Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents how various treatments can help with adrenal insufficiency and can help regulate hormone levels in the body in this 2-part series. Since hormones play a vital role in the body by controlling how the body functions, it is important to know what the trigger is that is causing overlapping issues in the body. In Part 1, we looked at how adrenal insufficiencies affect different hormones and their symptoms. We refer patients to certified providers that include hormone treatments that relieve adrenal insufficiencies affecting the body while ensuring optimal health and wellness for the patient through various therapies. We appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it’s appropriate to understand better what they are feeling. We understand that education is an excellent and inquisitive way to ask our providers various intricated questions at the patient’s request and knowledge. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
Treatments For Adrenal Insufficiencies
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: When it comes to adrenal insufficiencies, the body has various symptoms that can cause the person to feel low on energy and pain in different areas. Since hormones are produced in the adrenal glands, they help maintain how vital organs and muscles work to keep the body functional. When various factors affect the body, disrupting the adrenal glands, it can cause hormone production to over or underproduce. To that point, it can correlate to numerous symptoms that cause the body to be dysfunctional. Fortunately, there are various treatments that many people can incorporate into their daily lives to promote hormone regulation.
Now everyone has different ways to lower their stress, which is fine as there are various treatments that a person may like to try, and if they are in a treatment plan that their doctor developed for them, they can find ways to get their health and wellness back. Many individuals sometimes participate in meditation and yoga to practice mindfulness. Now meditation and yoga have amazing benefits in lowering oxidative stress and cortisol levels associated with chronic stress. By looking at how adrenal insufficiencies can cause an increase in insulin, cortisol, and DHEA dysfunction in the HPA axis, many doctors would devise a treatment plan for their patients that can help lower the oxidative stress markers and regulate hormonal production. So if one of the treatments is meditation or yoga, many individuals who practice yoga and meditation will begin to notice how they are feeling after taking a few deep breaths and begin to feel mindful of their surroundings. This causes many people to improve their quality of life associated with decreased cortisol levels.
How Mindfulness Can Lower Stress
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Another available treatment that can help with adrenal insufficiencies is an 8-week mindfulness treatment that can help lower cortisol levels from escalating in the body to cause more issues than a person is dealing with. Depending on what stage the HPA axis dysfunction is affecting the body, taking the time for yourself can benefit you in the long run. An example would be taking a hike on a nature walk path. The change in the environment can help a person relax and be at ease. This allows the body to let go of unnecessary pent-up stress affecting a person’s mood, functionality, and mental health when a change of scenery can help them relax and recharge. To that point, it allows the HPA axis to relax as well.
Another example of how mindfulness can help treat adrenal insufficiencies associated with hormonal dysfunction is by providing neurofeedback to those with chronic PTSD. Individuals with traumatic experiences have PTSD, which can hinder their ability to function in the world. When they go through a PTSD episode, their bodies will begin to lock up and tense, causing their cortisol levels to rise. To that point, this causes an overlap of symptoms associated with muscle and joint pain. Now how does mindfulness plays its part when it comes to treatment? Well, many doctors specializing in treating PTSD will do an EMDR test. EMDR stands for eye, movement, desensitization, and reprogramming. This allows PTSD patients to have their HPA axis rewired and reduce the neuron signals in their brains and help lower any cortisol levels causing adrenal insufficiencies in their bodies. Incorporating EMDR testing into PTSD patients allows them to find the issue causing the trauma through brain spotting, where the brain replays the traumatic memories and helps rewire the brain to release the trauma out of the body and start the healing process.
