Dr. Adam Breiner Addresses International Hyperbaric Symposium

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In The News

Local Naturopath, Dr. Adam Breiner, Speaks at International Conference


This year's Hyperbaric International Symposium held in Torrance, CA addressed exciting new discoveries for treating patients with neurologic injury at every stage of life, from pre-natal to elderly. The three day program explored neurology, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, wound care, heart issues and neuro-rehabilitation.

Dr. Adam Breiner from Whole-Body Medicine, LLC, located at the Breiner Whole-Body Health Centre in Trumbull, is an expert in the field of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Dr. Breiner presented a program entitled "BSA and the Removal of Obstacles to Cure - A Missing Link in Revitalizing the Brain." Breiner discussed a new diagnostic process and treatment method called Biological Signal Analysis (BSA) that helps identify obstacles to healing. This new process focuses on a multifaceted holistic approach used in conjunction with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to eliminate these blocks and improve stubborn conditions. Several case studies were highlighted to demonstrate his experience and success with this process.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy utilizes oxygen to enhance healing. Breathing normally, people inhale air that is 21% oxygen. However, patients in the Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber breathe 100% pure oxygen at the prescribed atmospheric pressure. This allows the oxygen to dissolve in the blood stream and diffuse into tissues at levels not normally possible. This super-oxygenation promotes healing throughout the body.

Conditions that may respond to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy include post -stroke symptoms, Lyme Disease, Autism, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Macular Degeneration, Peripheral Neuropathy, Cosmetic Surgery Healing, Dental Osteonecrosis, and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy among others.

The Prostate Gland - Part One

This month and next I would like to discuss the prostate gland. First, I will explore the symptoms and problems associated with the prostate, especially cancer. Then I will discuss methods of diagnosis and the different types of treatments.

The prostate is a walnut sized gland, located just below the bladder and is wrapped around the urethra. This placement is significant in that it explains why enlargement of the prostate often leads to difficult urination. The job of the prostate is to produce seminal fluid which nourishes and transports sperm.

The three main problems that affect the prostate are 1) infection, 2) enlargement and 3) cancer. Any of these conditions can produce symptoms like blood in the urine, pain or burning upon urination, difficulty in starting urination, frequent urination, flow of urine that starts and stops, sudden urgency to urinate, dribbling of urine, and constant pain in the lower back, thighs or pelvis.

The main area I want to address is cancer of the prostate.

The main methods of detecting prostate cancer are by a digital rectal examination (DRE) and by a blood test called the prostate specific antigen test (PSA).

Because of the proximity of the prostate gland to the rectum, a physician can place his finger in the rectum and palpate the gland, checking size and looking for hard lumpy areas, which may or may not indicate a problem. If the gland is smooth and just enlarged, a condition known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is present. If any nodules or hard areas are found, further testing will be suggested to rule out cancer.

The disadvantage of the DRE test is that the doctor can only palpate part of the prostate, so some cancers will be missed. Also, if the cancer is small or is not hard, it also may be missed. It is a very subjective test; what one doctor considers hard, another may consider normal. Yet, like breast palpation it is considered a primary screening test.

The PSA is an interesting test. Prostate specific antigen is normally produced by the prostate and can increase for reasons other than cancer. It increases with infections, enlargement, inflammation, and from cancers other than prostate. If you had an ejaculation or a DRE within 48 hours of a PSA test, there may be a false elevation. The biggest problem with the PSA test is the number of false negatives. The test misses many of the cancers -82% in men under 60.

Dr. Thomas Stamey is considered the inventor of PSA testing and now feels that the PSA test leads to over-treatment. He has come to believe that the PSA test is not a useful predictor of the amount or severity of cancer; it is more indicative of the size of the prostate. He feels that all men develop prostate cancer if they live long enough. One out of every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. By age eighty, 80% of men will have it. Thus there is a good chance that a biopsy will be positive for cancer. Dr. Stamey feels the PSA is still useful for those who have had their prostate removed, because cancer in other areas of the body will raise a PSA. Some also feel that the PSA has value when looked at over time. If the PSA number is steadily creeping upwards, they would be inclined to biopsy.

More on biopsies.

Most prostate biopsies are done by placing thin needles via the rectum into the prostate. These tiny needles may miss the cancer. If there is cancer, some doctors feel that the biopsy can cause a cancer to spread beyond the prostate. To me, this is a worrisome risk, because 46% of patients diagnosed with a prostate cancer that has breached the prostate capsule, die within 22 months; 70% die within five years.

As we see, PSA tests, DRE tests, and biopsies all have their shortcomings. Thus the question becomes, what is the best, least invasive, most reliable way to screen for prostate cancer? The procedure that makes the most sense to me is a sonogram test using a 3-D ultrasound with power color Doppler. The sonogram projects sound waves off the prostate and surrounding organs to give a 3-D image. There is no radiation or pain. A small probe is inserted into the rectum, and you can even watch the scan, as the results are projected onto a screen above your head.

Tumors grow at a faster rate than normal cells, and thus need more blood for nourishment. The color Doppler shows the blood flow patterns and thus will pick up increased areas of abnormal vascularization indicating a tumor. The severity of the problem is also indicated by the number of abnormal blood vessels.

Studies show that 3-D sonograms with power color Doppler to be over 90% accurate in detecting cancer. (This is also a great alternative to yearly mammograms). Using the three dimensional imaging, the prostate image is able to be rotated and the information stored digitally, so that comparisons can readily be made from one test to another. This technique gives visibility to the entire gland; thus areas that a biopsy may miss and that are not readily palpable are able to be more thoroughly evaluated.

If cancer is detected, or if cancer has been confirmed by a traditional biopsy, what to do next is the question. My next e-zine will discuss the various options.

© 2008, Mark A. Breiner, DDS

The information presented is for educational purposes only. You should consult a qualified health practitioner for diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Mark Breiner's book, Whole-Body Dentistry, is available on-line at www.wholebodydentistry.com or by phone at 1.800.BOOKLOG (800.266.5564).

About Dr. Mark Breiner:

Whole Body News Update expert, Mark A. Breiner, DDS, FAGD, FIAOMT, is a leading authority and pioneer in the field of holistic dentistry. He is the author of the popular consumer education book, Whole-Body Dentistry, a guide to the "dental connection" to whole-body wellness. With more than 30 years experience, Dr. Breiner has helped patients from across the US and other countries attain a higher overall level of dental health and general well-being. Dr. Breiner is a past President of The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. He is in private practice in Trumbull, Connecticut.

"Whole-Body Dentistry is more than whether your teeth are healthy; it's whether you are healthy!" - Dr. Robert C. Atkins, M.D.

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Whole Body News Update is your free monthly e-zine to stay up-to-date on many dental health issues as well as other important alternative health topics; featuring articles, interviews with experts, actual patient stories, Q&A on holistic health topics, with emphasis on the "Dental-Whole-Body Health Connection". This e-zine is designed to help you become a knowledgeable participant in your health care choices.

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