Cervical Discogram - Test Report

Cervical Discogram Report

I was told not to drink any fluids or eat any food for 2 hours prior to my procedure. I took this advice seriously as I didn’t want to get nausea or throw up with needles stuck in my Neck.

Arrival at the Imaging Center

I arrived at the outpatient scan center, filled out the typical mountain of paperwork and releases.  Here sign this… blah blah.  Who can really read and understand all that fine print when they are in pain?  My advice is to research Discograms BEFORE you have yours so you know what to expect.

After the paperwork shuffle was completed I was seated in the lobby and waited about a half hour until I was called back.  I changed into the standard hospital scrubs - a gown that opens in the back and a pair of the pants.  I then was taken into the operating theater where I was given an IV.

Preparation for the Cervical Discogram

I received 1gm of an inter venous antibiotic, and placed into position on the table under the fluoroscopic arm.  I was also hooked up to a machine to monitor my blood pressure.  The Radiologist that did my procedure made sure a full 45 minutes passed before he began (This is a precaution to prevent infection and possible Discitis).  During that time he took time to explain to me the procedure and the risks and answered my questions.

My main question was about swallowing during the procedure.  Having needles protruding to the center of your cervical spine and swallowing seemed like it was a potential problem, but it’s not. He told me it was okay, but at certain points during the test he would tell me not to.  I didn’t know if I would be able to talk with needles in my neck, but it was no problem. I also asked about the gauge of the needles.  He told me they would be 25 gauge needles.  I had read some Doctors use 22 gauge needles (Lower the gauge the thicker the needle), and sometimes used the 22 gauge to the disc, the slipped a thinner 25 gauge inside the thicker needle.  He said there was no reason to do this.

The worst part of the 45 minute ordeal prior to beginning the test was the alcohol based scrub that was pretty powerful!  The smell was a bit overwhelming so they placed oxygen in my nostrils to help.  They topped off the Alcohol based prep, with another thick yellow gooey prep.  And for the record, this is very hard to wash off… you have to just let the last bit wear off after a few showers.

The Actual Cervical Discogram Begins

After all the preparation it was time for the Doctor to begin testing my discs. I was given a small amount of Versed (Midazolam) through my IV drip and off we went. The Doctor said he would be testing 4 levels between C4 and C7. For those of you who are new to this the level tested is named after the LOWER Vertebra… so the disc material between C3/4 would be called the C4 disc.  You have 7 Cervical Vertebrae but only 2 Discs because C1/2 is a bone in bone joint.  Anyways… moving on with the test experience.

The Doctor did not tell me the levels he was testing (So I would not be biased in my responses). And I could not tell what level he was working on. With the first needle puncture he said (This is going to feel like a bee sting… and it kind of did), then he would push the needle in slowly to the disc.  He used just enough anesthetic to make the procedure unpleasant, but bearable.  When the point of the needle arrived on the edge of the disc, he would tell me then he would push the needle in and tell me as he was injecting.

I should mention that just before each injection I could hear the Fluoroscopic arm move into position.  For those of you who don’t know the Fluoroscope takes X-Ray images in rapid succession so the Doctor can see EXACTLY where he is placing the needles.

He asked me to describe the pain on a scale of 1-10, tell him the location of the pain, and if this was typical of my “normal” pain or different from my “normal” pain.  Then he would withdraw the needle.  At the next level he said “bee sting” and then repeated the process until all 4 levels were complete.

I was told the test would take about half an hour, and that is probably pretty accurate.  It’s hard to keep track of time when you have Versad flowing through your veins.

Your personal pain tolerance will no doubt be different than mine.  I have had many IV’s and Needle procedures so this was pretty commonplace for me.  Yes it hurt!  But it is really not much worse than having dental work done (Okay it’s worse then regular dental, but not much worse than a root canal and it takes less time for the actual test than a root canal!).  The needles hurt most going in, then only for a few seconds during the active injection of the contrast agent.  Not all my discs caused pain… 3 of 4 were painful.  Only 2 of 4 above the “5″ Threshold on a scale of 1 to 10.  What was surprising was the disc that hurt the most was NOT the one I expected to hurt the most. I know this because after the test I asked the Doctor which disc it was that caused the most pain.

