Inflammation and dementia...

Deaths due to dementias more than doubled between 2000 and 2015 and it is fast becoming one of the biggest killers. Is it a coincidence that we are also seeing more and more chronic infections and inflammatory diseases such as diabetes? Actually, no it is not – more and more research is joining the dots and showing how inflammation causes dementia.

Inflammation is such a two-edged sword – it is well intentioned but can quickly become a destructive helper. If infections have pushed your immune system into overdrive, this can lead to immune cells attacking healthy brain tissue. In a nutshell, inflammation starts in the body but can overflow into the brain. So it makes a lot of sense to follow a lifestyle that controls inflammation levels, and thus reduces the risk of dementia.

watch Michael Morgan on the TED stage

The river is flowing, flowing and growing, The river is flowing, down to the sea;
Mother earth carry me, your child i will always be,
Mother earth carry me down to the sea.

We’re at a key turning point, a revolution if you like, for dementia right now. It’s a good time to make sure you are up to speed with the latest advice. Diet is key and there are many resources online to ensure you are eating the optimum anti-inflammatory foods.  Here is a recent one from Harvard

How can craniosacral therapy make a difference?
Trials with craniosacral therapy are showing promising results for working with inflammation and dementia and one of the reasons why is that craniosacral therapy sessions encourages the flow of CSF.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colourless liquid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. We know that it is incredibly important to our health and well-being but it is still surrounded in mystery. There are some startling facts: in middle age, the flow of CSF is half that of a normal adult.  And as people reach 60 +, doctors can see on a MRI that their brains start to shrink.  Also when people have senile dementia, their flow of CSF is 75% less!

In a recent podcast, Michael Morgan, used a great analogy for this deterioration in CSF flow:  imagine a river flowing freely where over time the water table lowers until eventually it dries up.  What you are left with is sludge (amyloid plaques). This creates a situation where more and more toxins form so the million dollar question is – if we can find a way to increase the flow of CSF to near normal levels, would the sludge wash away?

What I do know for sure is that this amazing fluid,  in direct contact with our brain and spinal cord, that we continually make and replace, holds some mysteries that science has not yet unlocked. And there are many exciting revolutionary findings just around the corner...