>Isn't there a hair test that can find if you have too much copper in your system?<
I've looked into the hair test thing, but there's considerable disagreement about whether the results accurately reflect the copper/zinc ratio in the body. (Some claim hair color effects the results.) There's a zinc taste test (the ZTT) to test zinc levels that was used in the earlier 20th century, but it's not 100% reliable either. Otherwise there aren't many reliable lab tests to assess zinc levels. There is a test for accumulated copper in a blood protein, but interpreting the results can be tricky. Besides that, I doubt the tiny elevations that might possibly trigger a focal dystonia are even measurable. (That's my personal opinion, but I really can't say if this is true or not.) Someone (I think Hans) mentioned verifying questionable information in books. Good idea. I have in my hot little hands my personal copy of "Lange Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment" which describes a disease caused by the accumulation of copper in the body. This disease, Wilson's, can cause severe dystonia, often in the neck. It is treated with zinc supplements to assist in elimination of the excess copper. This disease is very rare, but it is estimated that about one in 100 people carry one or more of the genes from a cluster of genes that can cause this disease. The researcher I'm acquainted with believes that those who carry a few of the genes, will never get full blown Wilson's, but may develop a mild form of this disease if exposed to excess copper from their diet or environment (such as copper pipes, brass instruments or copper containing supplements). She believes some cases of embouchure dystonia may actually be a "forme fruste"**presentation of Wilson's. She has studied subjects (I mentioned the plumber) who had some of the neurological symptoms of Wilson's, lacked sufficient diagnostic criteria for a complete diagnosis, yet whose symptoms were relieved with zinc supplementation. I only share this to let you know that my "wacky" ideas do have a basis in established medical knowledge and practice. Like I said before, I'm not recommending anything other than an open mind that's willing to learn something new. -- Valerie Wells The Balanced Embouchure Method http://bebabe.wordpress.com/ http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/ _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