On to the CT SCAN

Immediately following the completion of the Cervical Discogram I was wheeled into another room and placed in the CT Scanner.  I’ve had CT Scans before and they are pretty easy.  Because they needed to scan my C6/7 level and I have broad shoulders (Plus my neck was in mild spasm from all the needling) I asked for the straps to help pull my arms down.

The CT Scan was a breeze and only took a few minutes.  Unlike MRI’s CT Scanners are basically open so you don’t need to worry if you are claustrophobic. The Downside to CT Scans is RADIATION.  And they blast you with a pretty high amount.  Be sure to ask your Doctor BEFORE the test about the precautions they use to minimize your exposure.  You want the least amount of radiation possible.

After the CT was complete I asked to talk to the Doctor because I had some questions about followup pain and I was pretty sore.  He offered to give me an injection of pain medication (I declined because I was pretty much doped up from the Meds I had from the IV).  But he did write me a script for a few pills to get me through the next couple of days and told me to be sure to call in to the Scan Center or to my Doctor if I got a fever or felt ill.

I never went to a recovery area, and no one really came to check on me. I waited seated on the side of a bed for about half hour to talk to the Doctor and then got dressed and went home.  Total elapsed time start to finish in the Scan Center was about 3 hours.

And while I felt okay, later on that night I was pretty sore.  I am about 36 hours post procedure at the time of this writing and pretty close to my normal all day everyday chronic pain self.

About the Cervical Discogram Test

Is the risk worth the benefit?  Maybe.  It depends on your own condition and a whole host of other factors.  Most Doctors will not order a Discogram unless they are seriously considering surgery.  The point of the test is to correlate Discogenic Pain to your regular pain.  If your discs are not causing your pain then surgery may not be a good answer for you.  It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the theory anyway. Sometimes the evidence on MRI is so overwhelming that the test is simply not needed.  Other times patients have pain that is just not explained until they have the test. Discograms are subjective test, but can be valuable.  They are also quite expensive!

That’s it… another test another day.

Cervical Discograms are a Diagnostic Test and do NOT treat pain.

Dangers of Relying Solely on X-Ray for Diagnosis of Cervical Disc Problems

Case Report Acute Cervical Disc Lesions

A 6′6″ tall basketball playing student was involved in a fracas with gate crashers at his sister’s birthday party and was severely beaten up by six soldiers. He subsequently suffered neck and arm pain and was seen at a hospital on several occasions and told that because his pain neck x-rays were normal there was no dramatic lesion. He presented two years later unable to continue playing basketball because of an insidiously evil and spastic paraparesis and evidence of bilateral C7 root lesions.

Myelography revealed a severe traumatic C6/7 disc lesion which required surgery. The root pain was relieved, but recovery from the cord damage was incomplete. This case exemplifies once again the dangers of accepting that normal x-rays indicate there is no abnormality.

Where a neck injury occurs in a patient who already has an abnormal neck due to cervical spondylosis. In such patients sudden flexion or extension of the neck following a simple trip or rear end collision in a car they produce acute root symptoms or even a cute cord damage. Usually the root symptoms are bilateral may affect multiple routes and the accompanying cord damage may cause an acute tetraparesis. The potential seriousness of even minor traumatic events affecting the cervical spine in this way in patients with severe pre-existing spondylosis must be recognized.

Source: Neurological Differential Diagnosis By John Patten

Screening for Prostate Cancer Not Recommended for Elderly Men

NEW YORK - Doctors should stop routine prostate cancer screening of men over age 75 because there is more evidence of harm than benefit, a federal task force advised on a hotly debated topic.

The U.S. Preventive Services, which made the recommendation Monday, reported finding evidence that the benefits of treatment based on routine screening of this age group “are small to none.” However, treatment often causes “moderate-to-substantial harms,” including erectile dysfunction and bladder control and bowel problems, the task force said.

