injuries. Here are some of the results and conclusions:

• acupuncture increases the survival of damaged neurons
• electroacupuncture increases the number of nerve fibres
• electroacupuncture increases axon density and blood vessel area
• electroacupuncture improves nerve conduction speed
• electroacupuncture improves the function of de-innervated muscle tissue

So those are the effects on rats, rabbits and frogs…but what about humans? Well, a study conducted in Germany at the Heildelberg School of Chinese Medicine and published in the European Journal of Neurology showed some promising results. Forty seven patients with peripheral neuropathies of unknown cause were assigned to either an acupuncture group or a control group (the control group received the best medical care but no specific treatment for peripheral neuropathy). The patients were evaluated over a year by nerve conduction studies.

Over three-quarters of the acupuncture group improved. These results are even more impressive when we realise that the natural progression of the neuropathies, as shown by the control group, was one of gradual deterioration.

The overwhelming data suggests that acupuncture can help promote nerve regeneration and this remains true whether the nerve problem results from injury or some undefined cause.

Nerve Injuries

Nerves are cable-like structures that send information between the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain) and the target organs (internal organs, skin, muscles, joints, etc). A nerve if formed of bundles of axons surrounded by layers of connective tissue. Nerves are responsible for reflexes, sensation and muscle contractions. Pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness are tell-tale signs of nerve pathology.

The most common nerve injuries are:

• Stretch-related injuries: these are encountered when traction forces exceed the nerve’s capacity to stretch eg. Erb’s Palsy is an injury to the brachial plexus during childbirth
• Lacerations: these are caused by knifes, glass and other sharp implements
• Compression injuries: these can either be caused by external forces, as in the “Saturday Night Palsy” or “Honeymooners Palsy”  which is a radial nerve compression generally preceded by arm pain to a degree that only excessive alcohol or love would drive a person to keep the arm in such an uncomfortable position; or internal forces eg. carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica and it’s associated neurological symptoms. The latter is often referred to as a nerve entrapment or “trapped nerve”.

Seddon was the first to classify nerve injuries in 1943. His classification is probably the simplest and is still used today:

• Mild injuries (Neurapraxia): temporary loss of conduction at injury site leading to sensory or motor problems; no damage to axon or surrounding sheath and connective tissue; full recovery within days or weeks.
• Moderate injuries (Axonotmesis): temporary loss of conduction below the site of injury leading to sensory or motor problems; complete disruption of axon and surrounding myelin sheath below the level of injury but connective tissue encapsulations are preserved; because the tunnels formed by connective tissue are preserved, the sprouting axon shoots are able to eventually reconnect to the target organs; the process can take some time as nerves regenerate at a speed of about 1mm/day (0.5-9mm/day).
• Severe injuries (Neurotmesis): temporary or permanent loss of conduction below the site of injury leading to severe sensory, motor and autonomic problems; partial or complete disruption of the entire nerve, including the connective tissue encapsulations; because of the discontinuity in the connective tissue tunnels and the formation of scar tissue, recovery without surgery is unlikely; also, after about a year of denervation, the sprouting axons are no longer able to connect to receptor sites on target organs such as muscle, sensory receptors may survive for many years.

In summary, and this may be obvious, nerve injuries that leave the connective tissue tunnels intact have a greater likelihood of leading to full recovery. Although it may take several months or even up to a year for this to happen. This type of injury usually results from compression injuries or mild stretch-related injuries. Severe stretch-related injuries and lacerations are more serious because they usually damage the connective tissue tunnels. This requires surgery and often leads to incomplete recovery.

Next week we’ll see how acupuncture can promote the regeneration of nerve injuries.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Nelson Mandela

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

Confucius

Chronic Pain And Emotion

Professor Apkarian has studied chronic pain for over 20 years. In a recent study looking into people with recent back pain, he was able to predict with 85% accuracy those that would go on to develop chronic back pain! How? By noticing an increased level of cross-talk between two specific parts of the brain…suggesting that the more emotionally the brain reacts to the injury…the greater the likelihood of developing chronic pain. The researchers also found that the subjects that developed chronic back pain lost grey matter density…this is in accord with earlier studies that have measured brain atrophy in people with chronic pain. These changes can be compared to those that occur with aging.

Best Sources Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

What are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids? Before we delve into that, it’s important to distinguish between 3 types of omega-3 fatty acids:

• alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
• docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
• eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Our bodies don’t produce ALA, so it’s essential to our diet. We can convert ALA into DHA and EPA but this is limited, so they’re required as well. In brief, we need all three. ALA is found in flaxseed oil (1:3) , canola oil (2:1), soybean oil (7:1), olive oil (3-13:1), butternuts, walnuts, edamame and chia seeds. EPA/DHA are found in oily fish (herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, anchovies, trout and halibut). Surprisingly, EPA and DHA can also be found in meat and eggs but mainly when the animals were fed on grass rather than grain.

Although the previous post focussed on the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3s, there are other benefits. They have been found to improve appetite, weight and quality of life in cancer patients. They stimulate blood circulation and decrease systolic blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack and help with varicose veins. Lastly, they improve brain function and help with depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, like most things in life, omega-3s should be taken in moderation…an excess of 3g of DHA/EPA per day could lead to an increased risk of bleeding, stroke, decreased blood sugar tolerance in diabetics and an increase in low density lipoproteins (LDL). Another concern is the presence of heavy metals and other fat soluble pollutants in fish…healthy eating is good but not simple! Fortunately the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

The suggested intake of ALA is 1.1g/day (women) – 1.6g/day (men) and for EPA/DHA it’s 2 servings of fish per week (more for those with risk of heart disease).