AUSTRALIAN NATUROPATHIC NETWORK
 Serving the community since 1998

Scoliosis emerged as the new mystery disease of the 80’s (or was it the 70’s?)

It was unexplained, misunderstood, feared and considered a life sentence.

Treatment amounted to pinning the spine straight by radical surgery.

It is still widely misunderstood, still feared and still fairly common. It can certainly sentence the sufferer to a lifetime of discomfort, restricted movement and pain.

It has cancelled many a promising athletic, ballet or occupational career.

It is considered inevitable to the affected person – some kind of genetic flaw.

It is also preventable – in my opinion.

So just WHAT is Scoliosis?

It is basically an S-shaped curvature of the spine. Now, why would anyone’s spine want to go into an S-shape, did I hear you ask? Well, it’s still anybody’s guess, but here’s what I think – based on what little logic I can muster.

 The Wade Theory on Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a result of poor spine integrity. In other words, the spine matrix just won’t support the weight of the head, as it’s supposed to, so it starts to collapse. It can collapse into an S-bend or a question-mark shape. (As Ory Defino mentioned in a first aid seminar - held at Nature Care College, Sydney, recently – the head is extremely heavy compared to any other part of the body).

 What causes a poor matrix?

We know that bone is normally composed mainly of collagen and minerals – roughly 50% of each, as it happens.

We also know that Calcium is the major mineral, but other minerals are equally essential – especially magnesium and silica.

Collagen is a connective protein, acting as a binding agent for all tissue.

 WHY DON’T SOME PEOPLE “DO”  BONE  MATRIX PROPERLY?

My guess is – because of lack of essential biological co-factors in the bone-forming years. And also a lack of protein (from which collagen is made).

Not only that, but also there has been a lot written lately about Glycoprotein or proteoglycans. These are ordinary protein with chains of various types of sugars attached. The sugar attachments are thought to give protein its ability to be “tasked’ and also to be recognised as “friendly” to the body (by the ever alert immune system).

That’s another possible factor in poor collagen formation.

 Just to complete the structure, you need a generous layer of cartilage. Cartilage is produced from glucosamine  - another semi essential component of food. (Glucosamine has become another victim of our refined diet* in that there isn’t enough of it in food any more). Also, this helps make the “spine” of cartilaginous tissue called chondroitin sulphate.

The formation of this also needs – you guessed it – more enzyme action and therefore…co-factors.

*( The word “diet” is used here to describe your overall food intake – not as a term for restricting food or trying to lose weight).

 CO-FACTORS:

Apart from the minerals* mentioned, the body needs other things to help build collagen. It doesn't just happen. Without the right starting materials or the correct trace elements and vitamins, nothing will be formed. Collagen simply won’t be made. That’s right – you get a collagen-free day. And when you’re a growing pube, that spells trouble – big trouble. That is because your rapidly-growing long-bones take a left turn.

Firstly, not as much of the bone material will be formed and two (as the politicians say), the bone that does form is not as thick as some (to paraphrase a well known TV ad).

*(These vitamins and minerals are needed to activate the special anabolic enzymes which drive the process of building protein structures. Because the enzymes won’t work without them, they are called co-factors).

 The co-factors are collectively called micro-nutrients, because the body only needs tiny amounts of them, compared to the massive amounts of basic fuel.

They perform specific tasks – such as helping build protein like our collagen.

 So, all this time you were told that vitamin supplements were useless, they could have been quite useful indeed - especially to a scoliosis sufferer.

But our co-factor story doesn’t stop here. There’s more.

 Puberty Growth Spurt.

During puberty, we know that a  growth spurt occurs. One rarely thinks of this puberty growth spurt in analytical terms, but when you do you get a bit of a shock.

 Think of the growing body as a building extension on your house.

Firstly, tremendous increases in building materials are needed to enable this biological extension to occur. Apart from the huge increase in mineral requirement, you also need protein. As well as protein, you need increased quantities of the elusive, aforementioned co-factors to convert that lamb chop or adzuki bean into collagen – as it’s not only needed by the bones, but skin, muscle and organs as well.

So – do teenagers get enough basic nutrition during their puberty growth spurts?

According to the Australian Dietary surveys, they don’t. They don’t come anywhere NEAR it.

So what happens to them in that case? Poor bone matrix development (amongst other things) – that’s what!

 Meanwhile, the extra puberty-onset production of growth hormone is still happening. So, bone is TRYING to grow but – no materials are available. So it robs other systems of micronutrients. This causes potential deficiencies of these in places like the pancreas, skin and brain. (If you think I’m overdoing it a bit, just think for a moment how many diabetics YOU know who contacted their disease at puberty.

Do you know any who developed – er – acne at this time? (Just the odd one!)

And what about mood swings. Doesn’t just about every teenager you know suddenly develop aggression, moodiness, anxiety, poor sleep? Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t we looking at an under-functioning brain here? Try giving such a victim a well-balanced multivitamin* at this time and sit back and quietly observe the result. You will be amazed.

*(Check into our Pharmacy site to see my list of preferred multivitamins – the list is surprisingly small).

FOOD SHORTAGE

Here we see another common problem in society – made worse in teenage years due to the extra calorie load needed.

Sure, you eat a high calorie intake at this time – but much of it is empty calories. That means that the body cannot use many foods efficiently enough to construct tissue – only energy.

Not only that, but you also have a food allergy problem in many people.

