Another Treatment Option for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Dear Editor:
Your recent article on "Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy" [Dr. Marco Lopez, April 22 issue] was excellent regarding the diagnostic tools that may confirm the presence of this condition in patients.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has been shown to improve glucose control in adults with either type 1 (insulin-dependent) or type 2 (non-insulin -dependent) diabetes. Since almost all of the damaging effects associated with diabetes (heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney damage and neurological injury) are associated with free radicals and lipid peroxidation, we can see why ALA is so effective. More and more studies demonstrate that ALA dramatically improves the symptoms of diabetic nerve damage (polyneuropathy), which can include intense burning pain, muscle atrophy, weakness and aggravating numbness.
I can attest from personal experience to the usefulness of ALA. Three years ago, I experienced my first symptoms of neuropathy in my left great toe. On my yearly retina examination, I was told by my retinologist that my eyes appeared to be the eyes of a diabetic who'd had the disease for only 10 years. After the toe problem began to be noticed, I began taking 600 mg of ALA per day and within one week, the problem never recurred. At my next retina examination, the retinologist said that my eyes now appeared to be the eyes of a non-diabetic.
One of the major complications of diabetes is blindness, which occurs when free radicals damage the eye's retina. Other retinal diseases (such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa) are also linked to this same type of injury. Experimental studies have shown that ALA can protect the retina against this danger, thereby preventing blindness. I remain on 200 mg of ALA per day for prevention.
For patients I suspect may need ALA, applied kinesiology nutritional testing is used because it appears to reflect the nervous system's efferent response to the stimulation of the gustatory and olfactory nerve receptors by various substances.1 The nerve pathways causing change in muscle function as observed by manual testing are unclear; however, there is considerable evidence in the literature of extensive efferent function throughout the body from stimulation of the gustatory and olfactory receptors.
In patients with neuropathy in the feet, specific muscles in the feet that are inhibited are given ALA orally; in the patients for whom ALA has been helpful, this will strengthen these inhibited muscles. In patients with neuropathy up to the knees or legs, muscles in these anatomical areas will be found inhibited and will strengthen quickly after insalivation of ALA.
Alpha-lipoic acid also lowers blood sugar, removes mercury, arsenic and cadmium from the body (including the brain), increases the level of CoQ10 and glutathione in cells, and controls the expression of some genes.2 Because of all these fantastic effects, ALA – when combined with other nutrients and cell protectors that you may need as discovered during your examination – greatly increases your potential to recover from your health problems.
Alpha-lipoic acid has no toxic side effects and is a natural compound found in the body. I have had quite a few type 2 diabetics who were able to reduce their medications after taking ALA. Using this substance, most insulin-dependent diabetics will be able to control their blood sugar with lower insulin requirements. The best results come when you follow the diabetic diet and correct as many of your patients other physical and metabolic problems as possible. For the type 2 diabetic, ALA is even more effective.
If a sufferer begins using ALA as soon as the diabetes is diagnosed, nerve damage can be prevented altogether. The amount used in most studies was 600 mg a day in divided doses, but it may take three months to produce full benefits.3 However, in my own clinical use of ALA, I frequently find that patients with neuropathy of the feet and hands (whether from diabetes or from other peripheral arterial diseases) get relief within just one week!
Benefits of ALA: another powerful antioxidant; lowers blood sugar; reduces the risk of diabetes by protecting insulin-secreting cells; improves glucose control for diabetics; fights nerve damage symptoms (burning pain, muscle atrophy, numbness); and speeds wound healing (in diabetics especially).
References
- Schmitt WH, Jr, Yanuck SF. Expanding the neurological examination using functional neurologic assessment: part II, neurologic basis of applied kinesiology. Int J Neurosci, 1999;1(2):77-108.
- Blaylock RL. Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life. Health Press: Albuquerque, NM, 2002.
- Vallianou N, Evangelopoulos A, Koutalas P. Alpha-lipoic acid and diabetic neuropathy. Rev Diabet Stud, 2009;6(4):230-6.
Scott Cuthbert, BA, DC
Pueblo, Colo.
"Heart of a Chiropractor, Intellect of a Scientist"
Dear Editor:
I am compelled to respond to the diatribe put forth by Dr. James Edwards, "Exposing the CCE charade," in your April 9 issue. As a way of explaining my position, I offer the following:
I received a copy of the biography of Dr. Scott Haldeman written by Reed Phillips, DC, PhD, while at ACC-RAC. By chance I started to read the book and haven't been able to put it down. One statement about Dr. Haldeman has really resonated with me and perhaps offers the start of an answer to the lamenting of Dr. Edwards.
