The incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has increased in recent years. AMD patients have trouble recognizing and identifying people's faces and especially with focusing on people’s internal features, such as the eyes, nose and mouth.

In the January 2014 issue of Optometry and Vision Science researchers believe that AMD could largely be due to abnormal eye movement patterns and fixations associated with the condition. The authors found that the AMD patients made more frequent eye movements, known as saccades, compared to those with healthy vision. This could indicate that the problem that AMD patients have with recognizing faces is not only due to their overall vision loss, but also related to an abnormality in eye movement patterns.

These abnormal scanning patterns which cause difficulty in reading faces are also associated with other conditions including schizophrenia and autism. The researchers have proposed a few reasons behind why these abnormal patterns in AMD patients occur. They believe it could have a lot to do with the way the brain coordinates eye movement. Other research studies show elevation of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-17 in the serum of AMD patients which supports the hypothesis of AMD as an inflammatory disease. There is still a lot of science to do on the cause of AMD.

University of Sydney researchers have shown that Paracetamol is no more effective than placebo in relieving acute lower back pain. This was the first placebo-controlled trial looking specifically back pain. Associate Professor Christine Lin, of the George Institute, said “We were also surprised with the results, as we expected to see a difference, compared to placebo and also among patients who took paracetamol as required. What we were most surprised about was that for pain severity we did not see a difference at any time point.”

For most practitioners of complementary medicine this is hardly a surprise. We have always advocated that paracetamol has little or no sustainable effects and CAM therapies have  more effective long-term solutions. 

For example, consider back pain due to muscle tension. It is highly likely that after the inflammatory phase’ there often ‘adhesions’ present that block circulation,cause pain and limit movement. So the ‘sole use’ of a pharmaceutical drug or herbal remedy will not resolve this issue. The best treatment options to include:

·         Myofascial therapy

·         Trigger point release

·         Dry needling

·         Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)

·         Muscle Energy Technique

·         Cupping

·         Deep tissue massage

·         Ayurvedic herbal massage

·         Osteopathy

·         Chiropractic therapy etc are much more

These approaches are  more cost-effective  and will bring much relief that is so much desired by those with chronic back pain. My CAM colleagues and former students continue to achieve excellent clinical outcomes and many treatment protocols are being continually developed by exceptional CAM practitioners. 

I have used a combination of my expertise in Remedial Massage, Ayurveda, Yoga and Homotoxicology to great effect in treating many elite athletes and clients with chronic back pain and have achieved magnificent results.

So when you come across clients with back pain please consider the above which are much more viable solutions to back pain. Your patients/clients will be eternally grateful.

The British Medical Association  recognises the important role doctors have in tackling climate change and promoting the public health benefits of low carbon living.

Rising temperatures, changing sea levels and more frequent and extreme weather patterns will lead to increased morbidity and mortality associated with:

• changing patterns of infectious diseases 
  
• increased air pollution and UV radiation 
  
• flooding 
  
• heat waves 
  
• food and water shortages
  

The   BMA further stated that in the UK, direct impacts are likely to include increased deaths, disease and injury due to:

• heatwaves (with the greatest impact on the elderly, babies and young children, and people with ill-health) 
  
• flooding and storms (including drowning, chemical hazards and contamination of drinking water and mental stress) 
  
• increased spread of infections previously only seen in other parts of the world (such as tick-borne encephalitis, lyme disease, malaria, dengue, leptospirosis and West Nile Virus)
  
• reduced food safety associated with warmer temperatures 
  
• greater exposure to ultraviolet radiation with increased risk of sunburn, sunstroke and skin cancers  reduced air quality and increased pollens
  

Ancient medical systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have always advocated that alcohol is detrimental to health. This fact is now being repeatedly proven through more recent scientific research studies.

Although some research studies have promoted the health benefits of drinking red wine, recent research studies (some previously stated in this blog site) have determined that this no longer the case.

This latest study from Sweden concluded that light to moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is an abnormally fast heartbeat that can result in stroke and heart failure.

The study published in the 2014 July edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology analyzed data from more than 79,000 Swedish adults, ages 45 to 83, who provided information about their drinking levels and were followed for up to 12 years. During this period, there were more than 7,200 cases of atrial fibrillation among the participants.

The data revealed that individuals who drank between 15 and 21 drinks per week and those who drank more than 21 drinks in a week showed an increased risk of AF of 14% and 39% respectively compared to non-drinkers.  Binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks on any one occasion, was associated with a 13% higher risk of developing AF regardless of how many drinks were consumed in the week.

The researchers also analyzed data from six prior studies that included a total of more than 12,500 cases of atrial fibrillation. This analysis found that each additional drink per day of any type of alcohol boosted the risk of irregular heartbeat by 8 percent.

The data from both trials clearly defined that there is a link between drinking levels and risk for atrial fibrillation but they could not determine cause-and-effect.

One can conclude that this is further evidence that ancient medicine practices which are supported by wisdom and experience acquired over centuries should not be ignored but instead be incorporated in general prescriptive lifestyle advice for modern times.

University of Leicester researchers in the UK have found that asking two simple questions could help GPs to identify patients who are potentially at risk of alcohol problems.