The new guidance is the first update by the task force on prostate cancer screening since 2002. Its last report concluded there was insufficient evidence to recommend prostate screening for men of all ages.

In recent years, there has been a growing debate about the value of the somewhat imprecise PSA blood test to detect cancer, as well as the value of treating most prostate cancers. A positive result from the test must be confirmed by a biopsy. And even then, there is no foolproof method of identifying aggressive tumors from slow-growing ones. A number of experts contend patients are being over treated.

“The issue of screening for is frankly an area of medicine that remains somewhat unsettled,” said Dr. Durado Brooks, a prostate cancer specialist for the American Cancer Society. “While it’s clear there is benefit to a significant number of men, it’s equally clear that many men end up being diagnosed and treated for cancers that would likely not have caused them any significant harm.”

Most major U.S. medical groups recommend doctors discuss the potential benefits and known harms of prostate screening with their patients and make individual decisions. And most agree such testing shouldn’t occur before age 50.

The federal task force, which sets the nation’s primary care standards, reviewed past research in reaching its conclusion and “could not find adequate proof that early detection leads to fewer men dying of the disease,” task force chairman Dr. Ned Calonge of Denver said in a statement.

The cancer society’s advice for screening differs from the task force’s because it doesn’t set a fixed age to stop screening, Brooks said. It suggests that men shouldn’t be offered screening if they aren’t expected to live another 10 years.

“That’s because every 75-year-old is not created equal,” said Brooks.

While some have health problems and aren’t likely to live long, others are “very active, very vigorous and have minimal health issues, and many of those men are going to live into their late 80s or 90s,” Brooks said.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men — about 220,000 cases will be diagnosed this year. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. But most tumors grow so slowly they never threaten lives.

Earlier this year, a study found that older men who already had early-stage prostate cancer were not taking a big risk by not treating it right away. The vast majority were alive 10 years later without significantly worrying symptoms or had died of other causes.

Prostate cancer treatments are tough, especially on older men. Some doctors instead recommend “watchful waiting” to monitor signs of the disease and treat only if they worsen, but smaller studies give conflicting views of the safety of that approach.

The new guidelines from the Preventive Services were published in this month’s Annals of Internal Medicine.

http://www.annals.org/content/vol149/issue3/

Neurography - Specialized MRI of the Nerves

Has anyone heard of Neurography? It’s not suprising if you have not, and even less surprising if your Doctor has not mentioned Neurography Scans. While it’s been around since 1992 the Doctor who “invented” and thus patented these scan sequences (Done on standard MRI equipment) isn’t about to give it up for the “general good”. But hey the owner of any patent is entitled to compensation. Medicine is about the money. Most insurance companies consider this “Unproven” which is total BS - it’s done on an MRI machine!!!

So what is Neurography? It’s simply an MRI scan of your Nerves. The special sequence and frequencies allow the Radiologist to see nerves otherwise hidden during traditional MRI scans. How can this advancement go ignored by the Medical Community at large? Money! They don’t want to pay the liscensing fees. It’s not about your health folks, it’s about the almighty dollar.

You are probalby going to have to travel and pay for this yourself, but if you do not yet have a confirmed diagnosis it may just be worth it. Imagine having spine surgery and NOT getting pain relief? Neurography may isolate which nerves are the ture pain source, confirming a diagnosis and making fusion not only unnecessary, but saving you the pain of surgery not needed. Afterall what matters most is an accurate Diagnosis!

What is wrong with the insurance companies? Instead of helping you get back on your feet and enjoying a pain free life now, they would rather pay for medical proceedures and treatments for the rest of you life? It just doesn’ t make sense. It’s no wonder American Medical care is the most expensive in the World and not even close to the top 25 in treatment according to the 2005 World Health Organization reports. For more information please visit the inventor at Neurography.com

Digital Motion X-Ray - Diagnose the Cervical Spine in Motion

Digital Motion X-Rays - Seeing Ligament Damage Static X-Rays Miss

This is not a treatment rather a diagnostic test to show instability and injury that a typical static X-Ray may not disclose. While generally applicable to patients in auto accidents and trauma (Due to the high incidence of ligament damage) this may be a viable option for anyone with undiagnosed neck pain. This is a completely different technology and not related to Upright MRI. Upright MRI’s are NOT motion studies.

