Latest research is indicating that in the western world over 80 percent of us are magnesium deficient.
So, is it really a big deal if we are magnesium deficient?
Short answer is YES! It can be a very big deal.
In fact, Magnesium is needed in over 300 essential enzymatic reactions in the body.
Some of the Main Ones are:
Protein synthesis. DNA and RNA in our cells require magnesium for cell growth and development.
Sparking of the electrical signals that must travel throughout the many kilometers of nerves in our bodies, including our brain, heart, and other organs.
Normal blood pressure, vascular tone, transmission of nerve cell signals, and blood flow.
Functioning of all nerves and muscles.
Release and binding of adequate amounts of serotonin in the brain.
Every system in the body requires a healthy level of magnesium to function correctly.
So basically, living without adequate levels of magnesium is like trying to operate a machine with the power off. And like a machine, it’s likely to malfunction.
So let’s concentrate, for a moment, on some of musculoskeletal benefits of Magnesium which is what we deal with at Peak Chiropractic on a daily basis:
Magnesium assists in muscle relaxation:
Muscles, which are in pain either from injury to themselves, or from damage to surrounding tissue are often in a protective spasm or at least increased tension state. Magnesium has been demonstrated to bring about relaxation in muscles.
Magnesium is a natural antispasmodic.
Muscles which are cramping and stiff or even as mentioned before in spasm, may respond very well to magnesium.
Magnesium is also effective in pain management:
Whether it be chronic or acute, a sprain or a strain, a pull or a tear, it would be safe to assume that everyone has experienced some degree of muscle or joint pain in their lifetime, however the role of supplementing magnesium in assisting treating these issues is rarely mentioned as a focal point of therapy.
Magnesium in pain management is not a new concept at all and multiple studies have been conducted on the value of magnesium in both the acute musculoskeletal pain conditions and chronic pain conditions.
In one study, fifty patients with chronic limb pain received either 500mg of magnesium sulphate with 75mg of lignocaine, or 75mg of lignocaine alone. The duration of pain relief was on average 23 days for the group that received the magnesium-lignocaine treatment, compared with 6 days with lignocaine alone. In another study, twelve cancer patients with neuropathic pain who had responded poorly to opioids were examined—10 of the 12 patients experienced partial or complete relief with administration of magnesium.
Migraine and tension Headaches, Fibromyalgia, Restless Leg Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are other chronic conditions which recent studies are showing that magnesium is useful in bringing about some pain relief.
Often we have seen here at Peak Chiropractic, the dramatic difference made to a person suffering from a chronic musculoskeletal pain condition, by simply increasing a person’s magnesium levels (via diet or supplementation).
Feel free to chat with one of us, next time you are in the clinic, about the value of Magnesium for your particular condition.
References
1 Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., The Magnesium Miracle, Ballantine Books, New York, NY, 2007. 2 Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intake for Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride, National Academy Press, Washington DC, 1997. 3 Rogers SA, Depression Cured at Last, SK Publishing, Sarasota, FL, 2000. 4 Crosby V, Wilcock A, Corcoran R, “ The safety and efficacy of a single dose (500 mg or 1 g) of intravenous magnesium sulfate in neuropathic pain poorly responsive opioid analgesics in patients with cancer.” J Pain Symptom Management, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 35-39, 2000. 5 Steinlechner1 B, Dworschak1 M, Birkenberg B, Grubhofer G, Weigl M, Schiferer A, Lang T, Rajek A, “Magnesium moderately decreases remifentanil dosage required for pain management after cardiac surgery.” British Journal of Anaesthesia, vol. 96, no. 4, pp. 444-449, 2006 6 Altura BM, “Sudden-death ischemic heart disease and dietary magnesium intake: is the target site coronary vascular smooth muscle?” Med Hypothesis, vol. 8, pp. 843-848, 1979. 7 Tramer M.R., Glynn C.J., “Magnesium bier's block for treatment of chronic limb pain.” Pain, vol. 99, no. 1, pp. 235-241 8 Levaux C, Bonhomme V, Dewandre P.Y., Brichant J.F., Hans P, “Effect of intra-operative magnesium sulphate on pain relief and patient comfort after major lumbar orthopaedic surgery.” Anaesthesia, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 131-135 9 Memiş D, Turan A, Karamanlioğlu B, Süt N, Pamukçu Z, “The use of magnesium sulfate to prevent pain on injection of propofol.” Anesthesia Analgesics, vol. 95, no. 3, pp. 606-608 10 Altura B, “Magnesium: the forgotten mineral in cardiovascular health and disease.” A Gem lecture at SUNY Downstate. Alumni Today, pp. 11-22, spring 2001. 11 Dr. Norm Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., Holy Water, Sacred Oil; The Fountain of Youth. 2000