Prolonews, Slipping Rib Syndrome; changes in hormonal levels

[Guest guest]

This is part of a newsletter called prolonews. We have talked about

prolotherapy on the list before; but I do not know if this therapy works. I

think the information in th news letter is informative though

....

Slipping Rib Syndrome, also known as Tietze's Syndrome, was first described

in 1921 by Tietze. M D Other names include xiphoidalgia,

costochondritis, or anterior chest-wall syndrome. But the most descriptive

and accurate name for the actual etiological basis of the condition is

Slipping Rib Syndrome.

In many cases a rib slips out of place because the ligaments that hold the

ribs to the sternum, the sternocostal ligaments, are weak. Without muscles

to hold the ribs in place, loose ligaments allow slipping of the rib which

causes further stretching of the ligament, manifesting itself by producing

severe pain. The loose ribs can also pinch intercostal nerves, sending

excruciating pains around the chest into the back. Sternocostal and

costochondral ligaments refer pain from the front of the chest to the mid

back. Likewise, costovertebral ligament sprains refer pain from the back of

the rib segment to the sternum where the rib attaches.

Traditional medicine believes the condition is caused by inflammation in the

costochondral junction causing costochondritis. The treatment of choice in

traditional medical circles is NSAID, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory

drug. " Slipping Rib Syndrome is caused by weakness of the sternocostal,

costochondral, or costovertebral ligaments. "

Chronic pain, no matter what the cause, is not due to a NSAID deficiency.

Slipping Rib Syndrome is caused by weakness of the sternocostal,

costochondral, or costovertebral ligaments. Prolotherapy will strengthen

these ligament junctions in all the areas where the ribs are hypermobile.

Slipping Rib Syndrome may be caused by hypermobility of the anterior end of

the costal cartilage, located at the rib-cartilage interface called the

costochondral junction. Most often, the tenth rib is the source because,

unlike ribs one through seven which attach to the sternum, the eighth,

ninth, and tenth ribs are attached anteriorly to each other by loose,

fibrous tissue. This provides increased mobility, but a greater

susceptibility to trauma. Slipping rib cartilage may cause no pain or only

intermittent pain.

Slipping Rib Syndrome is also more likely to occur in the lower ribs because

of the poor blood supply to the cartilaginous tissue and ligaments. Injury

to the cartilage tissue in the lower ribs or the sternocostal ligaments in

the upper ribs seldom completely heal naturally. The sternocostal,

rib-sternum, and costochondral joints undergo stress when the rib cage

expands or contracts abnormally or when excessive pressure is applied on the

ribs themselves.

In order for the rib cage to expand and contract with each breath, the

costochondral and the sternocostal junctions are naturally loose. Humans

breathe 12 times per minute, 720 times per hour, 19,280 times per day, which

stresses these ligamentous-rib junctions. Additional stressors include any

condition that makes breathing more difficult.

A simple coughing attack due to a cold may cause the development of Slipping

Rib Syndrome. Conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, allergies, and

asthma cause additional stress to the sternocostal and costochondral

junctions. Even sinusitis, with the associated nose blowing can be the

initial event t hat leads to chronic chest pain from Slipping Rib Syndrome.

Other causes of Slipping Rib Syndrome include the feared " fall asleep in the

back seat of a crowded car syndrome. " A person falls asleep in a crowded car

with the door handle jutting into a rib. The rib slips out of place and the

problem begins. Another cause of Slipping Rib Syndrome is the result of

surgery to the lungs, chest, heart, or breast with resection of the lymph

nodes which puts a tremendous stress on the rib attachments because the

surgeon must separate the ribs to remove the injured tissue. Unresolved

chest or upper back pain following a thoracotomy, chest operation, or CPR is

most likely due to ligament laxity in the rib-sternum or the rib- vertebral

junction.

The ribs are attached in the front, as well as in the back of the body. A

loose rib in the front is likely also loose in the back. The rib- vertebral

junction is known as the costovertebral junction, and is secured by the

costotransverse ligaments.

Unexplained upper back pain, between the shoulder blades and costovertebral,

rib-vertebrae pain, is likely due to joint laxity and/or weakness in the

costotransverse ligaments. (Chronic chest pain, especially in young people,

is often due to weakness in the sternocostal and costochondral junctions,

and chronic mid-upper back pain is due to weakness at the costovertebral

junction.