A standard flexion/extension X-Ray shows 2 of the 22 ligaments in the cervical spine. With the Motion X-Ray it’s possible to see damage that occurs to all 22! Properly trained Radiologists will note damage because the technology allows them to see the bones as they move; thus lax ligaments would not be supporting the structures properly. Unfortunately like the Upright MRI this is a new technology being driven by a single manufacturer. Perhaps a patent issue? In any case this means there are not that many imaging centers using this equipment and many Physicians will not be familiar with this advance. For more information you can contact the manufacturer directly - DMX Works, Inc. “Digital Motion X-Ray®”.

PH Testing - Is Your Body PH Balanced? Do You Know About Alkaline and Acidic Foods?

Is your PH Balanced? Find out by testing with an inexpensive and highly accurate home testing kit. An alkaline balance of 7.35 to 7.45 is optimal for continued health, and acidic body is a diseased body. The test kits used for home ph testing like the ph stix (phstix?) pictured will give you are pretty good idea of the “trend” of your PH Balance. However no home test will tell you everything you know and the body’s ph balance fluctuates through out the day. The importance of these home testing kits and ph test strips is to give you a good idea of how close you are to a healthy ph range.

PH Testing Video Explanation

Don’t expect your body to be healthy and in an acidic state. I was shocked to find out I was Acidic. My Allopathic Primary Care Doctor said I was “A healthy Guy” and to “Eat a balanced Diet”. What a load of crap! I then went to a Naturopath and had complete blood work which showed many mineral imbalances but the real shocker I was highly acidic. Most people are completely unfamiliar with the concept of acid/alkaline balance in the body. Did you know that Cancer cells can not grow in an alkaline balanced body? It’s because an alkaline balanced body is an oxygen rich “Healthy” body and cancer grows in an environment void (or at least with very minimal) oxygen.

The foods we eat determine an alkaline or acidic state. And it’s not the acid in the food itself (Lemons for example are highly alkalizing, yet they are very acidic themselves). What matters is what the food you are eating turns into once your body “cooks” or digests the food. Lemons turn in to an “alkaline ash” and grains and meat turn into an “acidic ash”. Aside from keeping the body’s tissues oxygen rich there is another major factor at play here and that involves mineral depletion. Your body uses ionic calcium (and other minerals such as phosphorous) to keep your bloods PH in balance at a constant 7.35 to 7.45 otherwise you die.

So as you become acidic your body literally “pulls” minerals from your body’s reserves. Calcium from bones and teeth. This is a GOOD thing otherwise you would die! The problem then becomes what happens when my mineral reserves are depleted? You guessed it - illness. So check your PH Balance and eat the foods that make you healthy.

Find Your Optimal Acid Alkaline Balance (pH Balance) and Get Healthy

To maintain optimal health, the body will constantly seek to neutralize the excess acids that irritate the it and deplete it of important minerals. The principal organs responsible for the elimination of acids are the kidneys. Under normal conditions, urine pH should fall between 6.75 and 7.25. By testing the amount of acid present in the urine, you can determine whether your body is eliminating a normal quantity of acids. If the acid excretion rate is higher than normal, the urinary pH will be more acidic. Low urinary pH can be an indication that the body is too saturated with acids, thus the body is overly acidic.

Another good indication of your body pH can be revealed in the pH of your saliva. When your body is abundant in mineral reserves, these minerals will show up in a saliva ph test as a pH reading of 7.0 to 7.50. Low saliva pH readings may indicate that your body is mineral depleted. m

There is a strong correlation between the pH of the body’s internal terrain (tissues, cells, fluids) and that of the urine and saliva: urine and saliva become acidic when the body’s internal environment becomes acidic. You can discover the pH of these fluids by using Alkalive™ pH Stix™. These pH test strips are made specifically to test saliva and urine, and are the most accurate and economical test strips on the market.

