For years I have run a casual email
list serving the chiropractic profession, its students
and various interested non-chiropractor supporters.
Issue 21
23/04/08 11:50
Issue 21
beware that evil phone again....
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3353768.ece
Mobile phone radiation wrecks your sleep
Phone makers' own scientists discover that bedtime use can lead to headaches, confusion and depression
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 20 January 2008
Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study.
-=-=-=--=-
looks like we'll all have to wear that hosiery
medical journal says stockings can help travellers
http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/new-theory-to-beat-jet-lag/2008/01/20/1200764081365.html
WEARING tights on long-haul flights relieves ankle swelling and helps ward off post-flight fatigue, a study of pilots and passengers has found.
-=-=-
can chiropractic enhance shoot-em-up games?
can chiro enhance your PS3 scores?
could this sort of "research" fill our $endowment coffers with money from Sony, etc?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/wii-warmup-a-boon-for-surgeons/2008/01/18/1200590673933.html
Wii warm-up a boon for surgeons
The next time you're going under the knife, it might be worth asking your surgeon how much time they've spent honing their skills on the Nintendo Wii.
A US study by the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona has found surgical residents performed better during simulated surgery after playing on the Wii for an hour beforehand.
"The whole point about surgery is to execute small, finely controlled movements with your hands, and that is exactly what you get playing Wii," Kanav Kahol, who conducted the study with colleague Marshall Smith, told New Scientist magazine.
Professor John Quin, executive director of surgical affairs at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the study was interesting and showed promise, but it was still not clear whether better performance in simulated surgery translated into better performance in surgery on a live patient.
"What it shows at the moment is only that if you repeatedly play video games you get better at playing video games," he said, adding the RACS was conducting a Federal Government-aided study to determine the effectiveness of simulated surgery.
Professor Quin said he hoped high-tech tools like the Wii and simulated surgery proved useful because "it's getting more and more difficult to train the full experience of the surgical operation".
The study found only those games requiring precise movements, like Marble Mania in which a player guides a marble through a 3D obstacle course using the Wii's motion-sensitive remote, are effective.
"You don't gain a lot from swinging an imaginary tennis racket," Kahol said.
Past research by other academics has similarly found video games requiring fine control can help build the skills surgeons need for operations like keyhole surgery.
Kahol and Smith are now reportedly designing Wii software to accurately simulate surgical procedures. For developing countries unable to provide expensive professional training systems, the Wii could be used as a cheap and effective training tool.
In conducting their study, the pair called on eight trainee doctors to play the Wii for an hour before performing virtual surgery using a tool called ProMIS. The training tool provides a 3D simulation of a patient's body and tracks the surgeon's movements while they are "operating".
Movement data was then processed using an algorithm and the surgeons were given scores. Those who played the Wii scored 48 per cent higher on tool control and performance than those who didn't.
-=-=
Stilnox
dont want to speak to soon, but it looks like we can add to the side effects label:
"may cause death of Aussie actor"
Begin forwarded message:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bizarre-behaviour-sparks-stilnox-battle/2008/01/21/1200764147312.html
Bizarre behaviour sparks Stilnox battle
January 21, 2008 - 2:02PM
The manufacturer of a sleeping tablet that triggered bizarre side-effects in Australians says it will fight moves to have the drug moved to a tougher class.
A Federal Government committee will meet next month to decide whether Stilnox should be changed to schedule 8 status to monitor who is accessing it.
This change would bring the popular medication into line with controlled drugs such as morphine, narcotics and amphetamines, which are deemed vulnerable to addiction or abuse.
It would require doctors to fill out extra paperwork and pharmacists to keep comprehensive records of who they dispense to.
The call comes in the wake of a spate of reports from a national hotline of Stilnox users crashing cars, having sex, fighting and binge-eating from the fridge while apparently asleep.
The manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis today said the change being considered by the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) was unwarranted and would be strongly opposed.
"Sanofi-Aventis has not been notified as to the grounds upon which such an application has been made," a company spokesman said.
"However, we are of the view that any change to the scheduling is unwarranted and not in the best interests of patients and prescribers, and a submission will be made to the NDPSC accordingly."
The proposal is the latest to limit scope of the drug. Changes instigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) last November limited pack sizes to a maximum of 14 pills.
Stilnox packs now also carry extra warnings of possible side-effects "including rage reactions, worsened insomnia, confusion, agitation, hallucinations and other forms of unwanted behaviour", the TGA said.
A spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Geraldine Moses, said up-scheduling of Stilnox was seen as a good move.
"Rescheduling is an effective way of getting people to take this drug seriously," said Dr Moses, who also heads the Adverse Medicine Events Line, which fielded more than 500 calls reporting Stilnox side-effects last year.
"It instantly changes the way the drug is handled and therefore instantly tells people this drug has safety issues rather than hoping and praying that they will read the product information."
