Category: Crohn's And Colitis

Walk for the Cure!

7/6/2014

On June 8th, 2014 I participated in my first Gutzy Walk. As a newly appointed member of the volunteer planning group I wanted to experience this major funding event. I was also curious in a scientific way about "the cure" for which everyone was gathering together to raise money.

The event planned by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada had something enjoyable to offer for everyone. There was a live band, BBQ and food, free photos, a dog show, face painting, etc. I found the volunteers friendly and helpful. It was definitely a function for the whole family and I regretted not bringing all of my children.

There was optimism in the crowd about finding "the cure". I overheard many families exchanging stories about medications that were currently helpful for symptom control. One mother asked her eight year old son if he was satisfied using Remicade. His reply was less than enthusiastic, but he agreed while looking sadly down at the ground that it was helping.

I walked though the throngs of people and engaged in discussions about Crohn's and Colitis management. Nearly everyone I spoke to was relying almost solely on medications or surgery for symptom management. None of them, however, considered their current medications to be "the cure".

I pondered the phenomenon of annual fundraisers as I drove home in rain that held out to the last few minutes of the event. It certainly seemed important to continue efforts in raising funds towards finding new scientific discoveries that will guide sufferers along the road to recovery. The Gutsy Walk while not as successful as previous years earned $20,000 in one day towards inflammatory bowel disease research.

While I affirmed the value of the fundraiser, I also felt disappointed. I wondered about all the years of research that have already been paid for. What have we learned from the research of yesterday? From the Gutsy Walks of years gone by? Who are we paying to compile the thousands of studies that have already been completed? Is "the cure" truly waiting to be discovered... or is it already here? Maybe recovery doesn't look like a pill we take for the rest of our lives? Maybe our genetics aren't flawed and in need of chemical support?

I believe recovery is about learning how to help our bodies along... learning how to take better care of ourselves so that healing can occur.

http://crohnsandcolitiscanada.akaraisin.com/Common/Event/Home.aspx?seid=8140&mid=8

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Inflammation Alert

6/1/2014

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The body communicates through inflammation when something is wrong and needs healing. Whether it's an acute (recent) physical injury, an infection, or worn out cartilage in the joints, inflammation is on site. Swelling and stiffness causing pain prompts many to the doctor's office for a quick remedy to reduce the discomfort.

In most circumstances, inflammation does its job, heals the problem, and clears, soon to be forgotten. However, there are situations when the body cannot effectively heal and inflammation is a recurrent theme. One such example is with autoimmune diseases; where the body goes into a state of chronic inflammation without any discernible cause.

Autoimmune diseases are described as being idiopathic (cause unknown), as the mechanism of the disease is not fully understood. Doctors frequently treat the immune system as the problem as they do not yet understand the physiology producing the inflammation; As a result, the term "autoimmune" has become a popular buzzword used to describe a large group of quite diverse inflammatory conditions.

What has become clearer in recent years in the medical field is that inflammation can be managed by directly targeting and weakening the immune system. However, by doing so the body becomes more susceptible to infections, aging, and cancer.

Immunomodulation (manipulating the immune response) can alternatively be performed in a safer fashion in which wellness and health are promoted; thereby reducing malignancy (illness) rates compared to the general population vs. matching or increasing them. The "trigger elimination" method has been demonstrated as one effective approach for controlling the immune response. Once the trigger of inflammation for an autoimmune disease is known immunosuppressive therapies, such as Humira or Imuran, are no longer recommended.

Coeliac disease, for example, is a known allergic autoimmune condition in which the immune system damages the microvilli of the intestines when gluten is consumed. Once gluten is removed from the diet the immune system shuts off the inflammatory process and the body considers the digestive system healed.

"Doctors frequently treat the immune system as the problem as they do not yet understand the physiology producing chronic inflammation."

"The immune system is not 'out of control', but rather failing at attempts to heal and protect the body."

"Alternatives to pharmaceuticals offer a safe and viable course of action for achieving remission from autoimmune disease symptomology."

Recent studies on harmful bacterial growth in the digestive tract, leaky gut syndrome, and/or oxidative stress (damaged cell structures) triggering inflammatory responses demonstrate that the immune system (in many cases) is not "out of control", but rather failing at attempts to heal and protect the body.

Some treatment approaches used successfully to halt autoimmune disease symptoms have been performed through dietary changes, caloric restriction, or monitored fasting. Studies in these areas reveal that changes in diet and use of probiotics have the potential to eliminate harmful bacterial growth in the intestines. When combined with lifestyle changes (healthy living) reversal of cellular damage in the affected areas of the body can occur bringing about remission from the symptoms of inflammation.

