Beating the Christmas hangover

Sorry to disappoint but this study shows that the only way to avoid a hangover is to limit what you drink in the first place. None of the remedies being sold to cure hangovers work.

So have a happy and hangover free Christmas.

New hope for arthritis sufferers - BBC News

Before you get too excited the researchers who did this work stress that it may be at least 10 years before it can be developed into a realistic treatment. However the idea that one day we will be able to grow cartilage from a patients own cells is vey exciting.

Yoga 'can help to cut back pain' - BBC News

Results of a study suggesting that Yoga can be useful in helping people with chronic back pain. It's a shame that Pilates wasn't also included in this study as it it also very useful in helping back pain sufferers.

Therapies soothe deep sufferings - PoughkeepsieJournal.com

An interesting article outlining some of the areas where complementary therapies can be helpful.

One of the interesting points raised in this article which is often ignored is the client satisfaction with many complementary therapies.

Away on Holiday

I'm going away fro a few days pre-christmas shopping and relaxation so I won't be posting for the next week or so.

I'll be back online just before Christmas.

Testicular Cancer: Spot the Symptoms Early

Nobody wants to think about testicular cancer but for every man it's worth knowing what the early signs are. Read this if you are male or have a man who you love and want to protect.

Scientists 'unlock ME genetics' - BBC News

Hopefully this will mean good news for sufferers of ME (sometimes known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I've had a few friends suffer from this and the lack of knowledge about the problem is almost as bad as the symptoms themselves.

Pulsating magnetic device may offer benefits for some MS patients - University of Washington News and Information

This double blind study was done on patients with MS and seems to show that there were improvements when these devices were used.

This is welcome as double blind experiments are very hard to do with many complemetary therapies due to the nature of the therapies. The sample size was very small which may throw doubt on the results but this is often the case with mainstream clinical trials too.

Dieters 'have slim chance of happiness' | the Daily Mail

Wonderful news for thouse of us built on more generous lines. This study done over a 16 year period suggests that people with a lower weight are more likely to commit suicide than the plump among us.

Let's hope fashion and the media take this on board and give out a more positive message to young women who are a natural shape instead of the walking coat hangers so beloved of the clothes trade.

Computer and desk stretching exercies

Most office workers get shoulder and neck pain at some time. Obviously having your workstation and computer set up correctly and good posture are most helpful but here are some stretching exercises you can do at your desk which should help you avoid these sort of pains.

Saddle seat that beats backache | the Daily Mail

This looks like an interesting possibility to help people with chronic back pain.

Stress 'hinders healing process' - BBC News

This is one of those, "well that's obvious really" sort of articles.
I don't think anyone will be suprised at the finding that stress delays the body's healing but I was suprised by just how much.

Having said that this study was done on 42 couple so I'm a bit wary about the statistical significance of the results.

Handout on Health: Back Pain

Obviously I have a particular interest in back pain as I treat many people with this condition, Neuro-skeletal Re-alignment is particularly good for helping many types of back pain and together with remedial massage and lifestyle changes I can often help people eliminate it entirely.

This is excellent PDF file of a handout about back pain, lots of useful background to understand the causes of the condition. It's a shame it doesn't cover any of the complementary therapies which are so useful in treating chronic back pain.

BBC NEWS | Health | 'We want to empower patients'

An article about some doctors who have put together a website of leaflets and other information for their patients.

This is a very good and authoritative site giving information about specific conditions, symptoms, prognosis, drugs and other conventional medical treatment.
http://www.patient.co.uk/ the site is an excellent starting point for researching any medical conditions.

Cold comfort: Alternative remedies do booming business, but do they really help?

Interesting article on complementary/alternative remedies for the common cold. It quotes medical doctors who are anti and who are pro herbal and other alternative remedies. So it is little more balanced that the title suggests.

New Scientist Breaking News - Oldest bird had dinosaur feet

This is pretty much off topic but I'm facinated by anything to do with evolution so I thought I'd share this one.

The evolutionary tree of birds seems to be a hot topic at the moment and I love the idea that dinasaurs never became completely extinct but one branch evolved into birds.