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Chest pain
Sometimes one of the small joints in the thoracic spine (facet joints) can become inflamed and swollen. The joint presses on the nerve root causing pins and needles or referred pain around the chest. As the swelling of the joint fluctuates, so does the pressure on the nerve and the symptoms. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as post-viral syndrome and Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) affects the nervous and immune systems. General consensus appears to be that there is no known cause or cure for the illness.
We believe that this illness is actually due to a low sympathetic drive. The illness precipitates after an injury to the spine and/or a severe and chronic viral infection.
An injury to the spine bruises the small joints (facet joints) and the damage is perpetuated by a reflexive protective muscle spasm putting further pressure on the joints. The spasm itself is symptomless but reduces the efficiency of the muscle pump causing local congestion and a build up of waste products. This state of affairs may last several years. In the thoracic spine this congestion also affects the sympathetic nerve chain (part of the autonomic nervous system) resulting in a low sympathetic drive. This can result in symptoms from the back trouble before pain is experienced and these include: tiredness, headaches, a tensed up feeling, depression and postural dizzy spells. The increased parasympathetic activity often results in indigestion and sometimes food sensitivities. When the waste products in the muscles rise above a critical level they go into a cramp, causing pain. This can be experienced as general back trouble, a slight ache between the shoulders or as a very sharp localised pain.
Treatment is mainly with physical medicine to relieve the basic problem of the bruised facet joints. Ultrasonic waves relax the spasm of the muscles and speed up the repair mechanism. Muscle stimulation to the thoracic groups of muscles uses the pumping property of the muscles to reduce the tissue oedema. Massage helps this and gentle remobilisation restores normal movement to the spine. As the spasm is reduced, so is the congestion in the area and the sympathetic drive returns to normal, thus relieving most of the patient's symptoms. The treatment needs repeating two or three times a week for about twelve or more visits. Supplementary Vitamin B and Magnesium are often required, because the gastritis, which almost always accompanies the low sympathetic drive leads to various absorption deficiencies.
(See Back Pain and Associated Problems)
Depression
A feeling of depression can often be related to a problem in the thoracic spine (between the shoulder blades). Muscle spasm interferes with the return circulation of blood around the thoracic spine and this causes a 'water logging' of the sympathetic ganglion. This results in an overall inadequate activity of the sympathetic nerve system causing fatigue and many other symptoms. The brain can increase the sympathetic drive in a state of fright by stimulating the anxiety fright centre. In the case of the patient with back trouble, the anxiety centre is stimulated to improve the whole body function. The patient feels very tensed up. In a number of people the brain cannot sustain this without a reaction and a depression sets in. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)
Dowagers hump
At around 50 or 60 years of age, the thoracic curve in the back sometimes becomes more accentuated, particularly in women. There is also a pad of tissue at the top of the thoracic spine that stands out, often referred to as Dowager's Hump. It may accompany a level of osteoporosis and calcium deficiency, so both of these should be checked.
Although it is generally thought to be a pad of fat, when you apply pressure to the tissue with a thumb, it leaves an indentation, which suggests that it is filled with fluid. Dowager's Hump is usually regarded as a very difficult condition to treat, but lymphatic drainage (See Lymphatic malfunction), especially if it is combined with hormone replacement therapy and manipulation to mobilise the thoracic spine and reduce the curvature, can bring about a great improvement and even a total cure of this problem. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)
It should be noted that any food sensitivities, especially for milk, wheat and could increase the tendency to retain fluid and so great care should be taken with the diet during and after treatment. Some people notice that they need to empty their bladder more frequently than usual for a while after the treatment. This is almost certainly an indication of the amount of fluid being removed from the tissues.