The change will be considered at the February 19 meeting of the NDPSC.
AAP
-=-=-=
Smack in the middle of hysteria - Opinion - smh.com.au
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/smack-in-the-middle-of-hysteria/2008/01/23/1201024992191.html
I think of those of you who have the time to read this, you might agree....esp, you old timers out there...and we baby boomers who now are getting on a bit :-)
enjoy
=-=-=
Physical activity shows evidence of beneficial effects on immune system
The Weekend Australian
CASE NOTES: EXERCISE, Chris Tzar | January 19, 2008
ARECENT feature in the prestigious Journal of American Medical Association (2008;299(2):160-161) has gained much attention within the medical and health sector. It discussed the evidence supporting moderate exercise training as a strategy to offset compromised immune function in older adults.
Its significance is highlighted by the fact that infections are the leading cause of death for people aged 65 and older. As the human body ages, the immune system becomes less efficient. Consequently, its ability to fight infections and other health issues is diminished in comparison to younger people.
Observational studies suggest the intensity of exercise influences immune system changes. Moderate exercise improves immune functioning by stimulating positive changes in the function and number of various immune system cells, such as the natural killer cell (NK) - one of the body's first lines of defense against viruses. It also improves the killing capacity of neutrophils - responsible for combating foreign micro-organisms and initiating the immune response.
Intense exercise, on the other hand, appears to suppress immune function. Changes in immune markers during high intensity or prolonged exercise include lower measures of antibodies, depressed NK activity and decreased neutrophil activity.
The benefits of regular physical activity or exercise for both the prevention and management of chronic disease and ill-health are well established. Much of the evidence to date has observed changes in the body's various systems - primarily metabolic, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal. It is only in recent years that attention has been focusing on the immune system. The impact of exercise on the immune function has important public health consequences and highlights the beneficial effects of exercise on disease prevention and management.
A recent study observing wound healing properties in aged mice, published in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, revealed that exercise has the ability to reduce the inflammatory response in wounds (2008;294:R179-R184). The author theorised that exercise encourages healing by decreasing local inflammation.
The results may have significant implications for the immune function of people with chronic illnesses, since inflammation underlies the pathophysiology in many diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease.
Indeed, this may provide further evidence that exercise is a primary therapy for people with diabetes, since its two most common secondary complications are also strongly linked to inflammatory markers. These include the inflammatory C-reactive protein present in heart disease and the inflammatory cytokines in foot ulcers.
Although this is a relatively new area, progress is being made to determine the mechanisms that affect immune functioning through exercise, and more importantly, whether these changes in immune functioning can reduce the risk of developing a disease, or at the very least, delay its progression.
A frequent question concerns exercise during illness. Most clinical authorities in the area of exercise immunology suggest the following:
For head colds (runny nose, sore throat without fever or general aches and pains):
* Mild to moderate exercise (eg walking, short jogging period) does not appear to be harmful
* High-intensity exercise should be avoided
* Higher-intensity exercise may be resumed a few days after symptoms have ceased
For chest colds, symptoms of fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches or swollen lymph glands:
* Avoid exercise during symptoms
* Commence with light-intensity activity a few days after symptoms have ceased, and allow two to four weeks before resuming higher-intensity exercise
* During this period, monitor how you feel during exercise and during the recovery period, to avoid a relapse of symptoms.
The exercise dose range for enhanced immune function is consistent with current physical activity guidelines, including both aerobic and strength exercise. To determine the appropriate exercises and intensity for your circumstances, consult your local exercise physiologist.
-=-=-=-
A stupid article by someone stupid
maybe I am stupid for responding? click the link and see...
had fun anyhow...my response is below, which has not yet been posted
joe
The fallacy of chiropractic
smudailycampus.com - Dallas,TX,USA
You might be wondering, "What could be wrong with chiropractics?" I'm sure that many of you, just like myself, have seen many private practices that have ...
Ken Ueda is apparently a future mathematician who thinks people who see chiropractors get a 'back rub'. So I allegedly studied 6 years to create friction. He thinks chiropractors are from some other planet where people are deluded into thinking rubbish, and make a profession of it. He quotes Barrett, who has been exposed, in court, as something of an inflammatory, biased character. Do your research on this "bull" also.
As an undergrad, I studied Science and Mathematics alongside Med students at the Wallace Wurth School of Medicine in Sydney. I flew to the USA to complete another 5 year post-grad degree in chiropractic. Some of my teachers were medically trained, and some of the students were MDs. They must be aliens too. I have a wife, family and pets. I breathe oxygen and am a productive member of my community.
Mr Ueda has no idea that people have strokes after the hairdresser, sneezing and backing their cars out. How will he ban this activity? Does he know that the Hippocratic oath is a historic document? Does he know that the neck is actually joined with the low back? Does he know that drugs, properly prescribed are killing more people per day than a chiro ever killed in 100 year?
