local insights

A Gut Approach to Chronic Pain

by David Pollack, DC

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Many of us live in chronic pain, whether there’s a single part of us that hurts—like our neck, back, shoulder or knee—or an entire region of our body. Then there are those of us who hurt everywhere! Why don’t these pesky pains heal or go away? When pain hasn’t resolved within a reasonable period, there might be another reason besides just the spot that hurts. Pain is the result of local stimulation of nerve fibers that tell the brain that something is wrong. The brain interprets this signal and tells us, That hurts! In most situations, our body heals whatever injury is causing the nerve stimulation, and we go about our life never better. Even if there was a physical injury to the area—an accident or a fall—we generally heal. Sometimes, however, the insult to the area does not resolve. Why does one person stay in pain when another doesn’t? The answer may lie elsewhere.

Our busy gut

Our gut, the digestive tract, stays busy all the time. Beyond its obvious digestive functions, it has two other super important functions we don’t usually think about. The gut is home to 70 percent of our immune system. It’s also home to the production of neurotransmitters, the chemicals our nerves and digestive tract use to communicate with each other. So a problem in the gut can affect the transmission of all sorts of information, including pain and mood. In other words, gut problems can cause much more global or systemic inflammation than we might realize. Any digestive issue—from heartburn and reflux to IBS and colitis—can produce inflammation. Even mild bloating is indicative of gut-mediated inflammation. And it doesn’t just stay in our gut. It travels through the bloodstream and likes to stop wherever there is already another inflammatory process occurring. That means wherever it hurts already. So it would seem that getting our digestionrelated inflammation under control could actually reduce pain in other areas of our body. Chronic inflammation also raises our body’s production of cortisol, the hormone that controls inflammation. But chronically increased cortisol stops being effective, leading to further uncontrolled inflammation—and, on top of that, stress. So increased cortisol causes an increased sensation of being stressed. Guess what that does? Nothing good and a whole lot of bad. More pain and inflammation. Bottom line: Don’t ignore a digestive problem, no matter how minor it might seem. Left untreated, it can contribute to pain and prevent healing.

Dr. David L. Pollack is the founder of Pollack Wellness Institute, located at 66 Commack Rd.,Suite 204, Commack, NY. For appointments or more information, call 631-861HEAL(4325), email davidpollackdc@gmail.com or visit PollackWellness.com. See ads, pages 4 and 47.

Using Numerology to Learn About Ourselves

“IF YOU CHANGE NOTHING, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.”

by Stacyann Brown

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Numerology is the study of numbers to understand ourselves and give the world around us deeper meaning. Much like astrology uses our birthday to tell us about ourselves in relation to our zodiac sign, numerology uses our birthday and name to provide deeper insight into our internal world. With numerology, we can unlock our soul’s purpose by a simple calculation based on our birth date, which gives us something called a life-path number. We also have an entire numerology chart available to us with a few simple calculations. Curious to learn what the numbers say about you? Keep reading to find out.

What is a life-path number?

Our life-path number symbolizes who we are at our core. This number tells us our strengths in this lifetime as well as our weaknesses. Life-path numbers typically fall within the range of 1 through 9, with the exception of master numbers 11, 22 and 33. Calculating your life-path number is simple. Let’s say your birthday is September 28, 1997. Start by simplifying the elements of this date down to single digits by adding the individual numerals. For example, to reduce the year 1997, add 1 + 9 + 9 + 7 to equal 26, and then add 2 + 6 to equal 8. The month is already a single digit, 9, so all that’s left is to reduce the day: 2 + 8 = 10, then 1 + 0 = 1. Then take all those single digits, add them together (8 + 9 + 1 = 18), and reduce them to a single digit (1 + 8 = 9). We are left with number 9, which is your life-path number.

Expression, Soul-Urge, Birthday and Karmic-Debt Numbers

Our life-path number is not the only thing that numerology can tell us. As with astrology, there’s an entire numerology chart that includes other significant calculations. Let’s break them down. The expression number, one of the core numbers on a numerology chart, reveals your passions, desires and skills. It is calculated by adding the value of the letters of your full name, as determined by numerology’s alphabetical number system. Example: Let’s say your full name is Mary Kate (4 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 2 + 2 + 5 = 30). Reduce the 30 to a single digit (3 + 0), and 3 is your expression number. The soul-urge number, another part of the numerology chart, shows what your heart wants and what you dream of in this lifetime. To calculate this, use your name and the same alphabetical chart, but only add the consonants. Example: Still using the name Mary Kate, let’s calculate the consonants: 4 + 9 + 7 + 2 + 2 = 24. Reduce 24 to a single digit (2 + 4), and 6 is your soulurge number. The birthday number is as easy as it sounds. It’s simply the meaning behind your day of birth! Because the birth month doesn’t factor in, a calculation is needed only if the day itself is a double digit. Example: Using the birthday September 28, reduce the 28 until you get a single digit: 2 + 8 = 10, and then 1 + 0 = 1. While the birthday number is easy to calculate, it’s extremely important— just as important as the life-path number or any core number on a numerology chart. Karmic-debt numbers are the last thing to know about a numerology chart. Not everyone has one, though! Throughout our lifetimes we set out to master certain lessons, and any lesson we don’t master, we’ll have to learn again in our current lifetime. The four karmic-debt numbers are 13, 14, 15 and 16. Your karmic-debt number is associated with one of the five core numbers on your numerology chart. For example, if you have a 6 somewhere within your core numbers, you may have a karmic-debt number of 15.