Frozen shoulder
A frozen shoulder is a sympathetic dystrophy. Water logging of the stellate ganglion makes many of its functions over active. If a person uses the shoulder to an unusual extent such as chopping up wood, or bruises it slightly, the ganglion hopelessly over reacts and instead of mildly increasing the repair, it turns on the full emergency inflammatory reaction. This causes the symptoms of swelling, pain, immobility and even temporary calcification of some of the tissues to immobilise the joint. Treatment to the stellate ganglion will usually resolve this fairly rapidly. Left to itself a frozen shoulder takes 9-months to come on, 6-months at zenith and then 6 or more months to resolve. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)(See The Autonomic Nervous system)
Gastritis
Gastritis means inflammation of the lining of the stomach. This is nearly always brought about through excessive acid in the stomach which is actually very strong. There was an advertisement years ago for some anti-acid and they showed a picture of a carpet with a hole in it saying, "Would your stomach acid do this? Take so and so's antacid" The fact is that it probably would because the acid is powerful and one of the problems is that you can under adverse conditions start to digest the stomach which makes the lining become inflamed. The commonest reason for the excessive acid is that the person has an imbalance between the nerves controlling the stomach so it pours out too much. The first effect of this is that it probably makes a person eat more than usual, they tend to nibble as they are trying to mop up this extra acid to stop it from hurting the stomach. If the inflammation gets a little bit worse the stomach then begins to decide it doesn't want any food put in it so people do not feel hungry and can even feel sick with it. Further on, people get pain, which is the ultimate warning that all is not well with the stomach itself. If it gets to the extreme, it can burn a hole in the stomach and you get an ulcer. The sympathetic nerves that should stop the acid from pouring into the stomach, if malfunctioning, this causes too much movement of the stomach, trying to pump the contents into the duodenum which is supposed to be alkaline and the membranes there are totally unsuited to deal with this acid and therefore one fairly readily gets a duodenal ulcer.
Both of these are caused by the sympathetic nerves, which would normally turn the stomach off and reduce the amount of movement, being upset and allowing the other system to work without any opposition causing excessive acid and movement, leading to these various conditions.
When an ulcer breaches the membrane of the stomach, it is possible for bacteria to invade the ulcer. There is only one bacterium, the helicobacter, which is able to exist in the acid of the stomach, therefore if this bacteria is present it will infect either the duodenal or gastric ulcer and can be very difficult to clear up whilst the bacterium is present. Under these circumstances, any patient showing some resistance to conventional treatments including < a href="technique.php">The Sherwood Technique should try a course of antibiotics to get rid of the inherent infection and this should allow the ulcer to repair completely.
Hiatus Hernia
The muscle of the diaphragm is made up of a complex of fibres attached right around the trunk, going in many directions and making up the sheath of the muscle between the lungs and the abdomen. Where structures such as the oesophagus and large blood vessels pass through between the chest to the abdomen, the muscles split to allow passage. In a number of people the hole is slightly too large and organs - almost always the stomach, can slip through the defect up into the chest. The main effect and symptom of this is stretching the muscle valve that stops acid passing back up the oesophagus (eating tube) so that it regurgitates to the mouth. Ordinary indigestion is seldom a symptom of Hiatus hernia and would be very unlikely to be cured by repairing the diaphragm. The majority of Hiatus Hernaea are symptomless. Treatment of the thoracic spine causes a considerable tightening of the valve to the stomach and prevents regurgitation. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)(See The Autonomic Nervous system)
Indigestion
Indigestion has been defined as the inability to put a square meal into a round stomach. The word means any form of malfunction of the stomach starting from feeling not hungry because it is slightly inflamed to feeling that you want to eat all the time to mop up excess acid, to having discomfort and wind and being 'blown out', finally having pain in the stomach and possibly the duodenum they are very inflamed or an ulcer is present. There are a number of causes of indigestion, one, if you're eating at very irregular hours and unsuitable types of food, this can cause problems with digestion, however a large number of people have indigestion of varying degrees without an actual cause being shown. These people usually are satisfactorily treated by one of the acid inhibitors such as simitidine or ranitidine but they get temporary relief only and on abandoning treatment the indigestion will eventually return.