Foolish stories of fiction like this one only serve one purpose: and I can not even think of it, because this afternoon I am busy getting people well. Like DD Palmer did in the early part of last century - where he was busier than the leach-mongers, barber surgeons and apothecaries (Oh, did I mention that was called medicine? There were few formal schools then, too).
Do us all a favour: stick to your two dimensional,flat world on a piece of graph paper before doing exactly the evil thing that DD Palmer did and venture out into health care advice. That is called hypocrasy, nothing whatsoever to do with the Greek guy who actually used to manipulate the spine, and MDs took an oath on, some time ago.
Joseph Ierano BSc DC BCAO
-=-=-=-
I once had a patient like this.
He was stuttering and losing speech.
About 5 years old. I used my Palmer education and adjust the cervical subluxation.
Then I used Palmer diagnostic skills and pulled out the trusty otoscope.
He had a game-piece in there - you know that game called Trouble with the little pegs? He put it in his ear. Sent him to the GP, who never thanked me for finding it of course.
Cured his stutter.
11-Year-Old Boy Partially Deaf for Nine Years Is Suddenly Cured
Monday, January 28, 2008
An 11-year-old boy from Britain, who was partially deaf for nearly 10 years, was suddenly cured when a thick piece of cotton popped out of his ear, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Jerome Bartens was diagnosed as deaf in his right ear when he was just two-years-old.
Over the next nine years, he struggled to live a normal life as a young boy — but everything changed when he felt a sudden pop in his right ear while playing a game of pool with friends.
He put his finger in his ear and pulled out a tip of a cotton wool bud that had been wedged in his ear since he was a toddler.
"It was just incredible — his hearing returned to normal in an instant," Barten's dad said.
"I had always suspected Jerome had stuck something in his ear when he was little and that was causing the problem. But the doctors and hearing specialists said it was wax and he would probably grow out of it."
"I am amazed they didn't spot something as obvious as a cotton wool bud."
Jerome is due to be examined by hearing experts later this week — and his dad is taking along the cotton wool bud as proof of his "miracle cure".
"It was very strange at first to be able to hear everything," said Barten.
"But now I'm getting used to it — it's great that people don't have to shout to me or that I don't have to turn my head all the time."
-=-=-
i have a link featuring the new landmark stroke study by Cassidy et al on my ChiropracticSafety site. http://web.mac.com/jierano/Site_5/Welcome.html
here it is Who caused stroke http://web.mac.com/jierano/Site_5/Who_caused_stroke.html
to share around with all concerned
concludes that you can visit the MD and have the same risk of stroke
joe
-=-=-=
if you are into stents....or like me, stents are into YOU :-)
read it with an open mind folks
joe
http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/2008/01/29/2148784.htm
Stents or surgery for blocked arteries?
by Dr Norman Swan
A study in New York has found surgery is safer than a balloon catheter plus drug-eluting stents for people with more than one blood vessel blocked.
29 01 2008
Download audio (mp3 907KB)
There's unwelcome news for cardiologists who pay their Mercedes leases by putting stents into blocked coronary arteries. But it's handy for you and me if we need to make a decision about treatment.
The findings are from an 18-month follow-up of almost everyone in New York State who had a non-emergency coronary artery operation or balloon catheter.
For those with more than one vessel blocked, coronary artery bypass grafting – surgery – had lower death and repeat procedure rates than the balloon catheter plus the latest stents (which seep drugs into the artery wall to stop re-blocking).
This drug-eluting stent study follows similar findings three years ago on bare metal stents versus surgery for multi-vessel disease. For people with single vessel disease the alternative to a stent is medications, and another study has suggested little or no advantage for stents.
At the moment the overwhelming majority of people are having stents and if these figures apply to Australia – albeit that not everyone's suited to surgery – there may be five or six preventable deaths a year per thousand people having their arteries unblocked.
The trouble is that the people who make the decision about stents versus surgery are the cardiologists – the ones doing the stents and ringing the till.
For Reference
Title: New England Journal of Medicine
Author: Hannan EL et al. Drug-eluting stents vs coronary-artery bypass grafting in multivessel coronary disease.
URL: http://content.nejm.org/
2008;358:331-341
Title: New England Journal of Medicine
Author: Carrozza JP. Drug eluting stents - pushing the envelope beyond the labels?
URL: http://content.nejm.org/
2008;358:405-407
-=-==
I guess the best thing about it is that old age should get better for most of us right!
MIDDLE AGE IS TRULY DEPRESSING, SAYS STUDY (Science Online: 30/01/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/80306/602849/1715/0/
A global study on happiness shows middle age is truly miserable, although an Australian researcher says this is not necessarily so.
