By Dr. Jolie Bookspan| Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation

Dr Bookspan is a military researcher. Harvard School of Medicine clinicians have named her “The St. Jude of the Joints.” A degenerating disc, or one that is slipped (herniated) can be painful and frightening. Despite the fact that discs usually can heal quickly and easily, people are commonly told that a disc problem is a difficult and long-term condition.They are told to accept and “live with” pain and reduced ability. They may stay on pain and anti-inflammatory drugs for long periods. Recent news reports from Time Magazine and The New York Times quote spine specialists as saying that back pain is mysterious, and that commonly used modalities like acupuncture, strengthening, surgery, massage, chiropractic just aren’t working. However, the case is that back pain is usually simple to understand, and simple to fix without surgery or special beds or equipment.

William Silkworth, wrote in the preface of The “Big Book” the following: “The action of alcohol on chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy: that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker.” Alcoholics often eat poorly, limiting their supply if essential nutrients and affecting both energy supply and structure maintenance. Furthermore, alcohol interferes with the nutritional process by affecting digestion, storage, utilization, and excretion of nutrients.