Alkalive™ pH Stix™ are superior to pH paper and litmus paper. They give a clear indication of pH in .25 pH unit increments, and test a range of 4.5 to 9.0. Because they are “strips” (plastic strip with reagent pads), they are a lot easier to use and read when wet than floppy, soggy pH paper.

This is what Christopher Vasey, N.D., author of The Acid Alkaline Diet has to say about pH Stix™: “pH Testing is very important in order to gauge the health of your internal environment. I used to recommend using pH Paper, until I discovered these excellent pH strips. They are a lot more effective in helping one determine precise pH measurements. I advise all of my clients to use pH Stix.”

It is recommended to test saliva before and after meals. The pH levels of your saliva should be greater after meals because there is an abundance of alkaline-rich minerals in saliva. Test your saliva 60 minutes after a meal. If the pH level is lower than 6.75, your alkaline mineral reserves are too low.

Source: Part of this article post is provided by a manufacturers web site… www.phstix.com - this is the brand of testing strips we choose to use as they use a 2 color method, are inexpensive, and very easy to use.

MRI Reports and Terminology

Radiologists terminology used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reports is confusing to say the least. Use this page to decipher your MRI Report. Keep in mind no two Radiologists will use the same terminology to describe the the same report. It’s the Radiologist job to write an MRI Report and summary, it is your physicians job to take that report (and MRI images) add your medical history and symptoms and come up with a diagnosis.

MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reports and Terminology as it applies to Spinal Disorders

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): A special imaging technique used to image internal structures of the body, particularly the soft tissues. An MRI image is often superior to a normal X-ray image.

How it works: MRI uses the influence of a large magnet to polarize hydrogen atoms in the tissues and then monitors the summation of the spinning energies within living cells. Images are very clear and are particularly good for soft tissue, brain and spinal cord, joints and abdomen. These scans may be used for detecting some cancers or for following their progress.

Understanding Magnetic Resonance Imaging Terminology can be difficult because one Reading Radiologist may use terminology to describe a condition that is totally different from another Radiologist’s reading. And just like language dialects there are variances by geographic location and the school where they received their education. However, any radiologist should be able to read another report and fully understand the condition. However this is not always the case as the whole process is open to interpretation and experience.

Terms Used to Describe Spinal Pathology on MRI Reports

Desiccation - loss of disk water

Disk bulge - circumferential enlargement of the disk contour in a symmetric fashion

Protrusion - a bulging disk that is eccentric to one side but < 3 mm beyond vertebral margin

Herniation - disk protrusion that extends more than 3 mm beyond the vertebral margin

Extruded disk - extension of nucleus pulposus through the anulus into the epidural space

Free fragment - epidural fragment of disk no longer attached to the parent disk

Osteophytes - protrusions of bone and cartilage (aka “Bone Spurs”); a pathological bony outgrowth

Widely Patent - affording free passage : being open and unobstructed, thus a “Wide” open unobstructed finding

Spinal Stenosis - is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves

Bony Edema - Edema is another word for swelling and is indicative of injury to an area. Edema is commonly seen around an area that has sustained an injury. Therefore, the structure may appear normal, but the edema may show where the injury is located. Edema may be seen within a bone (a “bone bruise”) or within the soft-tissues

Myelopathy - any disease or disorder of the spinal cord or bone marrow

Foramin (Foramina - plural) - vertebral foramen is the foramen formed by the anterior segment (the body), and the posterior part, the vertebral arch. A small opening, perforation, or orifice

Discitis - Inflammation of an intervertebral disk or disk space which may lead to disk erosion. Until recently, discitis has been defined as a non bacterial inflammation and has been attributed to aseptic processes (e.g., chemical reaction to an injected substance). However, recent studies provide evidence that infection may be the initial cause, but perhaps not the promoter, of most cases of discitis. Discitis has been diagnosed in patients following discography, myelography, lumbar puncture, paravertebral injection, and obstetrical epidural anaesthesia. Discitis following chemonucleolysis (especially with chymopapain) is attributed to chemical reaction by some and to introduction of microorganisms by others