A study using data from around 80 countries has found happiness is greatest in youth and old age with depression being most common among men and women in their forties
"In a remarkably regular way throughout the world people slide down a U-shaped level of happiness and mental health throughout their lives," says researcher Professor Andrew Oswald at Warwick University in the UK.
"Some people suffer more than others but in our data the average effect is large."
The study is published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Oswald and Professor David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the US analysed data on depression, anxiety levels and general mental health and well-being taken from some 2 million people in countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.
"For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year," Oswald says.
"It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children," Oswald says. "Nobody knows why we see this consistency."
One possibility may be that people realise they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers say.
But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.
The researchers found that about eight nations - mostly in the developing world - did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels.
U-shape not necessarily so
Oswald says realising that such feelings are completely normal in midlife might help individuals survive this phase better.
But Australian happiness researcher, Professor Bob Cummins of Deakin University in Melbourne says that being depressed in your middle age is not necessarily normal.
He says while the study by Oswald and Blanchflower is impressive in its size, pooling data from so many different countries would have made it difficult to identify factors that influence depression in middle age.
Cummins says Australian research shows a U-shape happiness curve only applies to people who do not have good relationships or enough money.
He says research has found a gross income of A$100,000 for a household of four helps to provide a good buffer against unhappiness.
Cummins says supportive relationships are particularly important when people are living on low income.
-=-=-=-
It happens.
...that reminds me...
Question: what did the first chiropractic adjustment restore?
Answer: click here
enjoy
story here:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/13718517.html
or read here now....
Blind Man Suddenly Sees Again
by Katie Wiedemann, Reporter
Story Created: Jan 11, 2008
Story Updated: Jan 11, 2008
DUBUQUE - Doctors aren't quite sure how it happened, but a Dubuque man can see clearly after being blind in one eye for more than a decade.
It happened after a trip to the chiropractor.
Twelve years ago Doug Harkey's left eye suddenly stopped working. "I woke up one day and I didn't have vision in one eye."
And as quickly as he lost sight, he got it back.
Harkey said, "he just did his normal adjustment and, voila!
After a routine visit to Chiropractor Tim Stackis, Harkey says a miracle happened.
"My blind eye starting watering after I left there and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye and I could see out my left again."
Doctor Stackis said the bones in the Harkey's neck were out of alignment.
Stackis said, "That interferes with the messages and energy the brain sends down to the rest of the body."
Harkey now has the depth perception he'd been missing, just what he needs as he's about to walk down the aisle with his fiancée next month.
Harkey’s Fiancée, Gina Connolly said, "I'm not use to him not running into things or stepping on our feet."
Doctor Stackis and Harkey were both surprised by what happened.
Harkey said, "He has miracle hands, I guess."
Was it a miracle? Harkey’s not sure how to explain it, he’s just glad it happened.
Harkey says his eye doctor says with the help of corrective lenses he will be able to almost perfectly out of both eyes.
-=-=-=
beware the Myelogram
I had a patient with arachnoiditis due to this medical intervention (30 yrs ago) in my office today...
http://www.myodil.plus.com/
-=-=-=-
This was sent to me by CAA NSW.
I think this is an absolutely wonderful slant on chiropractic care....
...its edgy, controversial, different, and looks out for the consumer first
I LOVE IT
and in our biggest Sydney paper...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/hotel-beds-a-pain-say-chiropractors/2008/01/31/1201714136595.html
Hotel beds a pain, say chiropractors
January 31, 2008 - 4:39PM
Some hotel beds are "quite appalling" according to chiropractors.
Chiropractors are threatening to "name and shame" hotels and holiday homes that provide beds so uncomfortable they damage their guests' backs.
Chiropractors says they have been inundated with patients seeking help for bad backs caused by inferior beds, mattresses and pillows in popular holiday accommodation.
Even some well-known and expensive lodgings had "quite appalling" bedding, said Mary Papatheocharous, president of the NSW branch of the Chiropractors' Association of Australia.
"Every year at this time it's the same, with patients dragging themselves in to get help with spinal and associated problems caused by inadequate beds," Ms Papatheocharous said.
"One of our members has been treating a man who was forced to spend three nights sleeping on the floor of a Gold Coast apartment because the bed was so bad.
"As a result he suffered a cervical (neck) sprain."
The association called for tourist operators to "pay more attention to the quality of the bedding provided" or risk being publicly named.
"We are now considering a proposal to name them and shame them by establishing an annual awards system which identifies the best and the worst when it comes to beds," Ms Papatheocharous said.
The main problems caused by bad bedding included lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, and pins and needles in the hands or legs, the specialists said.
"These symptoms may only last a short time, but can be more serious depending on how long they are spending in the bad bed and if any underlying conditions exist for that individual," she said.
The quality of the bedding provided at some well-known and expensive tourist accommodation was "quite appalling".
"Unfortunately a five star accommodation rating is no guarantee of bedding quality," said Ms Papatheocharous, who recommends her patients travel with their own pillow to prevent neck and spinal problems.