Dr. Phillips commented that Scott has "the heart of a chiropractor and the intellect of a scientist." If we consider the attributes of both qualities, we begin to understand the motivation of CCE: Heart of a chiropractor: at its best, this represents truly patient-centered care, a willingness to always put the patient's best interests ahead of personal and professional interests; and compassionate care, a respect for the body's ability to heal given the correct milieu. Intellect of a scientist: critical thinking skills; a healthy skepticism; a willingness to change behavior based upon best available evidence; a thirst for knowledge even if that new knowledge contradicts current beliefs.
When you consider many of the "leaders" of our profession, we can often identify either the "heart of a chiropractor" or the "intellect of a scientist," but rarely do we find both in the same person. I think we have a responsibility to train and nurture both qualities in our students and demand them of ourselves, not sacrificing one at the expense of the other, with Scott Haldeman as our role model.
If we accomplish this, we and our students have a better chance at success. If we don't, and critical thinking far outweighs the chiropractic heart, we will lose to other careers, as we will become cynical, angry and frustrated with our profession. If we don't and the chiropractic heart far outweighs the intellect, we will lose to the doctor-centered, anti-intellectual extremists who are unwilling to change no matter the evidence.
Patient-centered, evidence-based care suggests that you learn to incorporate best available evidence into practice to serve the patient's (not your or your profession's) best interests. Currently, by any reasonable use of science, subluxation is an unproven tenet. However, given its historical and philosophical significance to our profession, we are obliged to research and study the concept, including new understanding and explanations as they arise.
However, to include an unproven tenet as the foundation of our clinical approach is foolish, especially given that health care reform will demand only evidence-based approaches be utilized. We can focus on outcome studies as the foundation for our educational and clinical approach, and for now leave subluxation to the research scientists.
I suggest we all take a personal inventory and examine how committed we are to embodying the heart of a chiropractor and the intellect of a scientist.
John Ventura, DC
Rochester, N.Y.
To Whom Are We Trying to Prove the Efficacy of Chiropractic?
Dear Editor:
Dr. Louis Sportelli's article, "Death by Medicine," in the Feb. 12 issue is excellent when viewed shortsightedly. He makes very important points that a sane society would acknowledge and do something about. However, we do not live in a sane society, but just the opposite – capitalism. Unfortunately, Dr. Sportelli simply does not see the forest for the trees.
A 19th century philosopher, T.J. Dunning, summed up the driving forces of capitalism excellently: "With adequate profit, capital is very bold. A certain 10% will ensure its employment anywhere; 20% certain will produce eagerness; 50%, positive audacity; 100% will make it ready to trample all human laws; 300%, there is not a crime which it will scruple, nor a risk it will not run, even to the chance of its owner being hanged. If turbulence and strife will bring a profit, it will freely encourage both. Smuggle and the slave-trade amply prove all that is here stated."
The bottom line of capitalism is the bottom line. Profit is the be-all, end-all of all modern capitalism. If Dr. Sportelli's views were to be taken seriously, the profits of the entire medical health care industry would almost vanish. There would be very little hospitalization, few MD visits, and few drugs would be sold. Even the funeral industry would take a big hit, along with the insurance industry. I could go on, but I believe readers get my point.
All the articles you publish about the superiority of chiropractic, about its superiority to medicine, about the improved health of our society, are all nails in our own coffin.
Over the years, there has been much yammering – oops, talk – about the need for research to "prove" chiropractic. Prove it to whom? The medical industry, in order to reduce its profits? The insurance industry, to demonstrate very little need for health insurance? Government bureaucrats to reduce the costs of medical research and increase the rate of unemployment? To whom are we trying to prove the efficacy of chiropractic? The public would rush to our doors if the drug industry stopped buying advertising at the rate of $1 billion each and every month.
Bernard Presser, BS, DC
Phoenix, Ariz.
Dynamic Chiropractic encourages letters to the editor to discuss any issue relevant to the profession, including response to articles that appeared in a previous issue of the publication. All letters should be e-mailed to
with "Letter to the Editor" in the subject field. Please include your full name, degree(s), and the city and state in which you practice. Submission represents acknowledgement that your letter may appear in a future issue of DC, but does not guarantee publication. We receive considerable correspondence and endeavor to publish as many perspectives as possible.