Brain Health: The Importance of an Adequate Blood Supply
Bamberger Health and Wellness -- Everett and Lynnwood, WA -- (425) 355-4176
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Brain Health: The Importance of an Adequate Blood Supply Bamberger Health and Wellness -- Everett and Lynnwood, WA -- (425) 355-4176
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by Stephan Bamberger, PhD, LAc My professional interest in dementia started many years ago when my older sister was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since she lives in Germany and I in the Seattle area, I could not be directly involved with her care, so I could not do the hands on things that I know work. As she had no consistent support for alternative health programs that I might prescribe, there was little I could do for her in terms of herbal prescriptions or nutritional support. All I could do was love her from afar, pray for her, do what I could in absentia, and experience the devastating effects this disease has on the patient and his or her family. While many people think that mental decline is part of the normal aging process, it is not. I have found that there is much that can be done to maintain mind-brain health, but to do so it is important to start early and reduce the risk factors known to be associated with age-related mental decline, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. The most important of these risk factors is an inadequate blood supply to the brain which may be caused by a clot blocking an artery or by a narrowing of the artery, as occurs with arteriosclerosis. The connection between Alzheimer’s disease and blood supply to the brain has recently been confirmed by researchers at the University of Leiden in Holland. Using brain imaging methods they found that patients with Alzheimer's disease had a 20 percent lower blood flow to the brain than the healthy group of the same age bracket (all 75 years or older), and 40 percent lower than healthy young adults. These researchers believe that reduced blood flow to the brain is more important to the development of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, than was previously thought. In addressing the blood supply to the brain I use many of the same protocols I use in treating people with cardiovascular heart disease because anyone who has coronary artery disease is likely to have similar problems with the arteries of the brain. Both heart disease and early dementia share similar risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and obesity. However, the warning signs of circulatory problems affecting the heart are quite different from those affecting the brain. Circulatory problems to the heart often show up as chest pain, shortness of breath, a feeling of pressure in the chest, or pain radiating down an arm or into the jaw. Since the brain does not have pain receptors, like the heart does, we have to watch out for a different type of symptoms such as unexplained memory lapses, problems with simple math like counting out the correct change at the checkout counter, numbness, confusion, and motor problems, such as walking or loss of manual dexterity etc. I have found that herbs, particularly certain oriental herbs, are very helpful in improving blood flow to all areas of the body, including the brain. The practice of oriental herbology was developed over thousands of years. Rather than use an isolated herb to address a particular symptom, in oriental herbology a number of herbs are combined into formulas that treat the whole person physically and psychologically, and often contain herbs that prevent adverse reactions that might be experienced if herbs were given individually. The herbs that improve blood flow accomplish this through different actions, among them: relaxing the arterial walls (such as gingko biloba), and reducing further build-up of arterial plaque (such as ho shou wu AKA poygonum multiflorum). I have observed that initially ho shou wu prevents build-up of plaque, and when taken over several months even reverses the accumulated build-up. While these approaches treat the patient’s condition on the more symptomatic level, it is also important to address the root cause of each patient’s present condition. I have found that unresolved mental and emotional problems often severely impact a person’s physical health, and Alzheimer’s disease is no exception. When there is a mental or emotional component to a disease, the patient will reach a plateau in the course their treatment and fail to progress beyond that plateau until the underlying mental or emotional problems are resolved. This underscores my belief that disease often has it’s origin in the mental and emotional realms and in order to treat a condition effectively the whole person needs to be considered. It is important that physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health must be addressed if optimal health is to be achieved. My sister’s doctors could offer no help or hope. As her mental state continued to deteriorate, it became apparent to me that the best time to treat dementia is before it develops. You can’t start too early! The second best time to treat it is at its first onset. Since circulatory problems to the brain is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s, I evaluate all patients for impaired circulation and if a problem exists I institute a treatment program before more severe damage to the brain occurs. This evaluation is particularly important for those who are in one of the risk groups for Alzheimer’s disease, such as age, a family history of Alzheimer’s or other dementias, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, previous head injury, heavy metal toxicity, and having had five or more flu shots. By placing attention on prevention and addressing diminished blood flow in the brain early in its development, much of the heartache caused by mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease might be avoided. My sister might be able to recognize her family and friends and continue to live a life of meaning in the years she has left on earth. More Articles:
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