AAP
-=-=-=-
beware that evil phone again....
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3353768.ece
Mobile phone radiation wrecks your sleep
Phone makers' own scientists discover that bedtime use can lead to headaches, confusion and depression
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 20 January 2008
Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study.
-=-=-=--=-
looks like we'll all have to wear that hosiery
medical journal says stockings can help travellers
http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/new-theory-to-beat-jet-lag/2008/01/20/1200764081365.html
WEARING tights on long-haul flights relieves ankle swelling and helps ward off post-flight fatigue, a study of pilots and passengers has found.
-=-=-
can chiropractic enhance shoot-em-up games?
can chiro enhance your PS3 scores?
could this sort of "research" fill our $endowment coffers with money from Sony, etc?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/wii-warmup-a-boon-for-surgeons/2008/01/18/1200590673933.html
Wii warm-up a boon for surgeons
The next time you're going under the knife, it might be worth asking your surgeon how much time they've spent honing their skills on the Nintendo Wii.
A US study by the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona has found surgical residents performed better during simulated surgery after playing on the Wii for an hour beforehand.
"The whole point about surgery is to execute small, finely controlled movements with your hands, and that is exactly what you get playing Wii," Kanav Kahol, who conducted the study with colleague Marshall Smith, told New Scientist magazine.
Professor John Quin, executive director of surgical affairs at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the study was interesting and showed promise, but it was still not clear whether better performance in simulated surgery translated into better performance in surgery on a live patient.
"What it shows at the moment is only that if you repeatedly play video games you get better at playing video games," he said, adding the RACS was conducting a Federal Government-aided study to determine the effectiveness of simulated surgery.
Professor Quin said he hoped high-tech tools like the Wii and simulated surgery proved useful because "it's getting more and more difficult to train the full experience of the surgical operation".
The study found only those games requiring precise movements, like Marble Mania in which a player guides a marble through a 3D obstacle course using the Wii's motion-sensitive remote, are effective.
"You don't gain a lot from swinging an imaginary tennis racket," Kahol said.
Past research by other academics has similarly found video games requiring fine control can help build the skills surgeons need for operations like keyhole surgery.
Kahol and Smith are now reportedly designing Wii software to accurately simulate surgical procedures. For developing countries unable to provide expensive professional training systems, the Wii could be used as a cheap and effective training tool.
In conducting their study, the pair called on eight trainee doctors to play the Wii for an hour before performing virtual surgery using a tool called ProMIS. The training tool provides a 3D simulation of a patient's body and tracks the surgeon's movements while they are "operating".
Movement data was then processed using an algorithm and the surgeons were given scores. Those who played the Wii scored 48 per cent higher on tool control and performance than those who didn't.
-=-=
Stilnox
dont want to speak to soon, but it looks like we can add to the side effects label:
"may cause death of Aussie actor"
Begin forwarded message:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bizarre-behaviour-sparks-stilnox-battle/2008/01/21/1200764147312.html
Bizarre behaviour sparks Stilnox battle
January 21, 2008 - 2:02PM
The manufacturer of a sleeping tablet that triggered bizarre side-effects in Australians says it will fight moves to have the drug moved to a tougher class.
A Federal Government committee will meet next month to decide whether Stilnox should be changed to schedule 8 status to monitor who is accessing it.
This change would bring the popular medication into line with controlled drugs such as morphine, narcotics and amphetamines, which are deemed vulnerable to addiction or abuse.
It would require doctors to fill out extra paperwork and pharmacists to keep comprehensive records of who they dispense to.
The call comes in the wake of a spate of reports from a national hotline of Stilnox users crashing cars, having sex, fighting and binge-eating from the fridge while apparently asleep.
The manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis today said the change being considered by the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) was unwarranted and would be strongly opposed.
"Sanofi-Aventis has not been notified as to the grounds upon which such an application has been made," a company spokesman said.
"However, we are of the view that any change to the scheduling is unwarranted and not in the best interests of patients and prescribers, and a submission will be made to the NDPSC accordingly."
The proposal is the latest to limit scope of the drug. Changes instigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) last November limited pack sizes to a maximum of 14 pills.
Stilnox packs now also carry extra warnings of possible side-effects "including rage reactions, worsened insomnia, confusion, agitation, hallucinations and other forms of unwanted behaviour", the TGA said.
A spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Geraldine Moses, said up-scheduling of Stilnox was seen as a good move.
"Rescheduling is an effective way of getting people to take this drug seriously," said Dr Moses, who also heads the Adverse Medicine Events Line, which fielded more than 500 calls reporting Stilnox side-effects last year.
"It instantly changes the way the drug is handled and therefore instantly tells people this drug has safety issues rather than hoping and praying that they will read the product information."
The change will be considered at the February 19 meeting of the NDPSC.
