Primo Health Blog

A portal for functional health topics and news.

Posts about musculoskeletal health:

Nitric Oxide for Muscle Strength

Nitric Oxide for Muscle Strength

Nitric Oxide Boosters

By Gene Bruno, MHS

One of the latest categories of dietary supplements for athletes is nitric oxide (NO) boosters. In short, the concept is that nitric oxide helps regulate and direct muscle physiology by stimulating vasodilatation, which results in increased blood flow to working muscles. In turn, this leads to increased oxygen transport, delivery of nutrients to skeletal muscle, a reduction in blood pressure, helping to promote the repair of muscle fibers, and improvements in lactic acid clearance. So how does one boost NO levels?

Foods for Healthy Teeth

Foods for Healthy Teeth

What you eat and how often you eat play an important role in the health of your teeth and preventing cavities. Research shows that children who have healthy dietary practices are 44 percent less likely to exhibit severe dental caries in early childhood compared to children with poor diets.1 For adults, a healthy diet can protect tooth enamel and result in fewer trips to the dentist.

Increase Muscle Protein Synthesis

Increase Muscle Protein Synthesis

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Every bodybuilder knows the value and necessity of protein for supporting muscular repair and growth. Furthermore, most realize that it is some combination of amino acids in the protein that provide the actual support for growth. But which ones? The branched chain aminos, the essential aminos or all the aminos? As you might have guessed all of the aminos play some role in the supporting muscle growth, but newer research suggests that that it is the essential amino acids that play a particularly vital role in the synthesis of muscle protein. As a matter of fact, a specific blend of essential amino acids has been shown to promote up to a 400-600% increase in muscle protein synthesis.

Natural Treatment of Osteoporosis

Natural Treatment of Osteoporosis

In the last 20 years Americans have been consuming more milk and taking more calcium supplements than ever before, yet the rates of the bone crippling disease osteoporosis is rising. More than 10 millions women are diagnosed with osteoporosis. And another 34 million is believed to have “pre-osteoporosis” (osteopenia). Osteoporosis is disease progressive in nature where the bones become weaker and weaker, which makes the individual afflicted with the disease extremely susceptible to bone, fractures and changes in their posture. As derived from Latin, osteoporosis literally means “porous bones” (Balch, 2006, p. 605).

Health Benefits of Bathing

Health Benefits of Bathing

The Science of Bathing

Water is commonly employed to affect the human body using hot baths to relax muscles or ice packs to reduce swelling. In holistic medicine, water is also used as a healing modality to restore proper blood flow and ultimately restore the health of the blood and the whole person. Water is a miraculous substance because it can carry great amounts of energy and heat. It conducts heat to and from a living system and can conform itself to any shape. The use of water to restore health is commonly referred to as hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy can be performed in many ways, but essentially it causes tissues to relax (heat) and then contract (cold), thereby moving stagnated blood and immune components, releasing toxins, easing stress, and flooding tissues with nutrients. There are many other types of hydrotherapy, such as alternating heat and cold packs, alternating hot and cold soaks on specific parts of the body, poultices, compresses, and constitutional hydrotherapy (typically done by doctor or trained staff). One powerful form of hydrotherapy you can do at home is bathing.

Natural Pain Relief

Natural Pain Relief

Herbal COX-2 Inhibitors

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences 

On September 30, 2004, the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc. announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of VIOXX® (rofecoxib), its arthritis and acute pain COX-2 inhibitor medication. The company’s decision, was based on data from a new, three-year prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which showed that after 18 months of use, VIOXX® increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.1 Almost immediately commentary began about the potential for natural COX-2 inhibitors to fill the VIOXX® void.2

It is the position of this author that natural COX- 2 inhibitors may very well provide a viable alternative to VIOXX®. To understand why this might be so, let’s first discuss the COX-2

What do Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia have in common?

What do Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia have in common?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Many doctors and researchers are convinced that Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are simply different manifestations of the same underlying disorder. In fact, many patients suffer from both conditions. While both have been acknowledged as real physical diseases, neither one has a known cause or cure. Is the lack of a cure all that the two illnesses have in common? Not by a long shot. When looking at what is known about Fibromyalgia and CFS, they appear to be more alike than they are different.

Aspirin Alternatives: Salicin Containing Herbs

Aspirin Alternatives: Salicin Containing Herbs

By Art Presser, PharmD - President, Huntington College of Health Sciences 

Smart SupplementationTM is a free series of educational literature created by Huntington College of Health Sciences (HCHS) as a public service. Although copyrighted, it may be freely photocopied and distributed, but may not be altered in any way. Smart SupplementationTM is not intended as medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition, consult your physician.

The Willow is a shrub or tree depending on its size (some can grow to 50 feet), native to England, Europe, Asia, and North America. There are 300 species of Willow, White Willow the most famous of them. Native Americans relied on Willow for its analgesic properties.

In 1829, another bright pharmacist, this time a Frenchman named H. Leroux, discovered Willow’s active chemical, salicin. In 1838, pure salicylic acid was synthesized by an Italian chemist, not from Willow but Wintergreen and other plants. Salicin and salicylic acid were widely used through the 19th century for fever, gout, pain, and inflammation. However, as usual, when you isolate chemicals from plants or synthesize them, you almost always increase their toxicity. The farther away you stray from Nature, the more likely you are to do harm. And such was the case. The high doses used routinely led to gastric irritation and vomiting.

Arthritis: Nighttime Support

Arthritis: Nighttime Support

By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences

Smart SupplementationTM is a free series of educational literature created by Huntington College of Health Sciences (HCHS) as a public service. Although copyrighted, it may be freely photocopied and distributed, but may not be altered in any way. Smart SupplementationTM is not intended as medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition, consult your physician. 

Arthritis is characterized by an inflammation and/or pain in a joint or joints of the body. Symptoms of chronic arthritis are pain, swelling, stiffness and deformity of one or more joints. These symptoms can be particularly bothersome at night when sufferers are trying to sleep. The use of certain natural substances may help to promote sleep and pain relief, as well as joint healing during sleep.

Before describing these natural substances, however, let’s first take a look at the two most common forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health Vitamin D Supreme

Supplement of the Week: Designs for Health Vitamin D Supreme

Quick Overview

Vitamin D Supreme provides a clinically useful dose of vitamin D3 and vitamin K in both the K1 and MK-7 form of K2. This formula contains higher therapeutic doses than Vitamin D Synergy for situations where more aggressive repletion is required. Vitamins D and K are essential for optimal bone and arterial health and for maintaining the immune system in proper balance. The amount of vitamin D and K in this formula may be beneficial for those who do not get adequate sun exposure and/or dietary sources of these vitamins. Vitamins D & K work as a team. Thus, increasing doses of vitamin D will increase the need for vitamin K.