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Jalen Ramsey's medical condition is so serious that Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone started laughing when asked about it during his Wednesday press conference.

The Jaguars cornerback missed practice earlier in the week with an illness, missed practice again on Wednesday because he is "a little banged up" with lower back and hamstring injuries, per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, and has apparently been under the weather for various reasons since the trade talks that would get him out of Jacksonville broke down last week.

Right. "Cough-cough. Ouch-ouch." (Holds thermometer over lightbulb until it reads 101). "Sorry, Coach, can't practice today."

Per Rapoport, Ramsey's agent said he had been receiving treatment for his aches and pains since last week. Fair enough: Half the NFL is getting treatment for something right now. As for Ramsey's inability to practice, Marrone has probably come to the same diagnosis as the rest of us. Ramsey's condition is called I-don't-want-to-play-for-this-team-anymore-itis, compounded by a chronic case of I-want-to-get-paid syndrome.

The Jaguars can cure Ramsey's condition at any time with a disgruntled-superstar-ectomy. They could also manage the condition with treat-your-players-like-professionals therapy, which is considered a controversial new-age alternative medicine in some old-school football circles, but which has been known to work.

They have chosen to do neither of these things, though, for the simple reason that they are a poorly run organization. Poorly run organizations are like old guys who won't cut down on the steak and scotch and start watching their cholesterol. Their stubbornness takes any bad situation and makes it worse.

The Jaguars and Ramsey began actively pursuing a trade early last week after the All-Pro cornerback got into a heated sideline confrontation with Marrone during a loss to the Texans over the way he is being used in the defense. But the contentious relationship between Ramsey and the team dates back almost to his arrival in Jacksonville.

Michael DiRocco of ESPN wrote a concise timeline of Ramsey's tenure with the Jaguars last week. Let's stick to the highlights here: Ramsey, the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, openly criticized coaches at the end of his rookie year, then voiced his frustrations again after the AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots at the conclusion of the 2017 season. So complaints about defensive game plans are nothing new for him.

Ramsey was also suspended for "conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars football player" after a dustup with a sideline camera crew and the subsequent exchange of tweets with a reporter during 2018 training camp, and of course, his trash talk-laden 2018 GQ interview wasn't the sort of thing that makes NFL employers giddy with delight.

Ramsey trade speculation began last November, when he began referring to his Jaguars career as if it were already in the rearview mirror. "When I'm gone from here, y'all gone miss me," he posted on Twitter after a loss to the Colts. Both the Jaguars and Ramsey tamped down that speculation a few days later. But in April, when executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin indirectly criticized Ramsey and others for not attending voluntary offseason team activities, Ramsey responded via Twitter that the activities were, in fact, voluntary.

Ramsey then told NFL.com's Nate Burleson on a podcast last week that his trade request was not precipitated by the conflict with Marrone but had been brewing for a while and was brought to a head by "some disrespectful things" said to him by a team official. Odds are that official was Coughlin, who is the archetype against which all other old-school football guys are judged.

Trade talks heated up throughout last week, then fizzled amid multiple reports that the Jaguars are seeking a Khalil Mack-sized cornucopia of first-round picks. Ramsey responded with what appears to be a case of the blue flu. Marrone sees the humor in the situation, but Coughlin and others in the organization probably aren't laughing.

The Jaguars have a 1-2 record right now and are pinning their hopes on rookie quarterback sensation Gardner Minshew to keep them competitive until Nick Foles returns from a broken clavicle. It's hard to tell at this point whether Minshew is a legit prospect or just an internet meme come to life, but the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship Game two years ago with Blake Bortles: Anything is possible if their defense is playing up to its potential. For that to happen, they need a healthy, happy-to-be-there Ramsey, though. As for trading Ramsey for top picks and rebuilding, that would have made sense in the offseason, before they signed Foles and maxed out their salary-cap ledger for 2020.

The Jaguars don't seem to know if they are trying to be the Chicago Bears and clobber opponents with a devastating defensein which case they need to learn to cope with mercurial mega-talents like Ramseyor to build some sort of Coughlin-approved military-academy culture. By digging in their heels with Ramsey, they are doing neither, which only makes the whole situation worse.

If this all sounds familiar, it's because it is all taken from page one of the dysfunctional organization playbook: mishandle a temperamental or otherwise frustrated superstar until the conflict is irreparable, then procrastinate past all logical trade windows, then take whatever you can get when you finally stop grandstanding and start doing what's best for the franchise.

That's what the Texans did before trading Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks for a fraction of what they could have gotten if they had leveraged his franchise-tag status properly. It's what Washington is still doing with Trent Williams, who is holding out over issues with the team's medical procedures, not money. It's what the Steelers did with AntoniOK, maybe nothing would have worked with Antonio Brown. But ignoring an escalating situation for months or years before trading the player on the cheap the way the Steelers did never had a chance of working.

There's no doubt Ramsey can be an organizational migraine. Players of his caliber often are. The Jaguars' potential suitors know he is, and any team that eventually trades for Ramsey will have one of the remedies the Jaguars refuse to swallow cooked up: a man-coverage scheme tailored to his gifts, or a coach/defensive coordinator with a "Go sic 'em, fellas" attitude, or a locker room full of stronger personalities.

Potential trade partners also know that Ramsey expects (and deserves) a market-setting contract extension that the Jaguars would be hard-pressed to fit under the cap even if they wanted to. And of course, teams will want Ramsey's services before the playoff race heats up. The longer the Jaguars wait, the weaker their position will get.

Ramsey is almost doing the team a favor by calling out sick and bringing this fever to a head. The organization can't pretend everything is fine when Ramsey is in Ferris Bueller mode, so they'll be motivated to finally make a deal they should have made long ago and then (maybe) start asking themselves serious questions about what kind of team they want to be.

In the meantime, Ramsey has an unassailable reason to miss some work. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday night that he's traveling to Nashville for the birth of his second child. Not even Coughlin can blame him for that.

Congratulations, Jalen. And, you know, get well soon (wink).

As for the Jaguars: Guys, you might want to get that cholesterol checked.

Mike Tanier covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeTanier.