AAP
-=-=-=
Smack in the middle of hysteria - Opinion - smh.com.au
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/smack-in-the-middle-of-hysteria/2008/01/23/1201024992191.html
I think of those of you who have the time to read this, you might agree....esp, you old timers out there...and we baby boomers who now are getting on a bit :-)
enjoy
=-=-=
Physical activity shows evidence of beneficial effects on immune system
The Weekend Australian
CASE NOTES: EXERCISE, Chris Tzar | January 19, 2008
ARECENT feature in the prestigious Journal of American Medical Association (2008;299(2):160-161) has gained much attention within the medical and health sector. It discussed the evidence supporting moderate exercise training as a strategy to offset compromised immune function in older adults.
Its significance is highlighted by the fact that infections are the leading cause of death for people aged 65 and older. As the human body ages, the immune system becomes less efficient. Consequently, its ability to fight infections and other health issues is diminished in comparison to younger people.
Observational studies suggest the intensity of exercise influences immune system changes. Moderate exercise improves immune functioning by stimulating positive changes in the function and number of various immune system cells, such as the natural killer cell (NK) - one of the body's first lines of defense against viruses. It also improves the killing capacity of neutrophils - responsible for combating foreign micro-organisms and initiating the immune response.
Intense exercise, on the other hand, appears to suppress immune function. Changes in immune markers during high intensity or prolonged exercise include lower measures of antibodies, depressed NK activity and decreased neutrophil activity.
The benefits of regular physical activity or exercise for both the prevention and management of chronic disease and ill-health are well established. Much of the evidence to date has observed changes in the body's various systems - primarily metabolic, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal. It is only in recent years that attention has been focusing on the immune system. The impact of exercise on the immune function has important public health consequences and highlights the beneficial effects of exercise on disease prevention and management.
A recent study observing wound healing properties in aged mice, published in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, revealed that exercise has the ability to reduce the inflammatory response in wounds (2008;294:R179-R184). The author theorised that exercise encourages healing by decreasing local inflammation.
The results may have significant implications for the immune function of people with chronic illnesses, since inflammation underlies the pathophysiology in many diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease.
Indeed, this may provide further evidence that exercise is a primary therapy for people with diabetes, since its two most common secondary complications are also strongly linked to inflammatory markers. These include the inflammatory C-reactive protein present in heart disease and the inflammatory cytokines in foot ulcers.
Although this is a relatively new area, progress is being made to determine the mechanisms that affect immune functioning through exercise, and more importantly, whether these changes in immune functioning can reduce the risk of developing a disease, or at the very least, delay its progression.
A frequent question concerns exercise during illness. Most clinical authorities in the area of exercise immunology suggest the following:
For head colds (runny nose, sore throat without fever or general aches and pains):
* Mild to moderate exercise (eg walking, short jogging period) does not appear to be harmful
* High-intensity exercise should be avoided
* Higher-intensity exercise may be resumed a few days after symptoms have ceased
For chest colds, symptoms of fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches or swollen lymph glands:
* Avoid exercise during symptoms
* Commence with light-intensity activity a few days after symptoms have ceased, and allow two to four weeks before resuming higher-intensity exercise
* During this period, monitor how you feel during exercise and during the recovery period, to avoid a relapse of symptoms.
The exercise dose range for enhanced immune function is consistent with current physical activity guidelines, including both aerobic and strength exercise. To determine the appropriate exercises and intensity for your circumstances, consult your local exercise physiologist.
-=-=-=-
A stupid article by someone stupid
maybe I am stupid for responding? click the link and see...
had fun anyhow...my response is below, which has not yet been posted
joe
The fallacy of chiropractic
smudailycampus.com - Dallas,TX,USA
You might be wondering, "What could be wrong with chiropractics?" I'm sure that many of you, just like myself, have seen many private practices that have ...
Ken Ueda is apparently a future mathematician who thinks people who see chiropractors get a 'back rub'. So I allegedly studied 6 years to create friction. He thinks chiropractors are from some other planet where people are deluded into thinking rubbish, and make a profession of it. He quotes Barrett, who has been exposed, in court, as something of an inflammatory, biased character. Do your research on this "bull" also.
As an undergrad, I studied Science and Mathematics alongside Med students at the Wallace Wurth School of Medicine in Sydney. I flew to the USA to complete another 5 year post-grad degree in chiropractic. Some of my teachers were medically trained, and some of the students were MDs. They must be aliens too. I have a wife, family and pets. I breathe oxygen and am a productive member of my community.
Mr Ueda has no idea that people have strokes after the hairdresser, sneezing and backing their cars out. How will he ban this activity? Does he know that the Hippocratic oath is a historic document? Does he know that the neck is actually joined with the low back? Does he know that drugs, properly prescribed are killing more people per day than a chiro ever killed in 100 year?