Conclusion: Alternatives to pharmaceuticals offer a safe and viable course of action for achieving remission from autoimmune disease symptomology. Seek professional assistance and give your body the tools it needs to heal through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

Advocating for your health,

David Chochinov, O.T. Reg. (MB)

References:
-Bongartz T, Sutton AJ, Sweeting MJ, et al. Anti-TNF antibody therapy in rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of serous infections and malignancies. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;295:2275-2285.         http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=203993
-Kes VB, et al. The role of complementary and alternative medicine in therapy of multiple sclerosis. Acta Clin Croat. 2013 Dec;52(4):464-71. [PubMed]
-Liu Y et al. Cutting edge: fasting-induced hypoleptinemia expands functional regulatory T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus. J Immunol. 2012 Mar 1;188(5):2070-3. [PubMed]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749767/
-Immunobiology. 2011 Sep;216(9):1010-7. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2011.04.001. Epub 2011 Apr 13. [PubMed]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21601309
-Neurology February 12, 2013; 80(Meeting Abstracts 1): P03.232 [PubMed]
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/80/1_MeetingAbstracts/P03.232
-Collins SM, A role for the gut microbiota in IBS. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Apr 22. doi: 10.1038/nrgastro.2014.40. [Epub ahead of print]
-Vieira S1, Pagovich O, Kriegel M., Diet, microbiota and autoimmune diseases. Lupus. 2014;23(6):518-26. doi: 10.1177/0961203313501401 [PubMed]   -Fuhrman, J. (1995) Fasting and Eating for Health. New York: St. Martin's Press.

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A New Champion for crohn's and colitis treatment

4/2/2014

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David Chochinov was 19 years old when he began to experience pain in the lower right quadrant of his abdomen. Fatigue, dehydration, and urgent sprints to the washroom followed. He was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1999. David’s quality of life suffered from Crohn’s as he had difficulty concentrating on his post-secondary studies. His participation in sports, particularly Judo was also affected. Judo is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport that requires optimal health, strength, and endurance. Having lost over 10 pounds from his disease in his first year and feeling physically depleted, David accepted that he was no longer in condition to continue with Judo. He reluctantly bowed out of the sport only a year or two away from earning his black belt and opportunities to advance to higher levels of competition.

“I felt lost and outmatched,” recalled Chochinov, “Crohn’s had me beat.” David followed the recommendations of his gastroenterologist and went on a pharmaceutical regime. “I used 5-ASA or Mesalamine anti-inflammatories to treat my symptoms. I didn’t get great results, but my symptoms were blunted just enough so that the pain was more manageable.”

For the next few years, David looked into dietary changes, supplements, and probiotics to improve his health. “I wasn’t satisfied with a pharmaceutical intervention, I wanted to fight back against my Crohn’s and win back my health.” David learned from his Judo training that a champion doesn’t quit even when the odds aren’t favorable. “I kept digging deep and refused to accept defeat.” Chochinov says. David gradually demonstrated such effective Crohn’s management that his gastroenterologist questioned whether he had been correctly diagnosed from the start. In 2011, after a period of prolonged stress, David began experiencing a significant flare up. “I had to go through re-diagnosis again using two separate screening methods. My GI was convinced it was Crohn’s when he saw the MRI images.

I was prescribed a high dose of Mesalamine (Salofalk), which I had discontinued years before. The drug proved ineffective, and I was offered stronger medications with more side effects, such as Humira, Imuran, and Entocort. I chose to put my faith in my own treatment regime of dietary controls, supplements, and probiotics. After a few months, I was feeling great, both pain and side effects free.”To prove that he had achieved mastery over his Crohn’s, David had one challenge remaining. “I needed to get back into Judo and compete again.” He said, “Over the past year, I began training to see how my body would tolerate the aggressive demands of Judo. I was pleased to find that my symptoms remained under control despite the twisting motions and intense physical exertion.” In January 2014, David registered for the Selkirk Judo tournament. He matched his body, after 15 years of Crohn’s inflammation, against a younger man in perfect health, and came out with the gold medal. “The best part of the experience was that I felt free from my Crohn’s to compete, win or lose,” said Chochinov.

“Crohn’s disease was a nightmare that I finally feel I can wake up from.” Chochinov says, “Had someone taught me how to manage my Crohn’s so that I could improve my quality of life, I would likely have recovered in my early twenties, and enjoyed many opportunities denied me.”David Chochinov is a private practitioner in the field of occupational therapy. Having recently founded his own company, Proactive Rehabilitation Manitoba, he is now prepared to champion Crohn’s and colitis for Manitobans.

Occupational therapy is a form of rehabilitative therapy that aims to assist people at succeeding in their activities of living. These occupations include leisure or sporting activities, work and productivity, as well as self-care. Occupational therapy focuses on methods to either improve or compensate for health impairments. A person recovers quality of life by making physical gains and/or by learning to do their activities differently. Occupational therapy is a service that is covered by many health insurance plans. David’s top five tips for managing Crohn’s disease:

Pay attention to what you put into your body and how your body responds. Some foods/drinks trigger inflammation and worsen symptoms. Mobile application software such as Mysymptoms Food Diary can help track possible symptom triggers.
Eat mostly simple non-processed natural foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Stay hydrated by regularly drinking unprocessed, caffeine free beverages like herbal teas or water.
Supplement with high quality probiotic capsules that assist the cultures to survive digestion through the stomach’s acid.
Crohn’s and colitis often results in malabsorption or deficiencies of certain nutrients (due to inflammation). High quality supplements should be considered if you suspect deficits in B6, Folic acid, B12, vitamin D, iron, Selenium, Zinc, etc.

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Empower Yourself with Occupational therapy!

Walk for the Cure!

Inflammation Alert

A New Champion for crohn's and colitis treatment

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