Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “For the past several years, I have experienced constant problems with the muscles in my back and my neck tightening so much that is causes excruciating pain, especially in the neck area. This results in horrific headaches. I have tried muscle relaxers prescribed by my doctor, and they don’t work. Pain pills make me nauseous. My chiropractor has been working with me, (thank God for chiropractors!) but the muscle tightening is relentless. Do you have any suggestions for supplements to try that might help?” —Sue M., Benton City, WA A. Dear Sue, I am sorry that you have to deal with such a painful situation. There are natural interventions that can make a tremendous difference. But since you do not have a simple problem, the answer is not simple, either. First, it is wonderful that you have found a chiropractor that gives you some relief. I hope you will continue with that intervention. In addition, ask your chiropractor if he/she thinks you are ready to move into some gentle yoga. If so, try to find a yoga leader with medical experience in helping people with spastic muscles. Start very slowly so as not to aggravate the condition, but if you keep with it, this can be very effective. Next, there are supplements that can greatly help this condition. The first is a formula for pain and inflammation. Often it is a chronic inflammatory process that causes the muscles to spasm (“tighten”), so removing the inflammation will reduce the trigger for this painful event. Look for a combination of bioavailable curcumin, boswellia, DLPA and nattokinase. Make sure the curcumin in the formula has high bioavailability, up to 10 times that of plain curcumin, and that has been shown in a published human study, because plain curcumin is extremely weak in comparison. It should also list that there is turmeric oil blended in with the curcumin to aid in absorption. Also, some forms of boswellia are far more effective than others. Boswellia contains key compounds called boswellic acids that play a big role in reducing inflammation. One boswellic acid, acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (or AKBA) has been identified as particularly anti-inflammatory, so make sure any extract you select has a standardization of about 15% AKBA. Also, one boswellic acid, beta boswellic acid, is actually PRO-inflammatory, so I recommend extracts in which this single acid has been reduced to less than 5%. This type of formula will offer you a great deal of relief. Next, I recommend a blend of bioactive vitamin B6, called pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P) with magnesium glycinate. The optimal dosage is 30 mg P-5-P with 100 mg magnesium glycinate, taken three times a day. “Bioactive” means it is identical to the form of B6 in your body, so it works more immediately and efficiently than plain B6. P-5-P is involved in many physiological processes, but is especially important for proper nerve health and nerve conduction. Magnesium activates and improves P-5-P’s performance, so I like the two together in a formula. I like magnesium in the glycinate form because it is much better absorbed and less likelihood of loose stools, even at higher doses. If you try to use a poorly absorbed form of magnesium, like magnesium hydroxide, you will get little absorption and the magnesium will act like a laxative. Last but not least, make sure you have generous amounts of potassium in your diet. Potassium is essential to the proper interface between nerve signaling and muscle response. Low potassium levels often manifest as cramping and involuntary muscle tightening. Some foods rich in potassium are bananas, figs, raisins, nuts, apricots, tuna, halibut, broccoli, strawberries, Crimini mushrooms and avocados. There are many websites that list the potassium content of foods if you’d like more information. This is a long list, but if you incorporate all these interventions into your life, I have great confidence that you will see tremendous improvement in the syndrome you describe. Healthy regards, Terry— Naturally