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Jaguars Have Only Themselves to Blame for the Jalen Ramsey Situation - Bleacher Report NFL

The federal government has awarded $3 million in grants for research into the therapeutic benefits of ingredients in marijuana other than THC, emphasizing their potential as alternatives to prescription opioids.

In a notice published on Sept. 18, 2019, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explained why the studies were necessary and listed grant recipients and the subjects they will investigate. That includes research into the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for arthritis pain, which will be led by New York University School of Medicine.

The treatment of chronic pain has relied heavily on opioids, despite their potential for addiction and overdose and the fact that they often don't work well when used on a long-term basis, Helene Langevin, director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), said in a press release. There's an urgent need for more effective and safer options.

A total of nine grants were issued, with the NIH stating that the funds will help identify alternative treatment options for pain and provide information about the impact of consuming cannabis compounds such as CBD and other lesser-known cannabinoids as well as terpenes found in the plant.

The cannabis plant contains more than 110 cannabinoids and 120 terpenes, but the only compound that's been studied extensively is THC, the press release said.

But while THC is known to treat certain forms of pain, the NIH is concerned that its intoxicating effects limit its medical applicability.

THC may help relieve pain, but its value as an analgesic is limited by its psychoactive effects and abuse potential, said David Shurtleff, deputy director of the NCCIH. These new projects will investigate substances from cannabis that don't have THC's disadvantages, looking at their basic biological activity and their potential mechanisms of action as pain relievers.

The NIH first announced that it would be issuing grants for studies into minor cannabinoids and terpenes in 2018.

Federal health agencies aren't the only institutions interested in learning about marijuana compounds other than THC. On Sept. 18, 2019, a Senate committee issued a spending report that called for research into CBD and cannabigerol (CBG) while also criticizing the federal drug scheduling system for inhibiting such research.

Featured Image: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded $3 million to New York University School of Medicine and other research institutions to study how cannabidiol (CBD) and other non-THC cannabinoids can alleviate pain. (Gina Coleman/Weedmaps)

This article was republished from Marijuana Moment under a content syndication agreement. Read the original article here.

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$3 million in Grants Given to Study Cannabinoids as Opioid Alternative - Weedmaps News

An incurable disease, by its very nature, sounds like an issue that cannot be solved. But perhaps the solution is less about a cure, and more about the willingness to accept the disease, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Accepting disease, or any of lifes problems, is fraught with mistakes and backward steps. But LaMoret, the subject of a new Netflix documentary about her chronic cystic fibrosis (CF), says its vital to fuck up along the way.

After graduating from the University of Southern California, Moret, 23, decided to embark on a journey to explorealternative healing methods inCentral and South America, convincing her best friend, Camille Shooshani, 24, to accompanyher. The film, La and I, documents their three-month journey, exploring medicines that could help treat Morets chronic illness.

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CF is a genetic disorder that causes the body to produce too much mucus. It can build up in the lungs, digestive system and other organs, causing breathing problems and nutrient malabsorption in the gut. It also makes sufferers far more susceptible to infection.The condition worsens with age and, according to the NHS, only half of those with CF will live past the age of 40.

Acupuncture: Practised for thousands of years in China, the technique has become increasingly popular around the world, with over 4 million sessions provided in the UK a year. Treatment involves sticking hair-thin needles in different pressure points on the body to alleviate physical pain, reduce nausea and boost mental wellbeing.

Reiki: A Japanese method for stress reduction and relaxation, derived from the words rei,soul, spirit, and ki,vitalenergy, from the late 1800s. The treatment involves laying hands on a patient and letting energy flow from the healer. It is used to treat conditions from cancer to depression. Millions of people in the US and abroad have tried reiki in the past year.

Ayurveda: A 5000-year-old Indian medicine system that is based on writings that reference a natural and holistic approach to healing. It includes natural medications made with plants, change in diet and exercise. It became popular in the Western world in the 1960s, with rising popularity through the 70s and 80s. However, discovery of toxic metals in imported medicines reduced its popularity in the mid-2000s.

Forty is an age associated with career security, having young childrenand, typically, still being physically fit. For most in this age bracket, death still looms far in the distance. ForMoretand other chronic illness sufferers, death and life are intertwined.

Moret has spent much of her life in denial about her illness. As she was leaving home for the first time to attenduniversity, age 17, she had started taking less and less medication. This was partly inspired by her first experience with alternative medicine.

When she was 16, she and her mother travelled to Mexico to visit a biomagnetist. The method of usingmagnets to heal the bodydates back to the ancient Greeks. Magnets were and by some still are believed to draw illness out of the body. Despite no scientific research supporting their efficacy, Moret believed the magnets had healed her.

Five years later, as the film begins,Morethas again tested positive for pseudomonas, a common bacteria found in people with CF.Remembering her healing, Moret sought out another biomagnetist. The only one in California was in Upland, 30 minutes outside Los Angeles.

The film shows Moret andShooshaniarrive at a strip mall. The office they enter looks more like someones living room. Moret asks the biomagnetist if heknows what CF is. As he says yes,the camera cuts to him typing cystic fibrosis into Google Translate.

Moret in hospital in France she needs to visit every three months to have her lung function checked(Camille Shooshani)

This scene, and countless more throughout the film, raise the question: how much can you trust someone to heal you, especially when there is no evidence to back up their claims?

Moret tells me that believing doesnt mean beingblind. Alternative therapies, as much as they seek to heal the body, require you to give yourself up completely to them. Though that may be easier said than done, for those with diseases that have no cure, theyre willing to put aside their ego for the sake of healing.

When she was just 11 years old, Corinne Olson, now 24, was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. It was a long and bumpy road to diagnosis. Initially, doctors thought it could be Lyme disease, and prescribed a cocktail of medications that included an immunosuppressant, steroids and antibiotics. Olsonlost a lot of weight very quickly and began noticing her hair falling out. She tells me: When I returned to [the doctor]and recounted the medications shed put me on, she was shocked and exclaimed that shed forgotten about which drugs I was taking at the same time, telling my mother and I that this combination was very dangerous.

