First, I will tell you what clinical nutrition for pain, inflammation, and tissue healing is not – a rehash of the vitamin alphabet, a nutrition book for the layman, or a cookbook that describes "give supplement A for condition B."
This work is a synopsis of the well-known chiropractic nutritionist/neurologist David Seaman's life work so far. It contains in-depth scientific discussions of Dr. Seaman's biological models and theories of how foods can affect the chemistry of pain, inflammation, and tissue repair. Dr. Seaman makes an interesting association of how so-called antiarthritis, anti-Candida, anti-heart disease, and anti-cancer diets have many more similarities than differences including the common theme that they all tend to be anti-inflammatory in nature.
The book opens with the author's complete discussion of nociception and the subluxation complex, bits and pieces of which have appeared in popular chiropractic press publications like Dynamic Chiropractic, Clinical Chiropractic, and The American Chiropractor over the last few years.

In the second half of the book Dr. Seaman has included his nutrition education for patients lecture/slide show. It is a 40-page, step-by-step nutrition talk for the chiropractor who performs public speaking. Finally, Dr. Seaman includes reprints of his three JMPT articles on the science of proprioception, joint complex dysfunction, and pain generation.

As we all know, nutrition can be controversial and Dr. Seaman does not shy away from any controversies. For example, he attacks popular liver detoxification programs with a very powerful and well-referenced argument. He also makes an excellent case that many people who are diagnosed with Candida overgrowth problems do not suffer from Candida disorders but, in fact, have symptoms generated by excessive pro-inflammatory food choices. In a book that includes 866 references in the 167 pages of text, I did find it curious that Dr. Seaman advocates food combining based on only one reference, which is cited as a "personal communication."

I recommend this book to those chiropractors who are interested in nutrition and want a biochemical foundation for commonly encountered conditions. Doctors who are not experts in nutrition will also benefit from this book, especially the lay lecture in part two.

Reviewer's Note: This book contains so much information and covers so many topics important to the average practicing chiropractor that after my review I contacted Dr. Seaman and asked if he would be willing to sit for an interview later this year. Dr. Seaman agreed. Look for a three-part interview with Dr. Seaman in late summer or fall of 1999.

Dr. Andersen Rating: 9