Degenerative Disc Disease - <radiology> Plain film: narrowing of disc space; osteophytes; bone sclerosis, disc calcification, vacuum disc phenomenon (nitrogen at sites of negative pressure) MRI: endplate changes (Modic and deRoos), Type I (4%): decreased signal on T1; increased signal on T2; vascularised fibrous tissue, Type II (16%): increased T1; isointense T2; local fatty replacement of marrow, Type III: decreased T1; decreased T2; advanced sclerosis sequelae: disc bulging, disc herniation, disc sequestration, spinal stenosis (I’ve written and entire post on what constitutes DDD and there is no real agreement in the Medical Community on an exact definition).

Vertabrae Photo

I’m hoping this image will help you to visualize what is going on in your Spinal MRI. Knowing the Spinal anatomy will take you a long ways towards understanding your MRI Reports.

Please visit this link for a brief Overview of Spinal Anatomy.

How an Upright MRI Could Mean the Difference Between and Accurate Diagnosis and Continued Suffering

An Upright MRI Shows the Spine Under “Load”

Take a Look at the Images below of the SAME Patient. The first is taken with a Traditional Supine Recumbent “Lie Down” MRI and the second with an UPRIGHT (Stand Up MRI). In the first image you’ll see there is fluid in the Thecal Sac (the “white space”) and in the second the disc is being pushed directly into the spinal cord. A Doctor looking at the image taken on the traditional MRI would conclude there is not a significant enough problem to warrant surgical intervention, however the second image proves this may not be the case. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and get an Upright MRI.

Back Pain Patients this technology works even better for you! Click on the Fonar Link lower in the article to be take to the Fonar Website where you’ll find amazing images of the Lumbar Spine and how amazing this technology is in helping diagnose spinal instability, slipped disc, and bulges that are actually herniations.

Again Please Note the Photographs above are taken of the SAME patient. Upright MRI was the KEY to a proper diagnosis. Upright MRI was essential in my diagnosis as well. I can not tell you how angry I was with some of the Hotshot University Surgeons (Surgeons with more than 20 years experience under their belts) who kept telling me there was nothing wrong and to look for “Organic” causes. What a load of crap!

How can a present day University Professor (The head of the Fellowship Program) ignore this critical diagnostic tool? I found Upright MRI through my own research and had to travel out of State to have mine done. It’s CRIMINAL of the Medical profession to ignore this technology. I had a Herniations pressing on my Spinal Cord for 18 months unnecessarily and may have incurred PERMANENT damage as a result of the inability of 6 Different Orthopedic and Neurosurgeons to diagnose my problem while the technology to do so was clearly available. This is life saving, life altering technology.

Upright MRI’s are much easier to tolerate for anyone who is claustrophobic. The process is more open and you are sitting upright on a chair and you can even watch Television while the scan is being made! You do have to maintain a perfectly still posture (Your head is secured and you have an adjustable bar to rest your arms on).

The following Discussion is from a report compiled by Medical Doctors in Zurich, Switzerland.

“FMRI (Front Open MRI) revealed dynamic changes in the size of disc herniations and of the dimensions of the central spinal canal and neural foramina not detectable by recumbent imaging. In practice, with on-site real-time patient interview, this enabled a more precise linkage of the medical images with the patient’s clinical syndrome, thereby allowing a targeted therapeutic regimen to be undertaken. Initial experience in central continental Europe with this FMRI unit revealed that a significant amount of clinically significant spinal disease is overlooked (“missed”) on recumbent imaging.

Visualizing both the bony structures as well as the underlying soft tissues non-invasively, FMRI for the first time places the physician is in a superior position to make accurate decisions regarding treatment options and alternatives that would not be considered if the entire disease process was not depicted in the patient’s imaging examination. The goal of FMRI is an elevation of patient outcomes facilitated by the optimal linkage of functional (upright-kinetic) MRI with the clinical physical examination data.”

