Learn to protect yourself and loved ones from strokes

Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

Special to the Village News

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Forty more seconds, another stroke. More than 795,000 strokes each year. Of these, more than 140,000 people die, making strokes the third leading disease cause of death in the country.

According to the National Stroke Association, we could easily slash that number by at least 80 percent – right now.

Yet, the answer to prevention isn’t in drugs or surgery. Medicines have proved to be dismal failures in avoiding strokes, especially the popular use of statin therapy. Despite the fact that the drug industry sold more than $14 billion in statins in 2015, more than a dozen studies have shown that when used for prevention of strokes in otherwise healthy people with no personal history or symptoms of heart disease, statins do very little, if anything, to prevent a heart attack or stroke. They do, however, pose major health risks.

In 2013, the FDA issued new warnings about statins, noting they can cause cognitive (brain-related) impairment, such as memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion; an increased risk of raised blood sugar levels and the development of Type 2 diabetes; and an increased risk of muscle damage.

Other medical approaches have been equally ineffective and dangerous. In May 2013, the government stopped a medical stroke study of different treatments for a brain condition that can cause strokes. Early results suggested invasive therapies were riskier than previously thought.

"From what we can see, our current methods of intervention may pose a greater hazard for health than letting the natural history run itself out," said Columbia University neurologist Dr. Jay Mohr, one of the lead researchers.

If we can’t protect ourselves with drugs, how do we prevent strokes? Experts all agree: by following a wellness lifestyle, improving overall health and well-being, and strengthening the body’s immune system.

The human body is remarkably capable of warding off diseases when allowed to do so with the aid of good diet to control weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure; stress management techniques to relieve physical, mental, and emotional tension; and immediately stopping unhealthy habits like smoking, drug use and drinking alcohol.

In recent years, the health community has discovered another important factor: a strong immune system. For a long time, stroke and other injuries to the brain were associated with inflammation caused by a reaction of the body’s immune system. This led to the use of drugs specifically meant to weaken or hinder the immune system. Recent brain research is proving that theory totally wrong.

Most notable is the work of a team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Neurobiology Department.

“My group decided to reexamine the assumption that the brain is hurt by any immune activity, because it didn’t make sense,” said Prof. Schwartz.

Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, found that immune cells contribute to maintaining the brain's ability to maintain cognitive ability and cell renewal throughout life. They also found that immune cells might also be key players in the body's maintenance of the normal healthy brain. That’s good news for potential stroke victims.

Maintaining a strong immune system as well as elevating overall well-being levels takes a multi-disciplinary approach. One component of that approach is energy medicine, specifically a scientific method I developed for correcting interference in muscles, fascia, nerve, and blood vessels in the sub-occipital muscles of the upper neck. Relieving this brainstem tension allows your body to function more efficiently and increase your total well-being. It can also strengthen your immune system, which can prevent many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, strokes etc.

The fact is, drugs or surgery should always be the last resort. I believe it is wise to be proactive and protect yourself by living a wellness lifestyle.

For more information on wellness and nutrition, which have been proven effective in preventing disease, visit http://temeculawellnesscenter.com or call us for a free consultation (951) 699-5000.