physiology

Soft Tissue Injury and Fibroblast Regeneration

September 9, 2011 by drburt Leave a Comment

Soft Tissue Injury and Fibroblast Regeneration

Mechanical friction during deep tissue massage, fascial manipulation or using techniques like Graston will activate the stimulation the fibroblast reproduction after soft tissue injury. These fibroblasts cells are the most common cells of connective tissue, and they synthesize the extracellular matrix (ECM) and collagen, which is the main framework of our soft tissues. The properties of the connective tissues depends on the composition of ECM – tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Elastic and reticular fibers, glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, and collagen are all found in ECM and made by fibroblasts. Collagen is the most important part of ECM and plays very important role in tensile loading. The stimulation of production of the above mentioned components can be achieved by frictioning tissues (in other words by providing cross-fiber massage).

Fibroblast production and degeneration is a normal process in every day mechanical loading such as walking, running, bicycling or any other form of movement. There are four basic types of loads: tension (tensile force-fibroblasts), compression (chondrocytes), fluid shear (vascular endothelial cells) and torsional shear. Collagen synthesis in patellar tendon ( which is used the most by bicyclist and runners) increases by nearly 100% as a result of just single bout of acute exercise, and the effect is till evident three days later. I guess I am doing a good job with my knees by keeping them busy with prolonged Mountain Bike Riding and avoiding soft tissue injury.

In the beginning of a training period the balance between synthesis and degradation is increased and there is a net loss of collagen. This enables a tendon to restructure and adapt to an increased loading pattern. It is not till training progress that there is a net gain in collagen synthesis. Deep friction massage can also help to repair a mild soft tissue injury to a knee tendon. Fibroblasts play an important role in wound healing. When connective tissue and blood vessels get injured, growth factors cause fibroblasts to enter the wound area, increase its numbers and begin synthesizing new collagen fibers, creating new granulation tissue and assisting in remodeling. The ECM of granulation tissue is created and modified by fibroblasts.

Recently I was exploring a new trail with another rider. During a steep rocky climb my rear wheel lost a traction and my right knee got over extended. I felt sharp pain but continued on riding. Next day I felt sharp pain around and under my right knee cap (patella tendon). Three to four sessions of deep tissue massage, cross friction massage and modalities such as electric stimulation and Erchonia Cold Laser L5000 model made my knee completely pain free. This is a real example of how Fabroblast is working.

There has also been research done that eccentric exercises may provide more benefit than concentric exercises regarding rehabilitation of muscles and tendons. Eccentric exercises provide greater stimulation of fibroblasts, increasing collagen synthesis and therefore stimulating the healing of soft tissue.

Teenager, High Blood Pressure and Lack of Sleep

July 11, 2011 by drburt Leave a Comment

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has conducted a research which concluded that sleep depravation could be the cause of high blood pressure in healthy adolescents. These associations couldn’t be explained by being overweight, socioeconomic status, sleep apnea, or known co morbidities. About 238 teenagers ages 13 to 16 were participating in this study which provided an important data about relationship between lack of sleep and high blood pressure. All of the participants of this study were without any known health issues.

This study was published in a Journal of the American Heart Organization. Young adults were observed 3 to 7 nights about the sleep duration at their homes. Special digital wrist recorder was designed in order to record a motion, sleep and wake up patterns. Special laboratory was used for one night and the blood pressure was measured nine times during that night over two days period. In the research facility, an overnight polysomnography was also made; according to Wikipedia, a polysomnography “is a multi-parametric test used in the study of sleep”, and the test outcome is termed a polysomnogram.

Those young adults who had less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night were 2.8 times to have elevated blood pressure levels, compared to those teenagers who had more hours of sleep. Those with low sleep efficiency, on the other hand, were 4.5 times more likely to have prehypertension. Sleep efficiency might be broadly defined as sleep quality. It took into account factors such as having difficulty dropping off to sleep or staying asleep.