Upright Positional MRI Makes Sense

Traditional Supine MRI’s are taken with you lying on your back in a position which puts the LEAST stress on your discs. You’re body is made to move! Standing, bending, sitting, flexing your spine to the left and the right, looking upward or downward all apply different pressures to your spinal discs. It only makes sense! I have had this procedure and the results are nothing short of amazing!

You probably have not heard of this technology - because there are only 32 machines currently installed in the United States (As of December 2005). Update July 2008 - I could not determine and exact number but from browsing press releases it appears the installed base has doubled. This means you should not have to travel very far to find a machine close to you.

The Upright MRI machines are manufactured by a company called Fonar. You’ll probably have to call to find a machine near you. I had to leave the State to get my Scans done. The results are amazing, discs that are only mildly budging in a supine MRI can be seen pressing into the cord when the spine is placed under load. For more information you may also want to visit Rose Radiology n Florida. Rose Radiology purchased the first Upright MRI machines and have considerable experience. The cost is not inexpensive but very close to traditional scans - I paid about $2,000 for 5 cervical scans - normal, flexion, extension, left bending and right bending. You’re insurance WILL cover this just like any other MRI. This technology is NOT investigational. You may have to force the issue with some companies, but it’s worth the effort.

And good news for those of you who are claustrophobic - this is OPEN MRI technology, no more being pushed up inside a casket like tube!I sincerely hope this will help you get the diagnosis you need to more accurately pinpoint the source of your back pain.

Chelation Therapy The Unproven - Proven Therapy

Chelation therapy involves oral chelation or intravenous administration of an agent to bind toxic metals and excrete them from the body. For example: EDTA Chelation Therapy. The other agents (Water, Vitamins, etc.) that are used in the EDTA Chelation Therapy Solution are designed to “boost” the treatments value. As the EDTA removes calcium deposits it also removes other essential minerals which must be replaced. I call it the Unproven Proven Therapy, because it is used and effective in many places around the world, but ridiculed by the American Heart Association (Who has yet to study the therapy properly). The primary use of Chelation Therapy is for acute metals poisoning. The primary area of controversy is it’s use in Heart Patients to improve blood flow through blocked arteries.

EDTA Chelation Therapy (IV Not Oral Chelation) - Personal Experience

First off I’d like to comment about the “Experience” - IV Drip into vein. If I needed this to clear arteries I’d do this in a heartbeat (Pun Intended) before I would do any kind of Artery or Heart surgery. The main discomfort is in the insertion of the IV Needle and the few hours it takes out of your day.

EDTA is the substance used in my IV drips (Intravenous Administration). The sensation of the fluid as it enters into the arm can be a little discomforting (Slight warmth and aching), but certainly nowhere near the pain of a more invasive procedure. The Physician that oversees my treatment has done thousands of Chelation treatment. I have talked to other patients that have completed this treatment for heart problems and they swear by it. I can no give you an overwhelming endorsement just based on my experience, but I can say that those I have talked to would do it again. My Chelation is to remove calcium deposits from the joints and I have high expectations - we’ll see.

Chelation Therapy Formula & FDA Approval

It is my understanding Chelation Therapy with EDTA is approved only for the removal of toxic “Heavy Metals”, but it is legal to purchase and use for other purposes in the same way Neurontin is prescribed for Nerve Pain and related disorders while it is only approved by the FDA for two specific treatments. On to the basic approved formula as mixed by the drug companies. (Note formulas will vary by Pharmaceutical Company).

Keep in mind also that your Physician will also administer mineral and vitamin replacement as the EDTA will “pull” essential metals like Zinc and Copper right along with undesirable metals like Mercury, Cadmium, Lead and Nickel. The essential nutrients MUST be replaced. You’re Calcium will also need to be balanced.

Chelation Therapy Articles

It’s beyond the scope of this site to dig deeper into this subject. I present it for your consideration as a therapy that might work for a condition you may need treating. For the most part I am simply sharing my own experience.