Vitamins & Supplements
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Another technique many individuals can begin if they want to regulate their hormones is by taking supplements and neutraceuticals to help replenish hormonal function and the body. Choosing the right vitamins and supplements is not difficult if you don’t want to consume them in pill form. Many vitamins and supplements can be found in nutritious whole foods with specific nutrients that can improve hormone production and make a person feel full. Some of the vitamins and supplements that can help with hormone balance include:
Magnesium
B vitamins
Probiotics
Vitamin C
Alpha-lipoic acid
Omega-3 Fatty Acid
Vitamin D
These vitamins and supplements can help communicate with the other hormones the body produces and help balance hormonal production. Now, these treatments can help many people with hormonal imbalances in their bodies, and there are times when the process can be tough. Just remember that making these small changes can have a huge effect in the long run regarding your health and wellness. By sticking with the treatment plan that your doctor has come up with you, you will feel better over time and take back your health as well.
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents how adrenal insufficiencies can affect the hormone levels in the body. Hormones play a vital part in regulating body temperature and help function the vital organs and muscles. This 2-part series will examine how adrenal insufficiencies affect the body and its symptoms. In part 2, we will look at the treatment for adrenal insufficiencies and how many people can incorporate these treatments into their health and wellness. We refer patients to certified providers that include hormone treatments that relieve various issues affecting the body while ensuring optimal health and wellness for the patient. We appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis when it’s appropriate to understand better what they are feeling. We understand that education is an excellent and inquisitive way to ask our providers various intricated questions at the patient’s request and knowledge. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
What Are Adrenal Insufficiencies?
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Many factors can affect the body, whether eating habits, mental health, or lifestyle habits all play a role in maintaining hormone function in the body. Today, we will apply these common dysfunctional cortisol patterns that patients present when they go in for a daily examination. Most patients often come in and explain to their doctors that they are suffering from adrenal dysfunction because different symptoms are associated with various stages of adrenal dysfunction or HPA dysfunction. Now adrenal dysfunction or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) dysfunction is when the adrenal glands are not producing enough hormone to regulate the body. This causes the body to go through different stages of adrenal dysfunction if it is not treated right this way, causing the body to deal with muscle and joint pain that a person hasn’t dealt with throughout their life.
Many doctors and healthcare providers use a systematic approach that can help many people address whether or not they have adrenal dysfunction in their bodies. Today, we will discuss the relationship between female hormones and mood disorders associated with adrenal dysfunction. When it comes to adrenal dysfunction associated with hormones, many people will often get medicated for mental illnesses like bipolar disease or depression when their hormones are imbalanced. When hormonal imbalances begin to affect women in their early fifties due to premenopause, the mental disorder would often worsens and cause many other overlapping issues that can affect their hormones and their bodies.
Adrenal Dysfunction Affect The Body
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Many women would have healthy diets, take yoga, be involved in spiritual practices, and hang out with their friends; however, when their hormone levels are imbalanced, they are dealing with other issues associated with HPA imbalances or adrenal dysfunction. By looking at the 24-hour corticotropic activity and determining how the circadian rhythm controls it, many doctors can look at the data presented to the patient. The way the data is being presented to the patient on how their hormone levels fluctuate in the body in the morning and how they rise or decrease throughout the entire day until they go to sleep.
With this information, many doctors can diagnose why this individual is having trouble going to sleep, constantly waking up early in the night, or not getting enough rest, making them exhausted throughout the day. So how is adrenal dysfunction associated with 24-hour corticotropic activity? Many factors can cause adrenal dysfunction in the body and affect hormone levels. When the body begins to over or underproduces hormones from the adrenal glands or the thyroids, it can cause cortisol and insulin levels to lose control in the body and cause various issues that result in muscle and joint pain. Sometimes hormonal dysfunction can cause somato-visceral or visceral-somatic pain by affecting the vital organs like the gut and the brain and start to cause issues to the surrounding muscles and joints. When the surrounding muscles and joints are causing pain in the body, they could be causing overlapping issues that can affect a person’s mobility and make them miserable.
How To Diagnose Adrenal Insufficiencies?