Her jointsstill swollen and in serious pain, the experience left her feeling helpless. Like Moret, it wasonly when she moved to Coloradoto attend universitythat she became aware of andbegan to experiment with alternative medicines. Cannabis had just become legal herefor recreational and medicinal use and Id heard the buzz about CBD, so I began taking it in oil form. I immediately noticed the difference in my pain levels, but the most miraculous aspect was the significant improvement in my swelling. For years, my knees had looked like water balloons half the time and now they didnt. Finally, her disease was under control. The experienceinspired her to study medicinal healing.

Morets breathing treatments involve blowing into a plastic mechanism that measures lung capacity (Camille Shooshani)

When I met Moret nearly two years ago, I had no idea she suffered from CF. As Shooshani says while filming her,La isnt most people. She doesnt talk about cystic fibrosis. She refuses to take antibiotics. She almost never does her breathing treatments. La smokes.

Indeed, the film shows Moret smoking a cigarette, and more than once. Though the sight is jarring, given what we know about her disease, the shots are carefully placed. They illustrate her humanity and what it means to not be perfect, andshowthe joy of momentarily forgetting what separates her from anyone else her age. As Moret says, you dont have to be hyper-serious about the disease all the time. It doesnt invalidate what youre saying, it makes it more grounded. Shes definitely not trying to be the spokesperson for CF.

The film also seeks to ground the audience in their expectations of what the documentaryis going to be about.The majority of the film shows Shooshani filming Moret. Yet itis called Laand I, and its only at about 24 minutes in thatwe get to see who Iis. The camera turns back on Shooshani and in this moment, we not only see her, but ourselves, as if weve joined them in Peru. Moret likes this moment, because though we might think its all about her and her CF, theyreinviting us to look at our own problems, and what we might need healing. From this point on, were more connected with them, and it comes at the perfect time.

Olsons experience with alternative medicineinspired her to study it (Corinne Olson)

The crux of the film lies in the ayahuasca ceremony. All her other attempts at medicinal healing (biomagnetism and a brief trial with peyote, a psychedelic cactus) haveled up to this moment,for its mystery and reputation as a powerful hallucinogenic. Ayahuasca isa medicinal Amazonian tea brewed from a blend of two plants: the ayahuasca vine and leaves from a shrub called chacruna, which contains the psychoactive chemicalDMT.

DMT is sold as an illegal recreational substance in the UK and other countries. Unfortunately, this draws drug tourists to the Amazon seeking a high, not healing.

In fact, Moret and Shooshanileft their first location for the ceremony for this exact reason. Pisac, which lies in the Sacred Valley, is known as the alternative medicine capital of Peru. The streets are lined with shaman shops and billboards for ayahuasca ceremonies, often run by foreignersrather than locals. Shooshani saysit feels like a way to get something without having to commit yourself to the tradition and respect it.

Taking time to consider their participation in the market for ayahuasca, the women ultimately chose a ceremony run by an Amazonian shaman, where the profits went to his family and village. Additionally, Moret was going there to heal, to usethe plant in the purest intention. Inthis way, they were followingtradition.

At the start of the ayahuasca ceremony, the shaman, Ricardo Amaringo, describedthe nature of the plant, and how it heals. He told themthat since the start of humankind, there have been only two afflictions that have plagued us: blocks and psychological traumas. To overcome these, one must look inwards: When you take ayahuasca, you have to have in mind only one idea,the idea of your intention: I will see my body. I want to look at my body. I want to look at my stomach. I want to look at my trauma.

La and I is filmed as though the viewer is a third party on the trip (Johannes Heff)

One key difference between western doctors and alternative therapists is how they view the body. From what shes learnt, Moret tells me that healersview the body as a 3D object and theres no distinction between spiritual and physical illness, basically they are the same thing; its just that they manifest on three different planes,on an emotional level, a spiritual level and a physical level.

Western medicine focuses on the corporeal and often discounts the psychological trauma of illness. Emily Goddard, 35, suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS); her diagnosis was sudden. In November 2017, I woke up one morning and I couldnt move the right side of my body. I went to the hospital and they thought Id had a stroke when you have paralysis thats the first thing that people think. I was in hospital for a week having loads of tests done and they looked at the MRI of my brain and saw I had lots of damage which was historic, meaning it had to be something neurological. She was diagnosed in January 2018, and for three monthsshe was unable to move her right side. Her doctors told her she may regain movement, butit would dependon her type of MS, and they were unable to give her an exact prognosis.

Goddard was diagnosed with MS last year (Emily Goddard)

Goddardregained full movement.When I spoke with her, like Moret, her condition had no obvious outward presentation. Though her hands quivered ever so slightly and once she forgot a word, these could be attributedto someone perfectly healthy.

Like Moret, Goddard has found it difficult to accept her condition. In fact, when she recovered from her paralysis, she carried on with her life as normally as possible, living in a state of denial that she even had the illness. Though she suffers problems every day because of MS, she says, most of the time Idont think I have an illness.

Despite the physical ailments, she says the hardest part for me has been coming to terms with it mentally. To combat the mental struggle she faces, Goddard has decided to take psychedelic mushrooms this October. Extensive research has been done on the positive effects of mushrooms on mental health, and inspired her to try them. She feels that her diagnosis has made her feel like a more negative person, and that in a way, its stunted her personal growth. In some ways its made me really bold in other ways its made me afraid of everything.

Though shes never been a drug user, Goddardfeels that mushrooms can offer something western medicine cant. They allow you to connect more deeply with your body and mind. She feared that by going to a psychologist, they would prescribe her antidepressants. All antidepressants do is numb you and Idont want to be numbed. I dont want to have any sensations taken away from me because MS takes that away from you anyway. Shed rather be present and fully experience her mental health problems rather than try to stifle them. While western medicine focuses on taking away painful sensations, alternative therapies delve deeper into the discomfort, to solve it from within.

For those without chronic disease or pain, it can be easy to forget that theyrenot perfect.Most of us assume our bodies are always going to do what we need them to. When this sometimes isnt the case, it can change your view on things.Like shaman Amaringo says: you must look at your body.

