Steroid Treatment Have Negative Effects for Both Young and Old
December 2, 2008 by DrLauren
Filed under Uncategorized
Separate studies have shown steroids to be harmful for two age groups, although these drugs are common treatments.
The first report, from the October 23rd issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, states, “men and women older than 60 who take corticosteroids for longer than six months are at greatly increased risk of deformities of the bones in the spine.” (FYI … inhalers used to “treat” asthma are corticosteroids!) This report was based on a study of 229 patients who had taken corticosteroids for longer than six months, and was compared with 286 people the same age who did not take the drugs. The results showed that 28% of the corticosteroid-treated patients had at least one deformity of the vertebrae in the spine.
The second study examined the use of steroids in children for asthma and related problems. This study was published in the October 12, 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The article stated long-term administration of systemic corticosteroids is a cause of impaired growth in children. The study showed that children treated with inhaled corticosteroids had less growth in height (1 to 1.6 cm [23 to 27 percent] less) than those assigned to other treatments. One of the concerns of the study was that they were unable to predict if this change in growth rate of the skeletal system was also accompanied by a change in organ system growth, including the brain. The authors urge caution.
The NEJM article did not mention studies showing the benefits of chiropractic for children with asthma. Such studies concerning chiropractic treatment for asthma included a 1996 study published by the Michigan Chiropractic Council and one from the Alberta Childrens Hospital in Calgary, Canada.
Interested in more research on asthma? Check out some of these articles …
Antibiotics During First Year of Life Increases Risk for Asthma
Antibiotic Usage in Babies Linked to Asthma
I am a 60 year old female. I was recently diagnosed with lymphedema. It has been contributed to steroid injections I received in my back for the last year. Because I was in a lot of pain, I received a lot of injections. Over that one year period, my family doctor seemed really unconcerned with the progressive swelling in my legs. To shorten this story, I eventually was hospitalized by another doctor and diagnosed with lymphedema. I was watching Channel 59 this morning and saw the detoxing through the hands and feet. Are you familiar with lymphedema? If so, do you feel this would be something that would helpful for lymphedema. Thanks! Linda
I am definitely familiar with lymphedema. Many things can contribute and cause lymphatic issues like this. So in the same sense, there are going to be different things that help different people depending on what is contributing to or causing the lymphatic issues. I’d recommend the foot baths as a great place to start. The foot detox is a great way to detoxify the body in a gentle but thorough way. With someone that has been through quite a bit of medical history like you have, harsh cleansing is not always a great idea. The foot bath will allow your body to detox at its own speed and your body will prioritize what it most needs to detoxify. At the end, you will have a pretty clear picture of the parts of the body that are under more stress and are needing to be cleansed. You can read more about it at http://www.wecreatewellness.com/services/detoxification/footbath/
In our office the sessions are recommended to be 60 minutes. We offer lifestyle recommendations, products, and services that may benefit you as well. It will be an informative and interesting experience I promise!