After a spinal cord injury, the expression of PMCA is decreased. The inhibition of PMCA delays calcium clearance, increases the number of immunoreactive cells, and induces swelling and beading of SMI-32-positive neurites which in turn causes neuronal damage and loss in the spinal cord. A great deal of secondary spinal cord injury is a result. In almost all cases, the reduction of PMCA is coincident with the onset of clinical symptoms.

Intracellular calcium levels are involved in all types of inflammatory response. Inflammation occurs when the body produces one or more pro-inflammatory mediators such as leukotreines, MCP-1, and histamine in response to an injury or other triggering event. The release of leukotriene, MCP-1 and histamine are determined by levels of intracellular calcium in mast cells. When intracellular calcium reaches excessive levels, the inflammatory response is triggered. It should be noted that pain levels correlate with leukotriene levels in particular.

Ca2+ATPase, both SERCA and PMCA, helps maintain optimal levels of intracellular calcium thus reducing inflammation and pain. It is interesting to note that prescription steroids, a mainstay of treating inflammation in both oral form and as corticosteroid injections, stimulate Ca2+ATPase to reduce inflammatory conditions, albeit with well understood side effects. Acupuncture (without notable side effects) also stimulates Ca2+ATPase in treated muscle to improve recovery.

Adequate levels of SERCA are important to enable postural and locomotor muscles to respond to treatment, and that adequate levels of PMCA are important to prevent secondary damage after spinal cord injury and nerve tissue trauma due to inflammation. It is clear that optimizing the body's ability to produce Ca2+ATPase is an important factor in treating patients. Certain botanical supplements, including jasmine flower extract, green tea, gingerol, and astragalus, have demonstrated stimulatory effects on Ca2+ATPase.

Appropriate supplementation can significantly improve treatment outcomes, and the addition of a high quality botanical supplement to optimize Ca2+ATPase is an important consideration in a comprehensive plan of care.

Recognizing Deficiencies

How do you recognize a correctable deficiency in Ca2+ATPase that demonstrates the need for supplementation?

While many vitamin, mineral or enzyme deficiencies are best determined through routine blood testing, a Ca2+ATPasae deficiency is much more straightforward; if he or she have presented in your office with an injury, your patient is, at the very least, locally deficient in this regulatory enzyme, as explained above. In addition to the suppression of this enzyme in tissues surrounding the injury site, lifestyle, the aging process, and environmental toxins are direct contributors to decline or suppression in our body's production of Ca2+ATPase.

Research demonstrates that production of this key regulatory enzyme declines in many tissues throughout the body, including the brain, the heart, the blood vessels, the bladder, and the skeletal muscles. Reduced Ca2+ATPase levels play a major role in age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart failure, high blood pressure, muscle weakness and bladder problems.

In addition to age-related declines, temporary or long-term lifestyle factors such as a high cholesterol diet, alcohol over-consumption, smoking, the abuse of recreational drugs, and periods of high stress directly suppress the production of Ca2+ATPase. Also, numerous environmental toxins inhibit the enzyme. These include mercury, lead, fluoride, aluminum, pesticides, electromagnetic fields, radiation and second hand smoke. Food dyes, artificial flavoring and preservatives such as BHT and Bis-phenol also inhibit production. Ca2+Atpase is crucial for optimal health and specific supplementation can help offset the toxic exposure you and your patients encounter every day.