Foolish stories of fiction like this one only serve one purpose: and I can not even think of it, because this afternoon I am busy getting people well. Like DD Palmer did in the early part of last century - where he was busier than the leach-mongers, barber surgeons and apothecaries (Oh, did I mention that was called medicine? There were few formal schools then, too).
Do us all a favour: stick to your two dimensional,flat world on a piece of graph paper before doing exactly the evil thing that DD Palmer did and venture out into health care advice. That is called hypocrasy, nothing whatsoever to do with the Greek guy who actually used to manipulate the spine, and MDs took an oath on, some time ago.
Joseph Ierano BSc DC BCAO
-=-=-=-
I once had a patient like this.
He was stuttering and losing speech.
About 5 years old. I used my Palmer education and adjust the cervical subluxation.
Then I used Palmer diagnostic skills and pulled out the trusty otoscope.
He had a game-piece in there - you know that game called Trouble with the little pegs? He put it in his ear. Sent him to the GP, who never thanked me for finding it of course.
Cured his stutter.
11-Year-Old Boy Partially Deaf for Nine Years Is Suddenly Cured
Monday, January 28, 2008
An 11-year-old boy from Britain, who was partially deaf for nearly 10 years, was suddenly cured when a thick piece of cotton popped out of his ear, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Jerome Bartens was diagnosed as deaf in his right ear when he was just two-years-old.
Over the next nine years, he struggled to live a normal life as a young boy — but everything changed when he felt a sudden pop in his right ear while playing a game of pool with friends.
He put his finger in his ear and pulled out a tip of a cotton wool bud that had been wedged in his ear since he was a toddler.
"It was just incredible — his hearing returned to normal in an instant," Barten's dad said.
"I had always suspected Jerome had stuck something in his ear when he was little and that was causing the problem. But the doctors and hearing specialists said it was wax and he would probably grow out of it."
"I am amazed they didn't spot something as obvious as a cotton wool bud."
Jerome is due to be examined by hearing experts later this week — and his dad is taking along the cotton wool bud as proof of his "miracle cure".
"It was very strange at first to be able to hear everything," said Barten.
"But now I'm getting used to it — it's great that people don't have to shout to me or that I don't have to turn my head all the time."
-=-=-
i have a link featuring the new landmark stroke study by Cassidy et al on my ChiropracticSafety site. http://web.mac.com/jierano/Site_5/Welcome.html
here it is Who caused stroke http://web.mac.com/jierano/Site_5/Who_caused_stroke.html
to share around with all concerned
concludes that you can visit the MD and have the same risk of stroke
joe
-=-=-=
if you are into stents....or like me, stents are into YOU :-)
read it with an open mind folks
joe
http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/2008/01/29/2148784.htm
Stents or surgery for blocked arteries?
by Dr Norman Swan
A study in New York has found surgery is safer than a balloon catheter plus drug-eluting stents for people with more than one blood vessel blocked.
29 01 2008
Download audio (mp3 907KB)
There's unwelcome news for cardiologists who pay their Mercedes leases by putting stents into blocked coronary arteries. But it's handy for you and me if we need to make a decision about treatment.
The findings are from an 18-month follow-up of almost everyone in New York State who had a non-emergency coronary artery operation or balloon catheter.
For those with more than one vessel blocked, coronary artery bypass grafting – surgery – had lower death and repeat procedure rates than the balloon catheter plus the latest stents (which seep drugs into the artery wall to stop re-blocking).
This drug-eluting stent study follows similar findings three years ago on bare metal stents versus surgery for multi-vessel disease. For people with single vessel disease the alternative to a stent is medications, and another study has suggested little or no advantage for stents.
At the moment the overwhelming majority of people are having stents and if these figures apply to Australia – albeit that not everyone's suited to surgery – there may be five or six preventable deaths a year per thousand people having their arteries unblocked.
The trouble is that the people who make the decision about stents versus surgery are the cardiologists – the ones doing the stents and ringing the till.
For Reference
Title: New England Journal of Medicine
Author: Hannan EL et al. Drug-eluting stents vs coronary-artery bypass grafting in multivessel coronary disease.
URL: http://content.nejm.org/
2008;358:331-341
Title: New England Journal of Medicine
Author: Carrozza JP. Drug eluting stents - pushing the envelope beyond the labels?
URL: http://content.nejm.org/
2008;358:405-407
-=-==
I guess the best thing about it is that old age should get better for most of us right!
MIDDLE AGE IS TRULY DEPRESSING, SAYS STUDY (Science Online: 30/01/2008)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/80306/602849/1715/0/
A global study on happiness shows middle age is truly miserable, although an Australian researcher says this is not necessarily so.
A study using data from around 80 countries has found happiness is greatest in youth and old age with depression being most common among men and women in their forties
"In a remarkably regular way throughout the world people slide down a U-shaped level of happiness and mental health throughout their lives," says researcher Professor Andrew Oswald at Warwick University in the UK.