At the end of Laand I, were left wondering what happened with Morets disease. Did the ayahuasca heal her? Well, it depends on your definition of healing. By the end of the film, that will have likely changed.

Though she did not experience lasting physical changes, during the ceremony, Moret reacted to the medicine differently. Everyone was throwing up, butI was actually coughing which was really weird because Inever threw up in the sixtimes I took it. In one ceremony, she saw no visions, but her body shook uncontrollably. I was just coughing, coughing, coughing more than any time Ive done my breathing treatments. The plant was making me shake. The breathing treatments for CF are vibrational therapy, which helps the body cough up mucus. Shooshani couldnt believe that ayahuasca had done the same thing.

Her CF may be unchanged physically, but Morets mental state has shifted.Her biggest takeaway from the experience wasto accept whatever comes to you. For me the hardestone was accepting the illness. Because I couldnt accept it I couldnt accept a lot of other things. Ayahuasca showed her how to accept it. She was able to see the life she was given as her path and that she was lucky to have received her life and all the struggles that come with it. She believes that it is through this acceptance that you can take on all problems in your life, physical or otherwise.

The six day-long ayahuasca ceremony caused Moret to cough and shake (Camille Shooshani)

As much as the film is an exploration of healing, it is more an exploration of the self. Moret and Shooshanidont seek to prescribe, and thats important to note. Rather, they assert that healing is incredibly, deeply personal. Everyones path is different

They dont want you to watch this film and take ayahuasca. Rather, they say, if youre meant to take the plant,it will call you.

Olson, who studies medicinal plants, saysplants can offer benefits that traditional medicine simply cant: Their phytochemicalmakeupsare like complex symphonies of molecular interaction which work in synchronicity with each other and with the bodys chemistry. Western medicine has discovered the most potentphytochemicals in these plants, isolated them, synthetically replicated and mass-produced them as pharmaceuticals distributed to the public. But honestly, its just the violin, just the melody, instead of a whole orchestra creating something that is biologically designed to work with and metabolise in the body. Life recognises life.

Laand I is available on Netflix and you can Larn more about the film here

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How to heal your mind when your body won't recover - The Independent

"A proposal for inclusion of 19 Ayush packages has been finalised and submitted": Officials

The Ayush Ministry has proposed the inclusion of 19 Ayurvedic, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) treatment packages in the cashless health insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), Union Minister Shripad Naik said on Tuesday.

The proposal to treat neurological diseases, arthritis among others has been submitted to the National Health Authority, AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said.

The packages include treatments through Panchakarma, cupping therapy and Varmam therapy, the secretary said.

"A proposal for inclusion of 19 Ayush packages has been finalised and submitted to the National Health Authority," said Mr Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, while enumerating the achievements of his ministry in the last 100 days.

Mr Naik also said the guidelines for expanding insurance to additional Ayush treatments has also been finalised. He said funds of Rs 325 crore have been released to states for activities under National Ayush Mission (NAM) based on scrutiny of proposals.

In collaboration with NITI Aayog and Invest India, a Scheme for Integrated Health Research (SIHR) has been finalised with an outlay of Rs 490 crore, Mr Naik said, adding that this would address the untapped potential of integration of AYUSH systems with modern medicine.

In the past hundred days, the Central Research Councils of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha have validated 110 classical formulations for 60 conditions, by generating evidence on clinical safety and efficacy, he said.

As of now, while a patient availing modern system of medical treatment (alopathy) is eligible for medical insurance under the world's largest health scheme, PMJAY, the health cover is unavailable to the person who opts for alternative medicine system AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy).

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.

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Arthritis, 19 Other Treatment Packages To Be Covered Under PM Health Scheme - NDTV News

Patients tend to avoid sharing emotions and problems from their personal lives with their doctors. However, recent insights show that stress, anxiety, and many other feelings may impact physical health.

The mind-body connection has been a popular topic for decades. Still, its prominence existed only in the alternative medicine field. Luckily, though, doctors started incorporating the emotional state into the treatments regarding the body.

Stress is the number one indicator of the power of mindsets. Most people see stressful situations as debilitating, although theyre unavoidable. Still, studies show that stress can enhance the function of the mind and body, though, if a person thinks about it.

Its crucial that people, especially those who live in hectic environments, learn that stress can be helpful. It allows us to grow stronger.

Besides, when it comes to treating anxiety and illnesses related to it, sedatives are out. Sapien Medicine believes in an alternative approach that could really take off.

Findings discovered how stress, depression, and other undesirable mental states alter the functions of organs. They proved that there is a real basis for psychosomatic illnesses in brain anatomy.

Scientists discovered a large number of neural networks that connect the cortex and glands.

The most significant influences come from motor areas and those involved in effect and cognition. When these areas are affected, we can see the physical impacts of mental illnesses.

Last, but certainly not least, a poor state of mind can weaken the bodys immune system. Emotionally challenging times make people more prone to colds and infections.

The reasons behind this are to blame partially on the person. After all, stressed and upset people dont feel like taking care of themselves. They may also go to alcohol, drug, or tobacco abuse to cope. Yet, not all symptoms can be attributed to careless behavior.

Those include:

If a patient notices these symptoms unrelated to a medical cause, their mental health could be to blame. Treatments include more traditional ones such as psychotherapy, but there are also unconventional approaches.

Nowadays, theres growing popularity in working towards transcending the issues and connecting to a higher force through enlightenment, which, in turn, helps people resolve their emotional and mental struggles.

Doctors and patients have been aware of the relationship between mind and body for centuries now. Still, with the new studies shedding more light on the finesses that come with it, we may see progress in the way illnesses are cured in the future.

Link:

Impact of Mind on Body - - RushPRnews.com

RADFORD More details of the allegations against an alternative medicine therapist were outlined during a Tuesday court hearing, including that he approached his female assistant while naked and asked her to practice her massage technique on his groin.

Circuit Court Judge Joey Showalter declined to set a bail for Martin V. Riding, 67, saying he posed a danger to the community and would remain in jail as he awaits trial.