Scientific data was adjusted for gender, body mass index and socioeconomic status. Pre hypertension risks were 2.5 times higher for lack of sleep and 3.5 times higher for low sleep efficiency. Youngster with sleep deficiency had 4mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure than those who had good night sleep.

According to the NHLBI’s Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, children of school-going age and adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. According to the guide, hormonal influences during puberty tend to affect the biological clocks of adolescents. They are thus more likely to go to bed later at night, and want to sleep in longer in the morning.

The Implications

If the young ones are often having problems falling asleep, getting up several times or for long periods during the night, having sleepy spells during the day, or having difficulty concentrating, then it is possible that they are not having enough sleep, or are having poor sleep.

And, compared with twenty or even ten years ago, teenagers today have even more reasons to stay awake late into the night. Decades ago, there were no computers, no internet, and very small, if any, late night television. Add to that the stress and pressures of increased workloads in school, as well as the nutritional fiasco which is our modern diet of refined foods, and the issue gets a lot bigger.

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Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation is Critical For Your Health

January 14, 2011 by drburt 1 Comment

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential element in the creation of energy that cells need for their life support. CoQ10 also know as Ubiquinone because it is ubiquitous, meaning that it is part of every living cell in our body. When the level of Coenzyme is reduced to 25 percent many health problems may appear. High Blood Pressure, Heart Attacks, Immune Deficiencies and cancer are a few of the diseases. It is a scientific fact, that when the level of Coenzyme drops below 75 percent the life can no longer exist.

CoenzymeQ10 support cellular energy production by helping create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the body’s primary source of stored energy. Muscle cells, produce ATP with fuel released from foods – glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, various enzymes, oxygen and CoQ10.

Coenzyme Q10 is also functions as an important antioxidant, which provides protection from oxidative damaging process that is taking place in fat-soluble media such as cell membranes, which are composed of fatty acids. This Coenzyme, also works together with Vitamin E to prevent the damage to lipid membranes and plasma lipids. Like other antioxidants, CoQ10 also provides protection against the accumulation and deposits of oxidized fats in blood vessels, which eventually can cause atherosclerosis. (This information was taken from Molecular Medicine, 1994, vol. 15)

Coenzyme is sold in tablets or soft gel capsules. For best absorption, take the tablets with a little fat or in the soft gel capsule form. Therapeutic doses range from 30 to 100 mg per day or more – this amount exceeds 10 to 40 times the amount found in organ meet, the most concentrated dietary source of CoQ10. Most studies use dosages of 100 mg or more per day, but patients with heart problems can take up to 300mg per day. Coenzyme Q10 stays in the blood for along time, so doses don’t need to be divided over the day. The effects of CoQ10 usually takes several weeks to notice, and long term use may be required for those patients who have serious heart conditions.

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Chiropractic Rehabilitation and 4 Stages of Soft Tissue Healing

August 20, 2010 by drburt 13 Comments

The healing process is divided into four broad stages which are not mutually exclusive and overlap considerably.

1. Initial vascular reaction – Active Swelling

2. Inflammatory response – Passive Congestion

3. Proliferative phase – Repair

4. Remodeling

Wound healing refers to the body’s replacement of destroyed tissue by living tissue (Walter & Israel 1987). It comprises of two essential components whose differentiation is based on resultant tissue: Regeneration and Repair.

TISSUE INJURY CAUSES RESTRICTION OF MOTION DUE TO:

Inflammation & Swelling
Pain
Muscle Spasm

THE MAJOR GOALS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE:

Relieve Pain
Promote Full Healing
Restore & Maintain Full Function
Reduce the Likelihood of Re-Injury
Prevent Accelerated Degeneration

Chiropractic Care Should Continue Throughout the Repair Stage. It Take Longer For Tissues to Heal & Normal Function to be Restored Than it Takes for Pain Relief. Pain Relief is not the Only Goal. Chiropractic Helps: