We all know that things we can abbreviate into three-letters are always best.
Just think of most of the good techniques: SOT, NET, TBM, NSA, ABC, AK.
See, three letters.
Today, we pass that mantle onto alpha-lipid acid or ALA.
ALA really is a multifaceted molecule, from anti-oxidant to blood glucose stabiliser, to heavy metal chelator, it can play many roles in many conditions.
We have talked about glutathione previously, and when it is functioning as an anti-oxidant, it has donated a spare electron, then it needs to be recycled with someone else’s electron to get back to work.
And that someone is ALA (along with others).
Thus, by donating an electron, to neutralise what is effectively a free radical, we can say that ALA is an anti-oxidant.
That is to say it stops oxidative damage.
And this is key, if you have a sustained low grade inflammatory response and dysfunctional mitochondria, then you are going to generate ALOT of free radicals and thus ALOT of oxidative damage.
That destabilises the nerve firing threshold and thus your nerves are more excitable and therefore you get more pain for the existing neuro-mechanical issues that you have.
And that is why we have added ALA to the Meta Boost product that is due to launch in the next 2 weeks ish.
ALA plus SOD are apex/primary anti-oxidants.
Remember from last time?
I attract a lot of chronically unwell people to clinics.
They are usually not going to get better with adjustments only.
That is still my main “weapon” and always will be, but these peeps have got deeper-rooted and more complex problems.
So I needed a product to help break the vicious cycle of long-term pain and dysfunction.
We are all about the foundations whenever possible, but you have to live in reality.
Some people’s nervous systems are really, REALLY excitable and keep giving them pain AND inflammation – that is neurogenic inflammation, so the nerve is hyper-excitable, giving pain and the nerve then produces chemicals like substance P, which generates inflammation from the nerve, not the immune system per se.
We have to break that cycle in, for example, long-term nerve pain from a nasty disc injury or trauma.
And ALA, with SOD as a partnership, does just that.
One thing I do when going on a deep research dive is use the literature for medical extremes of what the topic I am interested in and then extrapolate to the level I work at.
Diabetic neuropathy is a perfect example.
As far as the NHS is concerned, tough luck, your feet hurt, they are tingly and numb, deal with it via gabapentin, job done.
But there is sooooo much good stuff out there on diabetic neuropathy, not all of it relevant to mechanical nerve pain level, but is ALA?
Oh yes.
Check the meta-analysis of fifteen studies:
What I love about these studies, is not only did they measure pain but also actual nerve function with nerve conduction studies.
All of which improve with ALA.
Think about that for a moment.
If you can improve the pain and dys-function in nerves associated with an ON-GOING metabolic issue as significant as diabetic neuropathy, with on-going damage, could it then help neuro-mechanical issues?
Oh yes.
Check this RCT on chronic neck pain, comparing rehab vs rehab with ALA 600 mg & SOD 140 iu (10mg) for 2 months.
Pain at rest reduced by 55% vs 36% and pain on movement by 54% vs 39% after all in favour of rehab with ALA and SOD.
I love these kinds of studies as they combine more than one thing, which is of course, exactly what we do in clinic.
An integration of all our neuro-mechanical care with cutting edge metabolic treatment.
Next week, we will dig deeper into ALA for mood and behaviour and maybe insulin/glucose.