Riding, who for years operated the Renew For Life holistic medicine clinic, faces 73 charges. They include 32 felony and 32 misdemeanor counts tied to performing invasive procedures without a state license, seven felony counts of animate object sexual penetration, one felony count of taking indecent liberties with a minor, and one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure.

This is a diabolical predatory scheme done under the guise of a healthcare provider, Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak said.

Rehak described incidents such as the massage request to Ridings assistant and episodes where Riding allegedly put his fingers in the vaginas and rectums of women to gauge if cancer was in remission.

At an earlier hearing in the case, Rehak said the investigation of Riding was prompted by his assistants complaint to police that he had made her digitally penetrate a woman without wearing gloves. The assistant described cameras set up in dressing rooms and pictures of naked women on Ridings computer, according to search warrants.

Until his arrest in June, Riding ran his clinic at his home on Radfords 8th Street. Riding is not a medical doctor, but called himself a family alternative therapist and offered services that included massage, breast exams and thermographic imaging, treatment with hot stones and tuning forks, and counseling.

In court Tuesday, defense attorney Chris Collins of Roanoke described Ridings practice in religious terms and said Riding was motivated to help others by his own experience of overcoming prostate cancer through alternative treatments.

Hes not a predator He had a ministry going out at his house, Collins said.

Collins said that he still is searching for alleged victims and that some of them have said they want to testify in Ridings defense.

Collins said that his client may have been unaware of some licensing requirements but said that he had not tried to harm anyone.

Addressing some of the incidents Rehak described, Collins said that while it was ill-advised for Riding to ask his assistant for a massage, it had been an entirely consensual encounter.

Regarding the incident during which Riding allegedly asked the assistant to put her finger inside a womans body, the assistant only voiced her discomfort afterward, Collins said, adding that Riding had then apologized for telling her to do it.

Above all, Collins said, Ridings clients had signed consent forms saying they knew he was not a medical doctor and that they agreed to his exams. Some of Ridings clients had cancer, and some of them were in sensitive areas of the body and he had to feel them, Collins said.

Asked by the judge if there had been consent forms, Rehak said not in every instance, and that the forms did not cover what Riding actually did.

Riding closed his clinic in June after his initial arrest, which was tied to the licensing charges. Released on bail, he was arrested again Friday after a grand jury indicted him on the sexual penetration and other charges.

Riding is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 4 to schedule proceedings on one batch of charges, and on Dec. 13 for the other. Collins and Rehak said it was still to be determined whether there would be one trial for all the charges.

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No bond for Radford alternative medicine therapist - Roanoke Times

RADFORD Details of allegations against an alternative medicine therapist were outlined during a Tuesday court hearing, including that he approached his female assistant while naked and asked her to practice her massage technique on his groin.

Circuit Court Judge Joey Showalter declined to set bail for Martin V. Riding, 67, saying he posed a danger to the community and would remain in jail as he awaits trial.

Riding, who for years operated the Renew For Life holistic medicine clinic, faces 73 charges. They include 32 felony and 32 misdemeanor counts tied to performing invasive procedures without a state license, seven felony counts of animate object sexual penetration, one felony count of taking indecent liberties with a minor, and one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure.

This is a diabolical predatory scheme done under the guise of a health care provider, Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak said.

Rehak described incidents such as the massage request to Ridings assistant and episodes where Riding allegedly put his fingers in the vaginas and rectums of women to gauge if cancer was in remission.

At an earlier hearing in the case, Rehak said the investigation of Riding was prompted by his assistants complaint to police that he had made her digitally penetrate a woman without wearing gloves. The assistant described cameras set up in dressing rooms and pictures of naked women on Ridings computer, according to search warrants.

Until his arrest in June, Riding ran his clinic at his home on Radfords 8th Street. Riding is not a medical doctor, but called himself a family alternative therapist and offered services that included massage, breast exams and thermographic imaging, treatment with hot stones and tuning forks, and counseling.

In court Tuesday, defense attorney Chris Collins of Roanoke described Ridings practice in religious terms and said Riding was motivated to help others by his own experience of overcoming prostate cancer through alternative treatments.

Hes not a predator He had a ministry going out at his house, Collins said.

Collins said that he still is searching for alleged victims and some of them have said they want to testify in Ridings defense.

Collins said his client may have been unaware of some licensing requirements but said he had not tried to harm anyone.

Addressing some of the incidents Rehak described, Collins said that while it was ill-advised for Riding to ask his assistant for a massage, it had been an entirely consensual encounter.

Regarding the incident during which Riding allegedly asked the assistant to put her finger inside a womans body, the assistant only voiced her discomfort afterward, Collins said, adding Riding had then apologized for telling her to do it.

Above all, Collins said, Ridings clients had signed consent forms saying they knew he was not a medical doctor and they agreed to his exams. Some of Ridings clients had cancer, and some of them were in sensitive areas of the body and he had to feel them, Collins said.

Asked by the judge if there had been consent forms, Rehak said not in every instance, and the forms did not cover what Riding actually did.

Riding closed his clinic in June after his initial arrest, which was tied to the licensing charges. Released on bail, he was arrested again Friday after a grand jury indicted him on the sexual penetration and other charges.

Riding is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 4 to schedule proceedings on one batch of charges, and on Dec. 13 for the other. Collins and Rehak said it was still to be determined whether there would be one trial for all the charges.

Read more here:

Radford alternative medicine therapist, facing 70+ charges including sex crimes, denied bond - Lynchburg News and Advance

Alternative Medicine Association will produce distillate and vape pens under the PLUGplay brand

() (OTCMKTS:TGIFF) has signed a 12-month licensing agreement with PLUGplay, a manufacturer of magnetic cannabis vaporizer cartridges.

Under the terms of the deal announced Thursday, 1933 subsidiary Alternative Medicine Association will manufacture distillate and vape pens under the PLUGplay brand to distribute in Nevada.

PLUGplay makes a unique line of cartridges with proprietary magnetic pods and long-lasting batteries.

"PLUGplay only partners with cultivators and processors that meet extremely high standards in cultivation and manufacturing and we share the same vision, 1993 CEO Chris Rebentisch said in a statement. We strictly follow regulations and standards outlined by the State of Nevada and offer our partners an advanced cultivation facility, superior strains, precise extraction services, consistent products and distribution in the state.