It is my experience that probably the commonest form of indigestion is when a person has an injury to the upper part of the back and the muscle spasm interferes with the muscle pumping activity. Oedema or 'water logging' of the area upsets the sympathetic nerve centres that amongst other thing control the acid to the stomach. This results in too much secreted and it not being turned off properly after a meal. The stomach therefore, attacked by its own acid instead of digesting food and this can cause anything from a low-grade inflammation right up to an ulcer of the stomach wall. The extra movement of the stomach, which also accompanies the sympathetic nerve malfunction, pushes acid into the duodenal area (which is supposed to be an alkaline area) and the acid will readily burn a whole in the duodenum causing a duodenal ulcer.
A number of people are thought to have trouble with a hiatus hernia which is when the stomach passes up into the chest cavity via a hole in the diaphragm, up through which the eating tube or oesophagus runs because they have various forms of indigestion. The common complication is that acid regurgitates up into the mouth giving a nasty taste and this can get quite unpleasant, People have to sleep sitting up to avoid this regurgitation of acid. Treatment of the sympathetic will return the acid production back to normal and so will relieve this condition more or less permanently.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, or post-viral syndrome affects the nervous and immune systems. General consensus appears to be that there is no known cause or cure for the illness.
We believe that this illness is actually due to a low sympathetic drive. An injury to the spine which causes the chronic fatigue syndrome and which, if followed by a severe or chronic viral infection, precipitates the crisis, causing the symptoms of ME.
An injury to the spine bruises the small joints (facet joints) and the damage is perpetuated by a reflexive protective muscle spasm putting further pressure on the joints. The spasm itself is symptomless but reduces the efficiency of the muscle pump causing local congestion and a build up of waste products. This state of affairs may last several years. In the thoracic spine this congestion also affects the sympathetic nerve chain (part of the autonomic nervous system) resulting in a low sympathetic drive. This can result in symptoms from the back trouble before pain is experienced and these include: tiredness, headaches, a tensed up feeling, depression and postural dizzy spells. The increased parasympathetic activity often results in indigestion and sometimes food sensitivities. When the waste products in the muscles rise above a critical level they go into a cramp, causing pain. This can be experienced as general back trouble, a slight ache between the shoulders or as a very sharp localised pain.
A severe or chronic viral infection exacerbates the symptoms by causing inflammation in the lymph nodes that surround the sympathetic chain, hugely increasing the malfunction.
Treatment is mainly with physical medicine to relieve the basic problem of the bruised facet joints. Ultrasonic waves relax the spasm of the muscles and speed up the repair mechanism. Muscle stimulation to the thoracic groups of muscles uses the pumping property of the muscles to reduce the tissue oedema. Massage helps this and gentle remobilisation restores normal movement to the spine. As the spasm is reduced, so is the congestion in the area and the sympathetic drive returns to normal, thus relieving most of the patient's symptoms. The treatment needs repeating two or three times a week for about twelve or more visits. Supplementary Vitamin B and Magnesium are often required, because the gastritis, which almost always accompanies the low sympathetic drive and leads to various absorption deficiencies.(See Back Pain and Associated Problems)(See The Autonomic Nervous system)
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease that affects the skin and joints. Although the hereditary factor cannot be treated, if the patient's general health can be optimised the body is usually able to keep the psoriasis under control. Treatment may need to be repeated especially after debilitating illness.(See Back Pain and Associated Problems)(See The Autonomic Nervous system)
Stomach disorders
Food sensitivities, gastritis, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, nausea and peptic ulcers are all symptoms that are often related to an injury in the thoracic spine. Many of these are brought about by sympathetic imbalance. This results in too much acid, slack valves and too much movement of the intestines. Most can be greatly helped by treating the thoracic spine and restoring the sympathetic balance. (See Back Pain and Associated Problems)(See The Autonomic Nervous system)
Back Pain and Associated Problems
Pain in any part of the neck and back is almost always due to a muscle cramp - there is a slight ache if only a few fibres cramp to an agonising pain if the whole muscle is involved. Facet joints at any level of the spine can press upon spinal nerves causing associated referred pain, and this can be felt in the arm, leg, head or trunk.
