The primary ingredients in fish oil that has the therapeutic effect is EPA and DHA which are Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the 3 essential fatty acids in the diet (can not be made in the body). The other essential fatty acids are Omega 6 and Omega 9. The Standard American Diet (SAD) has a large ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 but the ideal ratio is 1:1. This unhealthy fatty acid ratio has developed over a period of time due to a number of factors including feeding cows and pigs more grain and less grass and the increasing consumption of Omega 6 vegetable cooking oils in the diet. Omega 9 comes from mono saturated fats such as Olive Oil.

There are numerous ways to increase Omega 3 in the diet. Flax seeds (ground) or flax seed oil is an excellent source of Omega 3. The problem with getting additional Omega 3 through consumption of flax seeds is that the type of Omega 3 in flax seeds does not have a therapeutic effect. Eating wild cold water fish is another good source. Farm fed fish are not a good source because of the overcrowded conditions and the type of food fed to the fish. Small cold water fish have less concentrations of mercury. The problem with eating cold water fish on a regular basis is toxic build up of mercury in the body. Therefore the best way to obtain additional Omega 3 is in supplemental fish oil (mercury is filtered out of the oil in the better brands).

The best ways to decrease the amount of Omega 6 oils in the diet is to decrease or eliminate the Omega 6 oils (Safflower, Sunflower, Corn, Soy and Canola) and eat grass fed beef, lamb and dairy products. Add olive oil to the diet every day to make sure you have adequate amounts of Omega 9 fatty acid.

Now that you have balanced the fatty acids in your diet you should notice a marked decrease in pain and inflammation such as from arthritis, cystitis, tendonitis, colitis, prostatitis, headaches, etc.

Physical causes of pain can be from actual damage to the tissue, dehydration from lack of water, nutrient deficiencies, allergies to food or substances in your environment, subluxation in the spine, etc.

Mental, emotional and spiritual causes of pain are caused by how we react to situations that occur in our life. How we interact with the people in our lives has a big impact on our health and happiness. Emotional imbalances in the body cause imbalances in the energy system of our body. I will describe below a simple technique that you can use to release emotional issues on a regular basis that might be causing your pain.

The idea that diseases in the body can be treated by balancing the energy pathways in our body originated with Chinese acupuncture thousands of years ago. Acupuncture treats 12 primary energy pathways in the body called meridians. The acupuncture practitioner uses needles at key points along the meridians to balance the meridians to treat disease including chronic pain. In the mid 1960s Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor, developed a technique called Applied Kinesiology which allowed the practitioner to muscle test various points on the body to find the source of imbalance in the body among other things. Dr. Goodheart is credited with developing the technique to treat the acupuncture points on the meridians with pressure or tapping instead of with needles.

In the 1970s, building on Dr. Goodheart’s work, Dr. John Diamond, M.D. (a psychiatrist) developed a technique called Behavioral Kinesiology. Behavioral Kinesiology was the first technique to use tapping on key acupuncture points while stating positive affirmations to balance emotional problems. In the 1980s, Dr. Roger Callahan (a psychologist) standardized the process of tapping key acupuncture points while repeating affirmations to release (balance) emotional issues. The Callahan technique was the first of many “Energy Psychology” techniques that have been developed to this day.

The Callahan technique uses muscle testing to find the source of the problem and the tapping on key points to release the emotions. Muscle testing is a skill that not all people can master and usually requires the skill of a practitioner. This limits the availability of this technique to the average person who would like to use this technique on a regular basis at home.

In the mid 1990’s a number of simplified Energy Psychology techniques where developed to bypass the need for muscle testing and go straight to the treatment. It takes much less time to treat all the points by tapping on them then to muscle test each one and determine which point needs tapping. The most popular of these techniques is called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). The EFT website offers a free manual on how to learn the technique and a regular newsletter that keeps you up to date on the growing number of applications for this technique. I will write more about this technique later. The EFT website link is listed below.

Emotional Freedom Technique Information

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a common additive found in
most of the processed foods sold at the supermarket. The
manufacturers add MSG to the food primarily to improve the
flavor of the food.

Unfortunately, MSG is an excitotoxin which can over
stimulate the neuron cells in the brain causing
lesions and eventually cell death. Severe health
consequences can occur in predisposed people even with
minute quantities. Common symptoms include headaches,
nausea, facial and joint swelling, tachycardia, chest
pain, heart arrhythmia, asthma and epileptic seizures.

Manufactures use different names for MSG on the labels for
their products in order to hide the presence of MSG. Below
I have listed some of the more common alternative names
that MSG is listed under on food labels:

1. Mono potassium glutamate
2. Glutamate
3. Glutamic Acid
4. Gelatin
5. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
6. Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
7. Autolyzed Plant Protein
8. Sodium Caseinate
9. Calcium Caseinate
10. Textured Protein
11. Yeast Extract
12. Yeast food or nutrient
13. Autolyzed Yeast

90% of the foods purchased by Americans are processed
foods. Obviously it is really important to check the labels
on the processed foods that you buy. Eliminating as many
processed foods as possible will help reduce or eliminate
chronic or acute pain. Below is a link for a video produced
by Dr. Russell Blaylock who is the foremost authority on
Excitotoxins.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)Hidden Names for MSG

If the injury is a musculoskeletal (injury to the
muscles, tendons, ligaments, vertebral discs, etc.) then
the use of ice on the injured area is essential in reducing
the local inflammation. The sooner the ice is applied, the
sooner the inflammation is reduced and the quicker your
recovery will be from the injury.

Prepare the bag of ice by putting ice cubes in a freezer
bag. Fill the bag with water, remove the excess air out of
the bag and close it. To remove pressure off of the area of
injury, lay with your knees and hips at a 90 degree angle
(knees in the air) and put the bag of ice directly on the
injured area. Do not remove the bag of ice until the area
is numb.

The ice pack can be applied every two hours to keep the
local inflammation at a minimum to maximize the healing.
Minimize the movement involving your lower back while you
are recovering from your injury to prevent a relapse. Rest
is important.

Nutritional supplements such as fish oil will reduce the
inflammation and Vitamin C with bioflavanoids will help
repair the tendons and ligaments. Drink plenty of water to
help flush out the toxins in the area of injury. If you get
actively involved in your treatment your recovery will not
only be much quicker but you will have a much better chance
of preventing any future injuries.

Firehouse.com June 14, 2007