1993 stock fell 2.7% to C$0.36 Thursday on the CSE but rose 1.1% to US$0.28 on OTC Markets.

Updated to include stock movement

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Just over half (56%) of men with prostate cancer in a large study reported using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and the study also found that use of these products has been increasing in recent years (19962016).

Multivitamins and omega-3 fatty acids were commonly ingested, and vitamin D use increased dramatically from 20062010 compared with 2011-2016.

The findings come from a study of nearly 8000 men with prostate cancer published in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.

"These results highlight the importance of understanding that it is really common for people to use complementary and alternative medicine," first author Kyle Zuniga told Medscape Medical News.

"They also highlight the importance of understanding what people are using and why they are using it, and creating an environment that encourages an open and collaborative dialogue that can be reconciled with conventional medicine," Zuniga added.

Zuniga is a fourth-year medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Senior authors were June Chan, ScD, and Peter Carroll, MD, MPH, both from the University of California San Francisco

The findings are concerning, said an expert approached for comment, Stephen Freedland, MD, professor of urology and the director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

"Most studies that have looked at multivitamins have shown no effect on lowering cancer risk, and some actually say they increase cancer risk," Freedland told Medscape Medical News.

For example, the SELECT trial suggested that selenium and vitamin E may increase the risk of prostate cancer and potentially increase the risk of mortality in a prostate cancer patient.

Zuniga and colleagues found that the use of selenium and vitamin E declined during the period of their study, perhaps mirroring the release of these results.

However, it's still concerning that 15% of participants took vitamin E, and 8% took selenium, Freedland noted.

Another example is the VITAL study, which looked at the effects of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids vs placebo, and showed that omega-3 fatty acids had no benefit for reducing cancer death.

Yet, Zuniga and colleagues found that almost a quarter of participants (24%) took omega-3 fatty acids within 2 years of their diagnosis.

The American Institute for Cancer Research, one of the leading authorities on lifestyle factors to prevent cancer, does not recommend supplements, Freedland noted.

"Most of the time, studies have shown that lifestyle changes such as modifying your diet to reduce red meat and increasing plant-based foods combined with exercise show the most potential benefit for patients with prostate cancer," commented Zuniga.

The American Cancer Society currently recommends a plant-based diet low in saturated fat for prostate cancer survivors.

The problem is that lifestyle change is not always easy.

"I was not surprised, but I was a little disappointed, to see that only 25% of patients in this study actually changed their diet," Freedland commented.

"People want to do what's easy, like take a pill, and not the hard thing that may actually have benefits. There's a lot of data that suggests obesity promotes more aggressive cancers. So I would think trying to lose weight would be more common," he added.

While results from the study sound similar to what Freedland has seen in his clinic, he added that the study lacks detailed information on lifestyle changes, a potential limitation.

So what should healthcare providers do when a patient with prostate cancer asks about CAM?

Both Freedland and Zuniga suggest sifting through the evidence, knowing what types of CAM have relatively solid research support, and knowing which ones are neutral vs potentially harmful.

Freedland also suggested being realistic.

"I don't try to talk people out of all their supplements," he commented. "I accept the reality that they want to do this, and maybe it makes them feel better. I think there's value in that, but I encourage them to try to limit the ones that at least we know are harmful."

In particular, Freedland warned that multivitamins should not be used more than once a day, if at all. In addition, he cautioned about vitamin E, selenium and calcium, which have been linked to prostate cancer.

For this study, the authors analyzed data from CaPSURETM (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor), a database that was started in 1995 and has information from over 15,000 patients with prostate cancer seen at 43 institutions across the US.

The analysis included 7696 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer who self-reported their use of almost 70 different types of CAM within 2 years of diagnosis. Participants were 90% white, 7% black, and 1% Latino.

Overall, 56% of participants reported using CAM at least once within 2 years of their diagnosis.

Common types of CAM included multivitamins (40%), omega-3 fatty acids (24%), herbs (24%), and vitamin D (21%).

Compared to nonusers, significantly more CAM users were white (93% vs 87%), college educated (64% vs 43%), had higher household incomes (17% vs 26% reporting less than $30,000 per year), and lived in the western US (18% vs 13%) and midwest (30% vs 26%) (all P < .01).

CAM use increased by 128% during the study period: among participants diagnosed from 19962000, 24% reported use of such products, whereas in the period 20112016, that percentage had jumped to 54%.

For those diagnosed between 2006 and 2010 compared with 20112016, use of vitamin D increased by 108% and multivitamins increased by 3%, whereas use of vitamin E decreased by 48%.

Other types of CAM that showed a large increase included acupuncture (259%) and prostate health combination products (67%). Large decreases were seen for selenium (-65%) and lycopene (-51%).

The study was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the University of California San Francisco Department of Urology, the US Department of Defense, and the Steven and Christine Burd Safeway Distinguished Professorship.

Zuniga and most coauthors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.Senior author Chan reports financial interest and/or other relationship with Grail. Freedland has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

J Urol. Published online September 2019. Full text

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'Concerning': Vitamin Use in Men With Prostate Cancer Increasing - Medscape

THE Well Cofounder Rebecca Parekh pivoted from finance to wellness

Just a block away from the crowds on 14th Street, far removed from the pervasive NYC soundtrack of jackhammering and honking, and beyond the stress of endless texts from your job, your partner or your boss is The Well. Designed to be an oasis of Zen in the middle of Manhattan, visitors are greeted by a tranquil, yet cool design defined by pale hues, natural materials, and curved silhouettes. There is even a soothing signature scent designed by a bio-alchemist. Anyone can peruse their beautifully edited shop selling holistic, indie skincare, jewelry and books, or grab a bite at their organic restaurant. However, only the wellness social clubs members, can step just beyond the public spaces to access a stunning 18,000 square-foot mecca for all things healthy.