So, if your hapless victim happens to be allergic to dairy protein (or that white chemical mixture laughingly called milk these days) then they are in even more trouble.

Firstly, not much calcium will be absorbed from the glug and secondly the protein in it won’t be utilised..*

*(See previous articles for the full explanation of this process).

But the whole mess still satisfies the appetite, so you won’t be likely to go looking for extra food.

So you basically start starving.

(Your pancreas won’t be pumping out the usual insulin (its activity is down due to the great puberty micronutrient robbery) so the appetite may drop off anyway).

Why do you suppose Australia is deficient in minerals? Isn’t it the land of plenty?

And are other countries affected, do you think?

Australia is the oldest continent. As such, its topographical layers of trace minerals have been eroded over the eons.

That has left us with an average topsoil depth of 1 cm. or half an inch. (Europe has an average topsoil depth of over 1.6 metres or 5 feet, by comparison).

That means that the “average” Australian regularly ingests LESS than the amount of minerals needed to grow and sustain a healthy body.  People in the Americas and parts of the Middle East are among others.

HOW CAN WE OVERCOME THE PROBLEM?

Sadly, many health care workers maintain that you can get the extra minerals you need from your food. Unfortunately, even if this were true, it is poor nutritional advice to be told to eat or drink a large amount of any one food too often, as this leads to grave imbalances of food macronutrients – amino acids, special fatty acids, specific carbohydrates as well as particular phyto-nutrients.

Sounds scary? Not really – only if you take the wrong advice. But it DOES mean that – in order to achieve optimum health - it is necessary to enjoy a healthy balance and variety of all types of fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and meats (if a meat eater).

BUT WHAT IF I EAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF THESE AND INGEST TOO MUCH PESTICIDE?

The simple answer is to demand fresh food that has been treated with MINIMUM pesticide.

BUT IF I DO, THE FRUIT SHOP OWNER, BUTCHER OR BAKER WILL JUST LAUGH AT ME.

Well, you’ll just have to find one who won’t laugh but will perform.

So what if I cut back on milk. Won’t I become deficient in calcium?

Possibly. You see, milk (and cheese) is one of the rare foods that does provide a significant quantity of a mineral – calcium – at a reasonably consistent level.

WELL THEN, HOW CAN I GET ENOUGH CALCIUM TO PREVENT SCOLIOSIS?

This is the real issue. To get enough calcium in a well rounded diet in calcium-deficient places like Australia, you MUST SUPPLEMENT REGULARLY.

There IS no other answer.

Let me put that a slightly different way. To grow and maintain a strong, healthy body in a country that has a water supply that LACKS the essential minerals and trace elements – there IS no other way out.

DIDN’T YOU SAY I NEEDED MORE COLLAGEN TOO?

Collagen is made from the Protein in our food. Protein deficiency is another problem we now have in Australia. Because of the move away from meat and because of misinformation regarding athletes’ “carbohydrate loading”, MANY AUSTRALIANS ARE NOW ALSO PROTEIN DEFICIENT.

What does this mean to me?

That means the “double whammy” for your poor bones – LACK OF MINERALS TO SUPPORT MONE MATRIX, LACK OF TRACE ELEMENTS TO ACTIVATE BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS (TO FORM COLLAGEN) AND NOW – LACK OF AMINO ACIDS (FROM PROTEINS) TO BUILD COLLAGEN FROM ANYWAY.

WHAT CAN I DO TO ENSURE HEALTHY BONE GROWTH?

The best advice I can give is to have a Nutritionist work out your dietary intake of ALL of these nutrients and suggest ways of normalising their intake - and still balancing your diet.

This way, you can ensure your bones get all the nutrient they need to maximise their chances of growing strong, straight, nice and thick – and staying that way.

BUT CAN BONE TISSUE REALLY REGENERATE OR ARE YOU JUST “PULLING MY LEG”?*

*(“Pulling your leg” is Australian slang  for “joking”).

In a word - Yes. It is a common fallacy that once bone loses its calcium, it can’t regenerate. Well that’s just not true.

We are taught that bone is a DYNAMIC tissue. It is continually shedding old calcium-bearing cells while building new ones – hopefully at the same rate. 

This is the body’s chief method of controlling blood calcium levels.

 [The whole operation is controlled by hormones emanating from the thyroid gland and the parathyroid gland.

Special calcium sensors in the brain tell the pituitary gland to release messages to stimulate  the release of the above-mentioned hormones from either the thyroid gland (called calcitonin, whose job it is to build bone up) or the parathyroid (whose hormone’s job is to stimulate the special little cells which break old bone tissue down)].

 So you can readily see that – when your calcium intake is too low for any reason – your bone tissue can quickly lose mass.

You can also take it as read that the opposite is true. That is, in times of plenty, bone tissue that is growing or “underdone” will have ample opportunity to replenish its losses – thanks to the good old thyroid gland and its hard working calcitonin. 

JOINT PAIN

If all this calcium movement into and out of the bones continues over time, then it is only logical to expect that some of it will wind up in or around cartilage and ligament. This causes pain – especially in the joints. 

It is also logical to expect that – once you have had your calcium intake balanced – then this will recede – also over time. 

BALANCE

It is essential to have the whole story checked and balanced. Badly balanced Supplementing with calcium will just lead to more joint pain – as well as possible accumulation of calcium in other soft tissue. It may even turn up as kidney stones.