There are plenty of resources online where you can research the benefits of EDTA Chelation, and Chelation Therapies. Keep in mind EDTA is not the only Chelator but has the most proven track record. Some natural foods like Cilantro and supplements like Alpha Lipoic Acid are also Chelators.

It is my understanding that for most people Oral Chelation is not beneficial because not enough of the Chelating properties of EDTA are absorbed into the blood stream. Please do your own research and draw your own conclusions. You have to choose what to believe and you have to decide for yourself whether you believe the many success stories or the Pharmaceutical Machine that does not want these types of inexpensive therapies cutting into their profits.

Doctors make a lot of money doing Heart related operations and while Chelation may seem expensive to many (Up to $250 per treatment and dozens of treatments) it is very inexpensive compared to the Surgical Alternatives. And how many surgeries are truly successful? Choose what is best for you! When you research how many people die from Chelation each year you are going to be in for a big surprise (I didn’t find any!). How many die from surgery?

Impedance Cardiography - Painless Noninvasive Heart Test

A Noninvasive Way to Monitor Hemodynamics (sub chapter of cardiovascular physiology). In short a painless way to test the blood flow of your heart without the use of a catheter. The Impedance Cardiography test is not painful and yields results that would otherwise require a very invasive procedure. I have had this test and it is entirely painless, in fact it’s just about the easiest test you can undergo. Thank you technology!

Impedance Cardiography is a Newer Technology to Test Your Heart Noninvasively

I am amazed at the leaps and bounds technology has made over previously invasive tests to determine illness. As I write this message I am halfway through a series of testing to determine my disease state I have been ill for more than a year and visited several Physicians to no avail. So I sought the help of a renowned Physician that treats patients of many states of illness, particularly those who have not found any help from their regular MD’s or even specialists.

Along with 6 vials of blood I was introduced to this method of testing to see if my heart is pumping blood properly. I do not know the results (Update: My test results were “normal”). I would like to tell those of you who have not heard of this method of testing or who are considering Impedance Cardiography; it’s not painful! In fact it was very easy.

All I did was allow the nurse practitioner to place the electrodes on my neck and chest, then I just lay still on the table for 5 to 10 minutes while she put the equipment through it’s paces. I felt no shock, no sensation of anything. That was it, it couldn’t easier. Contrast this to the “Old Method” of inserting a catheter into an artery and you’ll appreciate the marvel of computer technology as much as I do! Any time a test can be taken without cutting into the body I’m for it! No I can not tell you the intricacies of Impedance Cardiography (I didn’t know anything about it before today), but I can tell you that it is very easy on the patient.

Below I have published more information from more knowledgeable sources about this exciting, painless new technology. If it were not for this technology I probably would have declined having my heart tested. Honestly for general testing, who in the World would allow themselves to be cut open? With the Impedance Cardiography Technology you don’t have to take any chances, you can have the test and not suffer any side effects!.

Impedance Cardiography - How it works - ICG Technology Description:

Impedance cardiography (ICG), also known as thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB), is a technology that converts changes in thoracic impedance to changes in volume over time. In this manner, it is used to track volumetric changes such as those occurring during the cardiac cycle. These measurements, which are gathered noninvasively and continuously, have become more sophisticated and more accurate with the development of data signal processing and improved mathematical algorithms.

This technology, originally used by NASA in the 1960’s, has benefited from the advent of the microprocessor and the better understanding of the cardiac cycle, thanks to technology such as echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Today, noninvasive methods of measuring of cardiac output are coming into clinical use on a larger scale than ever before and are compared with other methods such as thermodilution and the direct and indirect Fick methods.

How Impedance Cariography Works…

• Alternating current is transmitted through the chest
• The current seeks the path of least resistance: the blood filled aorta.
• Baseline impedance to current is measured.
• Blood volume and velocity in aorta change with each heartbeat.
• Corresponding changes in impedance are used with ECG to provide hemodynamic parameters.

To Learn More about Impedance Cardiography Diagnostic Testing

I have borrowed liberally for this explanation which gets very detailed. Please visit: ImpedanceCardiography.com to learn more.