Anyone who has even dipped a toe into the world of alternative health practitioners knows that it often requires extensive research as most traditional doctors arent versed in therapies such as acupuncture, Craniosacral therapy, or Ayurvedic medicine. Another hurdle is that different experts often provide conflicting advice on supplements, food, and exercise, leaving people more confused than when they began. As more and more Americans turn to alternative medicine to combat issues ranging from digestive health, sleep, and even mental health, it is challenging to know to navigate the wellness landscape.

Rebecca Parekh was once one of those stressed out finance workers, plagued by health and sleep issues and looking for solutions beyond anxiety medicines and antibiotics. Over the course of 10 years, Parekh and her CoFounders Sarrah Hallock and Kane Sarhan spent time envisioning a one-stop shop for people to connect with the best experts in wellness, who would all working together to achieve a healthier mind and body.

Memberships are by invitation only, and cost $375 a month ($210 if you are under age 32). They include a monthly health coaching session, unlimited meditation and yoga classes, weekly programming, and access to their functional medicine, Aruyvedic and Chinese Medicine practitioners. Rather than take meetings over cocktails, members can talk shop at the reflexology lounge, sip complimentary bone broth in between energy healing sessions, or consult with a sports therapist.

In advance of the opening of The Well this week, we spoke to Parekh about how she made the leap from finance to wellness and what inspired the cutting edge health center.

Sara Bliss: You started your career in finance. What drew you to that world initially?

Rebecca Parekh: Finance was not the original planI studied Biological Anthropology in college and wanted to work with orangutans in Borneo. But I had the opportunity to interview for an internship at Deutsche Bank. I was so inspired by the people I met that I happily accepted an offerand then stayed for 10 years. I found the work to be intellectually stimulating and I really loved how challenged I felt.

Bliss: What made you leave?

Parekh: I was working in structured credit during the 2008 financial crisis, which was intense to say the least. I loved my job, but my life felt out of balance and one-dimensional. I didnt feel emotionally connected to my work and was craving something more purpose-driven. I had always been interested in politics, activism and non-profit work, so I started giving thought to other industries. It was scary because I didnt really have a plan and a lot of really smart people advised me not to leave without one. I had to trust my instincts, though, and knew that only with space and time to think could I figure out the right next step for my life. I took the leap and resigned in the spring of 2011.

Bliss: What prep did you do to pivot into the wellness world?

Parekh: Although my Deutsche Bank experience wasnt directly transferable, a lot of the skills I learnedunderstanding financial models, negotiating contracts, and thinking strategicallyall applied to the work I did in the non-profit sector and then my role as COO for Deepak Chopra. I pushed myself to learn as much as possible. I voraciously studied healthcare trends and research reports. I met with doctors and wellness thought-leaders and read 2000-year-old texts on yoga. In addition, I completed two 200-hour yoga teacher training, and took an Ayurveda course at the Open Center.There were definitely moments of doubt along the way, but my passion, excitement and curiosity propelled me forward.

Bliss: What inspired you to cofound The Well? How did the idea come about?

Parekh: In early 2009, I wasnt sleeping well and I was getting sick all the time. The options presented to me were antibiotics, anxiety drugs and sleeping pillsnone of which appealed to me. I knew there was a better way to address it, one that didnt rely on drugs. In the fall of 2009, I was headed to a work conference in Arizona and my friend and colleague suggested we go to a destination spa in Sedona on our way there. That weekend changed my life. I threw my back out the night before we left and could barely move when we arrived. It forced me to be still and slow down. I received really restorative treatments like Craniosacral massage and I ate well, slept well and listened to inspiring conversations. In three short days I felt revitalized and energized in a way I didnt know was possible. I sat in the meditation room that last day and thought to myself, I have to figure out how to bring this to New York.

How to find Zen during a busy day--the Meditation Room at The WELL, NYC

Bliss: What do you think The Well offers that isn't already out there?

Parekh: With so many different offerings in the health and wellness space, people find themselves running around town and often receiving conflicting advice. It can be both time-consuming and confusing. At The Well, our expert team of integrative medicine doctors, health coaches and practitioners work together to provide a personalized offering. They help our members consider how all areas of ones life are impacting their well-being, then develop a customized plan to meet their needs. Together, the team draws upon a wide array of disciplines including Chinese Medicine, Functional Medicine and Ayurveda. This model makes wellness easier, accessible and more enjoyable.

Bliss: How did you take the concept from idea to implementation?

Parekh: The idea had been there since 2009, but it wasnt until 2015 that I decided to really go for it. The first year was a lot of research and development. I was meeting different doctors and practitioners, asking questions and figuring out if they would come together and practice medicine in this new and integrated way. There was a lot to learn on the legal side as wellNew York has very strict requirements on how medical practices can be operated and managed. I also started looking at real estate. My partners and I started working together full time and they both left really big careers to jump off this cliff with me. I dont think we even knew what we were in for at that time! Weve raised a total of $18 million to date across both our seed round and our Series A.

Bliss: What advice do you have to other people who want to make a career pivot?

Parekh: Embrace the not knowing. Its ok to not have it all figured out. Start with a picture of where you want to go and then draw the path of how youll get there. Try not to be too attached to one outcome. I really believe this mindset matters.

Continued here:

The Well: Helping Stressed Out Workers Find Zen - Forbes

It is understandable that the parents of 4-year-old leukemia patient Noah McAdams would find comfort in the support they have found on social media in the wake of losing custody of their son. While the state was right to intervene to ensure Noah received lifesaving care, nobody can truly walk in another persons shoes. Thats why its important to distinguish the pain of a broken family from the larger public interest in protecting a helpless child.

As the Tampa Bay Times Anastasia Dawson reported, the parents have received considerable support on social media in the days since another courtroom defeat in their ongoing custody battle. Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Thomas Palermo ruled that returning parental rights to father Joshua McAdams, 28, and mother Taylor Bland-Ball, 22, would place Noah in imminent risk of neglect. For six months they have fought a losing battle to stop their son from undergoing chemotherapy treatments, preferring instead to seek alternative remedies for his acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

People from across the globe have offered their support in posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. By Tuesday afternoon, a Go Fund Me campaign had raised nearly $12,000, while 3,300 people had signed an online petition calling for the judges removal.