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: When doctors diagnose a patient suffering from adrenal dysfunction will begin to look at the patient’s medical history. Many patients will start filling out a long, extensive questionnaire, and doctors will begin to look at the anthropometrics, biomarkers, and clinical indicators found in physical exams. Doctors must obtain the patient’s history to look for the signs and symptoms of HPA dysfunction and adrenal dysfunction to determine the issue affecting the individual. After the examination, doctors would use functional medicine to look at where the dysfunction lies in the body and how the symptoms are connected. The numerous factors causing adrenal dysfunction in the body could be how a person’s eating habits are causing these issues, how much exercise they are incorporating in their daily lives, or how stress impacts them.
Functional medicine provides a holistic approach that considers lifestyle components causing issues in the person’s body. By connecting the dots on what the patient is saying and how these factors are causing adrenal insufficiencies, it is important to get the whole story from the patient to devise a treatment plan catered to the individual. They would appreciate that someone finally understands what they are going through and will begin to restore their health and wellness. By looking for the root causes, triggers, and mediators causing adrenal dysfunction, we can look at the expanded history that the patient is telling us, whether it be their family history, their hobbies, or what they like to do for fun. All these things are important to consider to try and connect the dots of the underlying cause of adrenal insufficiencies in the body affecting a person’s hormone levels.
Adrenal Insufficiencies Affect Cortisol
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: Now, do adrenal insufficiencies correlate with increased DHEA and cortisol hormone levels? Well, DHEA is a hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands naturally. DHEA’s main function is to make other hormones like estrogen and testosterone to regulate the male and female body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that increases the glucose levels in the bloodstream. Cortisol’s main function is to allow the brain to use glucose in the body while repairing the affected muscle tissues. When the body begins to over or underproduces hormones from the adrenal glands, it can raise the cortisol levels to cause resilience to the body, and the HPA axis begins to decrease. When this happens, the body starts to feel sluggish, which can cause you to feel exhausted throughout the entire day, even though you may have gotten a good night’s sleep.
Adrenal Insufficiency Symptoms
Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., presents: This is known as adrenal fatigue and can be associated with various symptoms that affect the hormone balance in the body. This can include non-specific symptoms like sleep disturbances, digestive issues, fatigue, and body aches can affect the hormone levels inside the body. This causes many individuals to feel miserable due to feeling low energy. Adrenal fatigue can also be associated with the different stages of HPA axis dysfunction. These can include:
Trauma
Food allergies and sensitivities
Dysbiosis
Changes in the gut microbiota
Toxins
Stress
Insulin resistance
Metabolic syndrome
All these issues can affect a person’s hormone levels and cause elevated cortisol to overlap many factors that cause somato-visceral problems. An example would be someone having gut issues associated with chronic stress who can start to feel pain in their joints from the knees, back, and hips which cause their hormone levels can fluctuate.
The adrenal glands are small glands found on top of each kidney and they are necessary for our everyday health because they produce a variety of hormones, including cortisol and sex hormones. The adrenal glands produce the hormones that regulate sugar and blood pressure, respond to stress, as well as burn protein and fat. If these small glands don’t produce enough of the necessary hormones, it can ultimately cause a variety of health issues. Adrenal fatigue is a health issue recognized by many healthcare professionals, however, there is no evidence to prove that the condition exists.
Adrenal fatigue is characterized as a collection of non-specific symptoms. James Wilson, Ph.D., naturopath and alternative healthcare professional, coined the term in 1998 when he first described the condition as a group of associated symptoms that developed when the adrenal glands aren’t functioning accordingly. He also stated that the condition is generally associated with severe stress and fatigue that doesn’t get better with sleep which follows with other health issues, such as bronchitis, flu, or pneumonia. In the following article, we will discuss adrenal fatigue as well as its diagnosis and treatment.
Understanding Adrenal Fatigue
According to healthcare professionals, adrenal fatigue can commonly develop in people that have experienced mental, physical, or emotional stress for an extended period of time. However, as previously mentioned, there is currently no evidence to prove that the condition exists. Many doctors are also concerned that if a patient is told that they have this condition, it may ultimately cause them to miss another underlying source of their symptoms that probably also won’t be diagnosed and treated accordingly. However, there are a variety of other health issues that may affect the adrenal glands.
Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
Adrenal fatigue develops when the adrenal glands are overworked due to chronic stress. Many healthcare professionals believe that excessive, long-term stress causes these small glands to become fatigued and unable to keep up with the demands to produce enough hormones. All of the symptoms below are relatively generic, however, they could signal an underlying health issue. Many of the symptoms could also be due to a busy life and a lack of sleep, as well as due to caffeine addiction, poor nutrition, or increased amounts of stress. The common symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue can include:
tiredness
craving sugar and salt
abnormal weight loss
trouble getting to sleep and waking up
dependence on stimulants like caffeine
nonspecific digestive problems
Adrenal Fatigue Diagnosis
Many healthcare professionals may take blood samples or utilize salivary cortisol tests to determine if a patient has adrenal fatigue as well as any other underlying health issue. However, because there is no evidence to prove that adrenal fatigue exists, there are currently no definitive ways to properly diagnose the condition. People who do believe in adrenal fatigue argue that modern diagnosis methods and/or techniques are not sensitive enough to determine the decreased function of the adrenal glands, however, they do describe that their bodies still feel the symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
Many healthcare professionals start adrenal fatigue treatment by recommending patients to quit caffeine, alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. They will also recommend patients to start eating healthy, exercise more, and sleep better. Following these diet and lifestyle modifications can make anyone feel better. Despite the lack of evidence, there is a wide variety of products, often in the form of vitamins and supplements, available to relieve symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue. Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate these treatments, they may have not been tested for safety.
If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue, it’s essential to visit a healthcare professional immediately in order to receive a proper diagnosis and follow-up with treatment. Moreover, if you take vitamins or supplements for adrenal fatigue without an underlying health issue, the adrenal glands can start to rely on or be suppressed by the treatment, ultimately causing another health issue known as adrenal insufficiency. A healthcare professional physician will be willing to help a patient determine the source of their symptoms and start the proper treatment for their health issues.
Adrenal Insufficiency or Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal insufficiency, commonly referred to as Addison�s disease, is a health issue that develops when the adrenal glands aren�t producing enough of the hormones we need for overall health. Adrenal fatigue is believed to be a mild type of adrenal insufficiency caused by severe stress over a long period of time. Adrenal insufficiency develops when the adrenal glands are damaged, causing them to not produce enough hormones, including cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol regulates our stress response while aldosterone regulates sodium and potassium. Symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency can include:
fatigue
muscle weakness
lightheadedness
headaches or head pain
loss of appetite
unexplained weight loss
salt cravings
excessive sweating
loss of body hair
irregular menstruation in women
irritability and/or depression
hypoglycemia
low blood pressure
abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea
There are two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney in the human body. The outer region of the adrenal gland, known as the adrenal cortex, produces hormones, such as cortisol and aldosterone. The inner region, known as the adrenal medulla, produces adrenaline or epinephrine and norepinephrine. These necessary hormones are important for a variety of functions including: regulating sugar, salt, water, metabolism, and blood pressure, as well as regulating stress and inflammation, among other functions. Adrenal fatigue can commonly develop in people that have experienced severe mental, physical, or emotional stress for an extended period of time. However, as previously mentioned above, there is currently no evidence to prove that the condition exists.Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
The adrenal glands are small glands found on top of each kidney and they are necessary for our everyday health because they produce a variety of hormones, including cortisol and sex hormones. The adrenal glands produce the hormones that regulate sugar and blood pressure, respond to stress, as well as burn protein and fat. If these small glands don’t produce enough of the necessary hormones, it can ultimately cause a variety of health issues. Adrenal fatigue is a health issue recognized by many healthcare professions, however, there is no evidence to prove that the condition exists.