Both conditions may lead to Slipping Rib Syndrome where the rib

intermittently slips out of place, causing a stretching of the ligamentous

support of the rib in the front and back. The result is periodic episodes of

severe pain and underlying chronic chest and/or upper back pain.

Prolotherapy, by strengthening these areas, provides definitive results in

the relief of the chronic chest pain or chronic upper back pain from

Slipping Rib Syndrome.

.....

REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF WORKOUT PAINS, STRAINS, AND INJURY

Puffy knees, aching joints, sprains, strains, and tears. While these pains

are usually attributed to " over doing it " , researchers have found that

workout and sports related injuries may be triggered by changes in hormonal

levels during the menstrual cycle.

Studies have shown that women can be up to 800% more susceptible to athletic

related injuries than men. To find out why, researchers began to zero in on

the menstrual cycle as a possible answer.

At the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, women who suffered non-contact

tears of their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), were asked to provide a

detailed history of their menstrual cycles, including frequency and

regularity, date of last menstrual period, average length of cycle,

premenstrual symptoms, and oral contraceptive or hormone replacement use.

When compared to the timing of their injuries, researchers were surprised to

find that women were more likely to injure themselves in workouts or

sporting activities during menstruation with more injuries occurring during

the ovulatory phase.

Hormones reeking havoc on injuries

The hormones estrogen and relaxin negatively effect injury healing.

Estrogen, in both endogenous estrogens (naturally produced in the body) or

exogenous (birth control pills or hormone replacement after menopause)

inhibits the growth and repair of connective tissue (collagen, ligaments,

and tendons). Relaxin, causes laxity in ligaments and tendons and is at its

highest levels during pregnancy to allow the pelvic ligaments to loosen up

so the newborn can be born through vaginal delivery. To prepare for the

possibility of pregnancy, relaxin increases coinciding with the menstrual

cycle causing a systemic relaxation or laxity in all the soft tissues of a

woman's body.

Since workout and sport activity's beneficial effects of muscle growth and

strength involves the breakdown of collagen tissue in muscles, tendons,

ligaments, and joint tissues, in order to rebuild new and stronger tissue,

an understanding of how to counteract the effects of hormones is needed.

1. Lighten or avoid working out during the peak estrogen and relaxin days

During a normal menstrual cycle, relaxin levels are highest during the

middle of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (days 20- 23). Estrogen

concentration rises during day 10 and peaks on day 12. By avoiding heavy or

any workouts on these days, the greatest risk of injury can be avoided.

2. Watch Your Eating Habits

Avoid foods that may increase estrogen levels, such as food heavy in sugar

and watch your in take of caffeine. Do not binge eat or binge starve.

3. Drink a lot of water.

Collagen is made up of nearly 70% water by weight. Drinking filtered or

natural water should be considered your number one defense for preventing

workout and sport injuries.

4. Go to the bathroom.

Drinking a lot of water also has the beneficial effect of increasing your

number of bowel movements. Increase your intake of raw vegetables and

roughage. Bowel movements eliminate toxins in the body. Too many toxins,

among other things, increases the levels of estrogens.

5. Talk to your physician about contraceptives.

Many doctors and researchers have speculated that oral contraceptive pills

are a risk factor for low back and pelvic pain among women. The theory

proposes that steroid hormones affect joints and ligaments, leading to joint

laxity and low back pain. Increasingly many physicians now feel that the

estrogen " overload " caused by the pill are why many women suffer chronic

injuries and pain. In Sweden, many general practitioners, gynecologists, and

orthopedists, recommend that some women with back problems abandon their use

of oral contraceptives.

6. Talk to your physician about Progesterone

Progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone found in wild yams, is often

prescribed to help stimulate the body's own progesterone production and keep

the estrogen in check. Progesterone and estrogen are involved in a delicate

check and balance system during the menstruation cycle. If this balancing

act is disrupted, with estrogen being dominant or progesterone being

deficient , severe symptoms of PMS may develop. These symptoms of mood

swings, cramping, and migraines should alert you that you are at high risk

for injury during your workout.

7. Talk to your doctor about Prolotherapy.

Prolotherapy is our choice of treatment for chronic pain and strengthening

joints.

These articles are drawn from the books of Ross Hauser, M.D., and n

Hauser, M.S,R.D. We would like to remind you that all the Hauser's books,

including Prolo Your Pain Away and Prolo Your Sports Injuries Away are

offered at a significant discount at http://www.beulahlandpress.com/

<http://www.beulahlandpress.com> . Looking For a Prolotherapist? Go to

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