"Some people suffer more than others but in our data the average effect is large."
The study is published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Oswald and Professor David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the US analysed data on depression, anxiety levels and general mental health and well-being taken from some 2 million people in countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.
"For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year," Oswald says.
"It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children," Oswald says. "Nobody knows why we see this consistency."
One possibility may be that people realise they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers say.
But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.
The researchers found that about eight nations - mostly in the developing world - did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels.
U-shape not necessarily so
Oswald says realising that such feelings are completely normal in midlife might help individuals survive this phase better.
But Australian happiness researcher, Professor Bob Cummins of Deakin University in Melbourne says that being depressed in your middle age is not necessarily normal.
He says while the study by Oswald and Blanchflower is impressive in its size, pooling data from so many different countries would have made it difficult to identify factors that influence depression in middle age.
Cummins says Australian research shows a U-shape happiness curve only applies to people who do not have good relationships or enough money.
He says research has found a gross income of A$100,000 for a household of four helps to provide a good buffer against unhappiness.
Cummins says supportive relationships are particularly important when people are living on low income.
-=-=-=-
It happens.
...that reminds me...
Question: what did the first chiropractic adjustment restore?
Answer: click here
enjoy
story here:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/13718517.html
or read here now....
Blind Man Suddenly Sees Again
by Katie Wiedemann, Reporter
Story Created: Jan 11, 2008
Story Updated: Jan 11, 2008
DUBUQUE - Doctors aren't quite sure how it happened, but a Dubuque man can see clearly after being blind in one eye for more than a decade.
It happened after a trip to the chiropractor.
Twelve years ago Doug Harkey's left eye suddenly stopped working. "I woke up one day and I didn't have vision in one eye."
And as quickly as he lost sight, he got it back.
Harkey said, "he just did his normal adjustment and, voila!
After a routine visit to Chiropractor Tim Stackis, Harkey says a miracle happened.
"My blind eye starting watering after I left there and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye and I could see out my left again."
Doctor Stackis said the bones in the Harkey's neck were out of alignment.
Stackis said, "That interferes with the messages and energy the brain sends down to the rest of the body."
Harkey now has the depth perception he'd been missing, just what he needs as he's about to walk down the aisle with his fiancée next month.
Harkey’s Fiancée, Gina Connolly said, "I'm not use to him not running into things or stepping on our feet."
Doctor Stackis and Harkey were both surprised by what happened.
Harkey said, "He has miracle hands, I guess."
Was it a miracle? Harkey’s not sure how to explain it, he’s just glad it happened.
Harkey says his eye doctor says with the help of corrective lenses he will be able to almost perfectly out of both eyes.
-=-=-=
beware the Myelogram
I had a patient with arachnoiditis due to this medical intervention (30 yrs ago) in my office today...
http://www.myodil.plus.com/
-=-=-=-
This was sent to me by CAA NSW.
I think this is an absolutely wonderful slant on chiropractic care....
...its edgy, controversial, different, and looks out for the consumer first
I LOVE IT
and in our biggest Sydney paper...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/hotel-beds-a-pain-say-chiropractors/2008/01/31/1201714136595.html
Hotel beds a pain, say chiropractors
January 31, 2008 - 4:39PM
Some hotel beds are "quite appalling" according to chiropractors.
Chiropractors are threatening to "name and shame" hotels and holiday homes that provide beds so uncomfortable they damage their guests' backs.
Chiropractors says they have been inundated with patients seeking help for bad backs caused by inferior beds, mattresses and pillows in popular holiday accommodation.
Even some well-known and expensive lodgings had "quite appalling" bedding, said Mary Papatheocharous, president of the NSW branch of the Chiropractors' Association of Australia.
"Every year at this time it's the same, with patients dragging themselves in to get help with spinal and associated problems caused by inadequate beds," Ms Papatheocharous said.
"One of our members has been treating a man who was forced to spend three nights sleeping on the floor of a Gold Coast apartment because the bed was so bad.
"As a result he suffered a cervical (neck) sprain."
The association called for tourist operators to "pay more attention to the quality of the bedding provided" or risk being publicly named.
"We are now considering a proposal to name them and shame them by establishing an annual awards system which identifies the best and the worst when it comes to beds," Ms Papatheocharous said.
The main problems caused by bad bedding included lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, and pins and needles in the hands or legs, the specialists said.
"These symptoms may only last a short time, but can be more serious depending on how long they are spending in the bad bed and if any underlying conditions exist for that individual," she said.
The quality of the bedding provided at some well-known and expensive tourist accommodation was "quite appalling".
"Unfortunately a five star accommodation rating is no guarantee of bedding quality," said Ms Papatheocharous, who recommends her patients travel with their own pillow to prevent neck and spinal problems.
AAP
-=-=-=-
|