The sympathetic nerve centres (sympathetic ganglion) lie virtually on the muscles of the spine. Muscle spasm causes the nerve centres to become waterlogged producing mostly single problems but not infrequently the whole system can be involved causing serious illness (the typical symptoms of ME and chronic fatigue syndrome). Sympathetic malfunction effects mainly blood vessels, joints and the bowel. The other significant problem associated with back problems is considerable disruption of a person's sex life. The effect of pain is obvious but other problems like loss of libido and impotence can be explained by the sympathetic upset.
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Back Treatment
Treatment must be directed at the basic cause of back pain and this is a bruised facet joint. The pressure of the protective muscle spasm must be relaxed, the poor blood circulation from the loss of the muscle pump must be improved, and the associated tissues require stretching to counteract the shortening that takes place through years of the spasm pulling the vertebrae together. This can be achieved by physical medicine using The Sherwood Technique.
The Autonomic Nervous System
A large number of functions in the body take place without any conscious interference. To achieve this we have two separate and somewhat opposed nerve systems; together they are called the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic adrenalin system is responsible for all maintenance and repair in the body, including regulating all parameter levels such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and general levels of energy. It also is involved in creating a state of super efficiency to make the body more able to cope in a physical emergency such as if a lion was seen 50 metres away - fright is associated with this. The sympathetic nerve centres (sympathetic ganglia) controlling the whole system lie along the muscles of the back and rely on them for a proper circulation. This accounts for the fact that so many apparently unrelated problems such as indigestion, dizziness, depression and fatigue can be caused by a back problem.
The opposing system is the parasympathetic system that comes into its own after a meal, making the person torpid and activating all the digestive processes. The parasympathetic nerve centre (parasympathetic ganglia) lie in the brainstem protected by the skull and is not therefore prone to malfunction.
A lymphatic malfunction
The Lymphatic System is the sewage system of the body. Ducts from the tissue spaces between the cells drain the fluid through the lymph nodes back to the circulating blood. The lymph nodes are similar to sewage farms, filtering and detoxifying the fluid before recycling it. They also perform the further function of producing antibodies against foreign protein as found in invading bacteria or viruses carried to them from the tissue spaces. The Tonsils, Adenoids, and Appendix are all part of the lymphatic system.
One of the most common complaints is the recurrent streptococcal throat infection. This is relieved in many cases by the removal of the Tonsils and possibly the Adenoids denoting the fact that at least these organs can suffer damage. A number of cases, however, are only partly improved by this manoeuvre and a few not at all. In all these cases the cervical (neck) lymph nodes are to a varying extent enlarged and hard. If the Tonsils are prone to a breakdown of function - why not the lymph nodes as well? When large and hard they are either working overtime, which is unlikely in the view of the continuing nature of the illness, or overloaded, functioning poorly and partially obstructed. The fact that they can break down supports the latter view.
Consideration of other chronic infections shows that in their specific drainage areas a similar condition of enlarged and hard lymph nodes occurs. E.g. enlarged cervical (neck) nodes with chronic sinusitis and recurrent loss of voice. Enlarged ileac (abdominal) nodes with chronic cystitis and enlarged chest lymph nodes with chronic bronchitis.
This is further borne out by the fact that these nodes can be restored to normal function by treatment forcing fluid through them and by breaking up the debris in them by means of electrical and ultrasonic wave treatment. As the nodes clinically improve so, shortly afterwards, does the state of the infection and patient.
As the blockage lessens the drainage from the area improves resulting in an overall higher resistance to infection; thus of course eliminating that already present. Secondly, normal function of the lymph nodes results in a quicker and stronger antibody response. |
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