Final Thoughts

Numerology can unlock our deepest desires, our best and worst traits, and the lessons we are destined to learn within this lifetime. By calculating our numerology chart, we can learn something new about ourselves.

Stacyann Brown is a spiritual awakening coach, psychic numerologist, tarot reader and channeler. For appointments and information, email info@soothinascensions or visit SoothinAscensions.com. Receive 15% off a Numerology Reading with Code Natural.

Three Powerful Energy Techniques

STRESSED, SCARED OR ANGRY? TRY THESE EXERCISES FOR INSTANT RELIEF AND MORE FOCUSED, PEACEFUL STATE OF MIND”

by Cheryl Lazarus

Any prolonged negative emotion takes a toll on our health. Cheryl Lazarus, a certified life coach as well as an energy healer for people and pets, teaches these quick energy techniques to counter stress, fear and anger and shift into “focus, balance and calm.”

Instant Stress Relief: Hands on Heart

This technique brings you from your head into your heart. It is comforting and nurturing. • Place your right hand over your left on the center of your chest (heart chakra). • Inhale slowly and gently through your nose. • Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing your breath to drop into your heart. Smile. • Repeat twice. If still stressed, repeat twice, for a total of three rounds.

Fear Reset: Finger Press

Try this before or during a challenging or uncomfortable situation, or when experiencing stress. Use the thumb and middle finger on one hand or both hands • Place the pad of your thumb on the soft side of your middle finger (under the big knuckle). • Inhale while holding it light as a butterfly. • Exhale while pressing firmly with your thumb. It is a powerful acupressure point. • Repeat twice. If still fearful, repeat twice, for a total of three rounds.

Anger Reset: Reverse Breath

Try this when frustrated, irritated or angry. It can be done without anyone noticing. • Inhale gently and long through your mouth. • Close your mouth. Exhale gently and long through your nose. • Repeat twice. If still angry, repeat twice, for a total of three rounds. Cheryl Lazarus helps people and animals going through emotional and/or health challenges, including those about to undergo surgery or in recovery. For more information, visit PetHealingNaturally.com and ActivelyHeal.com.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Illness That Doesn’t Exist

What to do when the doctor says you’re not sick—‘It’s all in your head.’

From the Desk of Dr. Howard Robins at The Healing Center in New York City

You go to the doctor, who does many tests, but they came back with nothing unusual to report.

“Everything was ruled out,” the doctor says. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

But you think, It’s just not normal to be this tired!

By now you’re going to bed early almost every night. You sleep eight to 12 hours and still wake up tired, even exhausted.

While almost everyone experiences fatigue from time to time, this is not like anything you’ve experienced before. You have chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that more than 1 million Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, and that number is growing. Are you one of them?

The diagnosis: Does this sound like you?

If you’ve felt generally unwell for three months or longer and have at least four of the following eight symptoms, you may have chronic fatigue syndrome:

•weakness and exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after mental or physical activity • unrefreshing sleep • substantial impairment of short-term memory or concentration • muscle pain • pain in the joints, without swelling or redness • headaches of a new type, pattern or severity • tender or swollen armpit and/or neck lymph nodes sore throat

What causes chronic fatigue syndrome?

While the CDC and doctors say the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are unknown, alternative physicians have directly linked it to the Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis); the herpes 6 virus; candidiasis; Lyme disease (undiagnosed due to falsenegative tests); and cytomegalovirus.

One or even several of these infections could be causing y our illness.

More about the symptoms

In addition to the ones above, here are other common symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome:

•problems focusing (“brain cloudiness” or “brain fog”) • generalized muscle pain (bromyalgia) • a feeling of malaise after almost any exertion • irritable bowel (diarrhea or constipation) • depression or anxiety • chills and night sweats • new food, odor or chemical sensitivities

So what’s the answer? How can I fix it?

If you visited “traditional” doctors, they probably offered no real help. Pharmaceutical medicine generally doesn’t make things better, and often makes things worse. Even alternative treatments—oral or IV vitamins, herbs, acupuncture, etc.—tend to help just a little or for just a short time. But please don’t give up hope. For those of you who are still suffering, the answer is intravenous medical ozone therapy. You might be surprised to know that this proven and safe, but unusual, medical treatment has been used worldwide in more than 50 countries for 70 Dr. Howard Robins years and by more than 45,000 physicians and therapists to successfully treat chronic fatigue syndrome and many other diseases and illnesses. Medical ozone is a gas that’s made at the time of treatment. (It can’t be stored, bottled or put in capsules). Organizations like the Society for the Advancement of Bioxidative Therapy and the International Association of Ozone in Healthcare and Dentistry are now organizing and teaching U.S. doctors how to use this “miracle medicine” to help sufferers overcome chronic fatigue syndrome and other diseases and conditions that have been virtually untreatable. You no longer have to suffer from this debilitating illness!

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