Adrenal fatigue is characterized as a collection of non-specific symptoms. James Wilson, Ph.D., naturopath and alternative healthcare professional, coined the term in 1998 when he first described the condition as a group of associated symptoms that developed when the adrenal glands aren’t functioning accordingly. He also stated that the condition is generally associated with severe stress and fatigue that doesn’t get better with sleep which follows with other health issues, such as bronchitis, flu, or pneumonia. In the article above, we discussed adrenal fatigue as well as its diagnosis and treatment.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.�
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
References:
Newman, Tim. �Adrenal Fatigue: Myths, Symptoms, Disorders, and Treatment.� Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 27 June 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245810.php#treatment.
Felson, Sabrina. �Adrenal Fatigue: Is It Real? Symptoms, Causes, Treatments.� WebMD, WebMD, 8 Feb. 2019, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/adrenal-fatigue-is-it-real#1.
Neurotransmitter Assessment Form
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The following Neurotransmitter Assessment Form can be filled out and presented to Dr. Alex Jimenez. The following symptoms listed on this form are not intended to be utilized as a diagnosis of any type of disease, condition, or any other type of health issue.
Additional Topic Discussion: Chronic Pain
Sudden pain is a natural response of the nervous system which helps to demonstrate possible injury. By way of instance, pain signals travel from an injured region through the nerves and spinal cord to the brain. Pain is generally less severe as the injury heals, however, chronic pain is different than the average type of pain. With chronic pain, the human body will continue sending pain signals to the brain, regardless if the injury has healed. Chronic pain can last for several weeks to even several years. Chronic pain can tremendously affect a patient’s mobility and it can reduce flexibility, strength, and endurance.
Neural Zoomer Plus for Neurological Disease
Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate neurological diseases. The Neural ZoomerTM Plus is an array of neurological autoantibodies which offers specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. The Vibrant Neural ZoomerTM Plus is designed to assess an individual�s reactivity to 48 neurological antigens with connections to a variety of neurologically related diseases. The Vibrant Neural ZoomerTM Plus aims to reduce neurological conditions by empowering patients and physicians with a vital resource for early risk detection and an enhanced focus on personalized primary prevention.
Food Sensitivity for the IgG & IgA Immune Response
Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate health issues associated with a variety of food sensitivities and intolerances. The Food Sensitivity ZoomerTM is an array of 180 commonly consumed food antigens that offers very specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. This panel measures an individual�s IgG and IgA sensitivity to food antigens. Being able to test IgA antibodies provides additional information to foods that may be causing mucosal damage. Additionally, this test is ideal for patients who might be suffering from delayed reactions to certain foods. Utilizing an antibody-based food sensitivity test can help prioritize the necessary foods to eliminate and create a customized diet plan around the patient�s specific needs.
Gut Zoomer for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate gut health associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The Vibrant Gut ZoomerTM offers a report that includes dietary recommendations and other natural supplementation like prebiotics, probiotics, and polyphenols. The gut microbiome is mainly found in the large intestine and it has more than 1000 species of bacteria that play a fundamental role in the human body, from shaping the immune system and affecting the metabolism of nutrients to strengthening the intestinal mucosal barrier (gut-barrier). It is essential to understand how the number of bacteria that symbiotically live in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract influences gut health because imbalances in the gut microbiome may ultimately lead to gastrointestinal (GI) tract symptoms, skin conditions, autoimmune disorders, immune system imbalances, and multiple inflammatory disorders.
Formulas for Methylation Support
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Proudly,�Dr. Alexander Jimenez makes XYMOGEN formulas available only to patients under our care.
Please call our office in order for us to assign a doctor consultation for immediate access.
If you are a patient of Injury Medical & Chiropractic�Clinic, you may inquire about XYMOGEN by calling 915-850-0900.
For your convenience and review of the XYMOGEN products please review the following link. *XYMOGEN-Catalog-Download* All of the above XYMOGEN policies remain strictly in force.
Modern Integrated Medicine
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