1)      How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?

2)     As a result of your drinking, did anything happen in the last year that you wish didn’t happen?

These questions had an accuracy of 79.8% in detecting substance abuse among a total of 5646 respondents.

The researchers found that using a combination of a short, two-question test with a longer survey correctly identified patients with alcohol problems in 90.9 per cent of all cases.

This represents a major breakthrough for GP’s as they can detect alcohol problems in a pragmatic timeframe. The researchers from the University of Leicester stated, “At the moment, GPs ask patients about alcohol problems during about 3 per cent of consultations. Routine screening using simple questions are an attempt to improve the situation.”

Research studies have confirmed that frequency of milk and ice cream intake was positively associated with acne vulgaris occurrence. It has been shown that women, who consumed two or more servings of skimmed milk every day, were 22% more likely to suffer from severe acne and 44% more likely to develop cystic or nodular acne than those who consumed only one glass of skimmed milk a day.
Endocrine factors involved in acne may be affected by milk consumption because milk is an insulinotropic nutrient and has a high insulinemic index which would increase serum insulin and IGF-1 levels. There is increasing evidence in support of the interplay of growth hormone (GH), insulin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signalling during puberty, which may have a causal role in pathogenesis of acne by influencing adrenal and gonadal androgen metabolism.  

Many studies have shown that nearly half the population finds the onset of winter  (SAD) gets them down.  With the long dark nights and short days many people  feel more depressed and anxious. Credit card debt, weight gain, alcohol
consumption, relationship counselling and even suicide all reach a peak during  the winter months.
Depression and anxiety is a sad and all too common state in today’s society. A large  percentage of the population today, including children, are on antidepressants.  Today we are led to believe that we should be happy all the time and everything  should be perfect.  These expectations lead to emotional crashes when they  don’t live up to reality and have us reaching for the quick fix of a pill. So  how do we combat this dilemma? The answer may lie with Integrated  healthcare.
 Integrated  healthcare is a response to the changing patterns of disease in the early  21st century. It is much  more than a blend of mainstream medicine with complementary treatments. It is a  structured approach to healing. For example, in the treatment of depression  various therapeutic interventions such as Massage, Ayurveda and Kinesiology can  be used in a strategic manner for long-term health  solutions.


Kinesiology
Kinesiology  helps people in many ways using a uniquely holistic approach to healing the  person.  Symptoms are only a part of the puzzle.  A Kinesiologist  will look at:

Genetic  Factors: – For example, some people are more susceptible to anxiety and  depression due to inherited characteristics.  If someone’s emotional  constitution is more sensitive they become more affected by life’s ups and  downs.

Childhood  – i.e. traumatic events at key developmental  stages.

The  Physical – i.e.  Body systems and  organs.

Lifestyle  – it is well documented that a healthy diet and regular exercise help people  cope with stress.  .

The Energetic System:  i.e.  The meridian system and distribution of  energy. Imbalances in this system will eventually lead to dysfunction which can  manifest in disease, hormonal problems, muscular tension  etc.

From  the biofeedback of the muscle monitoring a Kinesiologist can accumulate  valuable information and then focus on to break down patterns of defence or  samskaras.  For example, someone who is a negative person often gets  depressed and disillusioned because every time something bad happens it  confirms their view and core belief that “nothing ever goes right for  me”.  Once that core belief is changed the person has more options to think  differently i.e. they might think “oh well it didn’t happen the way I wanted it  to happen this time but next time it could be  different.
Kinesiology  works on long term healing; it isn’t a quick fix, although occasionally great  leaps forward can happen.  It is about healing the body from inside out  and top down in reverse order to how the issues built up.  This enables  the body to get back on its line of cure.
 
Ayurveda  and Yoga
For  healing the mind Ayurveda employs a series of therapies such as meditation,  spiritual counselling pranayama, mantra, prayer, visualization, diet,  detoxification, herbal therapies and massage. Shirodhara is a powerful  Ayurvedic treatment that is used to combat depression and emotional insecurity  whilst decreasing stress related hormones in the body. The continuous flow of  warm oil bathes the Third Eye Chakra and works primarily on the mental layer of  the brain known as ‘manomaya kosha’ which disarms past negative impressions  (samskaras) thus bringing awareness releasing sorrow and  suffering.
 
Massage  Therapy
 Research  evidence has shown that massage has decreased levels of cortisol and increased  levels of dopamine and serotonin which are important factors in the aetiology  of depression. However the direction of movement, excursion, rate of movement,  the zones, rhythm and pressure are important factors in achieving treatment  goals.

 Removing  the Boundaries
The  landscape of medicine is changing through Integrative healthcare which is  transforming healthcare delivery by removing the boundaries between therapeutic  modalities. Treatment efficacy for chronic illness like depression can been  enhanced by the use of a combination of therapies such as Massage, Kinesiology,  Ayurveda and conventional medicine in a methodological step-wise manner.  Depending on the risk –factors that the patient presents one would also  include conventional  medicine care.  Harnessing the best elements from evidence-based healing systems and integrating  them into a strategic healthcare plan can ultimately result in an effective  long-term remedial measure rather than the standard quick-fix short-term  approach.