Monday, 6 July 2015

Magnesium - the missing element in scoliosis treatment?

I stumbled across this very interesting video, discussing the link between neuroscience, neurotransmitters and scoliosis:


The presenter is suggesting that low melatonin production is a key contributor to the development of scoliosis. Specifically, that serotonin needs to efficiently convert to melatonin. That, to me, implies that you have to have adequate levels of serotonin in order for the efficient conversion to melatonin to take place.
What if the suffer also has frequent migraines? Well, as this paper says, "... all migraine suffers should be treated with magnesium". Why? As this page describes, migraines seem to be related to low serotonin levels. And magnesium is a key compound in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.
So could it be that a key treatment for someone suffering scoliosis and migraines is magnesium? Perhaps with the addition of tryptophan (say, in the form of a mature brie).
We've started treating our scoliotic migraine family member with magnesium oil. Touch wood, he's not suffered a migraine since. Will this help his scoliosis? I don't know, but it's a fascinating line of enquiry and far more appealing than the thought of braces or spinal surgery.

Sunday, 1 February 2015

Celebrities that have had a hip replacement

It's interesting to see who else in the celebro-sphere has had a hip replacement. Here's an incomplete list. Qualifications for 'celebrity' are entirely arbitrary. Let me know if I've missed anyone that would be a good candidate for the list.

Celebrities


  • Heston Blumenthal had a hip replacement age 47. He had complications after breaking his leg aged 9, then doing kickboxing for 15 years.
  • Lady Gaga required major hip surgery aged 27.
  • Everyone's favourite purple paisley pixie Prince reportedly had hip replacement surgery in 2008 in his late 40s, perhaps exacerbated by the high heeled boots he wears.
    Interesting that he was conflicted about having the procedure done because his Jehovah's Witness beliefs forbid blood transfusions, which can be a problem if such major surgery is required.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger has an artificial hip which was replaced in about 2002. He had further problems with it in a skiing accident in 2006.
  • George Bush Snr and his wife Barbara both have had their left hips replaced. 
  • Billy Joel has had both hips replaced. 
  • Barry Manilow had hip surgery (not a replacement) age 68. 
  • Lionel Richie had his hip replaced in 2011.
  • Jane Fonda had hip and knee replacement. Too much high-impact aerobics?
  • Ray Charles had his hip done, age 73. Too much foot stomping?
  • Eddie Van Halen had hip replacement age 43. Too many on-stage high kicks? 
  • Also Mick Mars, guitarist for Mötley Crüe had to have his hip done in 2004. Didn't stop him joining the come-back tour in 2005 though.
  • Katherine Hepburn had hers done.
  • Zsa Zsa Gabor had her's done aged 93. 
  • Dancer Wayne Sleep had hip replacement surgery aged 62.
  • Liza Minneli had a knee replacement in her early 60s.
  • Elizabeth Taylor includes a hip replacement in her surgical repertoire.
  • Luciano Pavarotti had a new hip, aged 63, having suffered pain since injuring himself playing football aged 12.
  • Evel Knivel. No, not because of a motorbike crash but after he fell while playing golf!

Minor celebs


  • Jane Kaczmarek of Malcolm In The Middle has had both hers done in her 40s.
  • Angela Towler, dancer with the Rambert Dance Company, required hip replacement surgery in her 30s.
  • Australian media personality Amanda Keller had hip replacement surgery aged 49.
  • Brummie punk songstress Toyah Wilcox has had both hips replaced in her early 40s.
  • Steve Carell had his done, age 51 to fix an old ice hocket injury.

Athletes


  • Hulk Hogan counts a 2004 hip replacement as well as a knee replacement among his many surgeries.
  • Well known strength coach Dan John had a hip replacement in 2011. What's interesting is that Dan is well known for advocating heavy lifting with good form.  
  • Another well known strength and conditioning coach who's had hip replacement in Mark Rippetoe.
  • Body-builder John Grimek had a hip replacement, but he was 87 when he had it done.
  • Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman had a hip replacement in 2014, aged 50.
  • Clarence Bass, known for his book series 'Ripped', had a hip replacement in 2006, aged 68.
  • Body builder Lou Ferringo has had hips and knees replaced.
  • The so-called 'father of Paleo' and metcon proponent Art DeVany had a hiip replacement in 2014.
  • Soccer players are well known for developing hip problems. Players that have had hip replacements include Pat Nevin. Manchester United ex-coach Sir Alex Ferguson had to retire in 2013 to get a hip replacement.
  • Tennis legend Billie Jean King has had both her knees replaced. 
  • Boris Becker has had both hips replaced in 2014, aged 46. 
  • Maria Sharapova has had to withdraw from several events due to hip problems in 2013 and 2014.
  • Gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton had a hip replacement aged 37.
  • Figure skater Rudy Galindo participated in the "Champions On Ice 2004 Tours" on two ceramic hip implants, aged 33.
  • Jack Nicklaus has had a new hip.
  • Baseball player Alex Rodriquez required surgery to repair a torn labrum on his right hip in 2009 as did sprinting doper Tyson Gay in 2010.

Sunday, 4 January 2015

My home prehab/rehab set-up

I'm preparing for the first of two total hip replacements and am doing the maximum possible to set myself up for the best outcome I can. It turns out I'm setting up quite a physio rehab clinic here at home. After the initial hospital stay, I should get home-visit physiotherapy but I've got some equipment ready to go. I'm hiring a few home OT items (raised loo seat, an adjustable-height sitting chair, shower stool) but this is about physio rehab.

My set of goodies includes:

  • Our backyard swimming pool.
    Although I won't be able to use it for the first 3 weeks after the operation (not until the wound has thoroughly healed) it'll be highly valuable after that. I have a floatation belt and a copy of Heal Your Hips by Robert Klapper. I've been doing the aquatic exercises for a few months now. The Water Walking and Water Running are both really good.

  • Recumbent exercise bike.
    I got this cheap second hand and it's in great condition. I've been using it a couple of times a week for about 10 minutes, about as much as my current hip flexibility allows.


  • Resistance band, set up to allow for a pseudo-dead lift.
    This has been very useful pre-op to get things 'straightened out' if I'm feeling stiff or sore.
    This video (http://youtu.be/g_eEQJo-a_Y) shows what I mean.

  • Sand bag.
    About 20kg of sand. Cheap and easy weights!



  • Home-made THX rings.
    Good for upper body strength and lots of fun.
  • Dogs.
    Walkies!!!
  • Weighted back-pack. I've got a back-pack and figure I'll carry some weight like house-bricks when I go walking, as my level of fitness increases post-op.
  • Sunlight. It'll be summer when I get my operation so that means lots of sunshine both pre-op and post-op to make sure there's lots of natural vitamin D in the system to assist recovery.
Non-exercise items include:
  • Ice. I've been icing the hip every day for the past couple of months.
  • Red light. Has been shown to improve healing of soft-tissue wounds so I've got some bright red light sources available to shine on the area - an LED brake-light and a multi-colour LED floodlight. Sounds wacky but it's claimed to be effective.
  • Earthing sheet. If the Schumann Resonance is good enough for Tour De France cyclists, it's good enough for me.
  • DIY Pulsed EMF. While avoiding microwave EMF (wifi, cell phone, cordless phones, smart meters etc) is important for improved recovery, Pulsed EMF devices can be very beneficial for bone healing. Dr Pauluk has lots of good info, but I'm too cheap to pay $1300 for a SomaPulse, so I've created a home-made version using some induction coils off ebay, an iPod and some custom-created waveforms to play through it.