This outpouring is impressive in numbers, but its meaning is anybodys guess. People could be expressing sympathy for the family, disdain for mainstream medicine, contempt for the courts or all of the above. While that may give the family strength, its worth remembering that the states intervention was hardly a routine, knee-jerk or isolated decision. The parents lost custody in April after they left the state in pursuit of alternative medical treatments. McAdams and Bland-Ball had refused additional chemotherapy for Noah in hopes of trying natural remedies. In May, a Hillsborough circuit judge ordered that Noahs chemotherapy resume, while a separate Hillsborough circuit judge granted custody of Noah to his maternal grandparents. His parents were allowed supervised visitation rights.

In an Instagram post after the latest court loss, Bland-Ball vowed that the battle has just begun," adding: I will appeal on every angle. Its apparent the wrenching details and raw emotion of this case will continue to play out not only in court, but online and in real-time, as Noah continues the fight of his life, as the state continues to balance the competing interests for custody and as everyone grapples with the right time and conditions for reuniting the family. There is no easy guidebook here. The parents have a path for reclaiming their custodial rights. The state has an overwhelming responsibility to care for this child in a manner that offers the best chance for wellness. The front lines in this battle may being playing out on social media, but thats not the relevant or appropriate venue when a childs life is at stake and denying him the appropriate care is the equivalent of child abuse. Until all involved agree that the childs interests come first, Noah is exactly where he should be.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Times Chairman and CEO Paul Tash, Editor of Editorials Tim Nickens, and editorial writers Elizabeth Djinis, John Hill and Jim Verhulst. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.

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In Tampa leukemia case, child's care should come first | Editorial - Tampa Bay Times

The federal government has awarded $3 million in grants for research into the therapeutic benefits of ingredients in marijuana other than THC, emphasizing their potential as alternatives to prescription opioids.

In a notice published on Thursday, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explained why the studies were necessary and listed grant recipients and the subjects they will investigate. That includes research into the use of CBD for arthritis pain, which will be led by New York University School of Medicine.

The treatment of chronic pain has relied heavily on opioids, despite their potential for addiction and overdose and the fact that they often dont work well when used on a long-term basis, Helene Langevin, director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), said in a press release. Theres an urgent need for more effective and safer options.

A total of nine grants were issued, with NIH stating that the funds will help identify alternative treatment options for pain and provide information about the impact of consuming cannabis compounds such as CBD and other lesser-known cannabinoids as well as terpenes found in the plant.

The cannabis plant contains more than 110 cannabinoids and 120 terpenes, but the only compound thats been studied extensively is THC, the press release said.

But while THC is known to treat certain forms of pain, NIH is concerned that its intoxicating effects limit its medical applicability.

THC may help relieve pain, but its value as an analgesic is limited by its psychoactive effects and abuse potential, David Shurtleff, deputy director of NCCIH, said. These new projects will investigate substances from cannabis that dont have THCs disadvantages, looking at their basic biological activity and their potential mechanisms of action as pain relievers.

NIH first announced that it would be issuing grants for studies into minor cannabinoids and terpenes last year.

Federal health agencies arent the only institutions interested in learning about marijuana compounds other than THC. On Wednesday, a Senate committee issued a spending report that called for research into CBD and CBG while also criticizing the federal drug scheduling system for inhibiting such research.

Read descriptions of the federal cannabinoid and terpene research grant awards below:

Mechanism and Optimization of CBD-Mediated Analgesic Effects; Boston Childrens Hospital, Boston,; Zhigang He, Ph.D., B.M., and Juan Hong Wang, Ph.D. This project will investigate how the pain-relieving effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and other minor cannabinoids may be modulated by the activity of potassium-chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2), a chloride extruder expressed in most neurons. (Grant 1R01AT010779)

Neuroimmune Mechanisms of Minor Cannabinoids in Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain; University of California, San Francisco; Judith Hellman, M.D., and Mark A. Schumacher, M.D., Ph.D. This project will explore the effects of minor cannabinoids on inflammatory and neuropathic pain in vitro and in vivo, focusing on the interactions of the cannabinoids with the peripheral receptor called TRPV1 and a cannabinoid receptor, CB1R. (Grant 1R01AT010757)

Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes: Preclinical Evaluation as Analgesics; Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Jenny L. Wiley, Ph.D. This project will evaluate purified biosynthesized minor cannabinoids and selected terpenes alone and in planned combinations to determine their potential efficacy as pain relievers against acute thermal, inflammatory, neuropathic, and visceral pain. (Grant 1R01AT010773)

Identifying the Mechanisms of Action for CBD on Chronic Arthritis Pain; New York University School of Medicine, New York City; Yu-Shin Ding, Ph.D. This project will use neuroimaging studies and behavioral assessments to investigate the mechanisms of action of CBD in the modulation of chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis in a mouse model. (Grant 1R21AT010771)

Synthetic Biology for the Chemogenetic Manipulation of Pain Pathways; University of Texas, Austin; Andrew Ellington, Ph.D. This project will use a novel method to evolve individual variants of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) that interact with high affinity with minor cannabinoids and evaluate the new variants in a mouse model of pain. (Grant 1R21AT010777)

Exploring the Mechanisms Underlying the Analgesic Effect of Cannabidiol Using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd, Ph.D. This project will use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to evaluate changes in brain chemistry in critical pain-processing regions after short-term administration of a cannabis extract enriched in CBD. (Grant 1R21AT010736)

Mechanistic Studies of Analgesic Effects of Terpene Enriched Extracts from Hops; Emory University, Atlanta; Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. This project will take a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the analgesic effects of terpenes from Humulus lupulus (hops), a plant that is closely related to cannabis and has a very similar terpene profile. (Grant 1R21AT010774)

Systematic Investigation of Rare Cannabinoids With Pain Receptors; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; David Sarlah, Ph.D. This project involves synthesizing several classes of rare phytocannabinoids, systematically evaluating their anti-inflammatory potential, and examining the effects of the compounds with the strongest anti-inflammatory potential on the major receptors involved in pain sensation. (Grant 1R21AT010761)

Analgesic efficacy of single and combined minor cannabinoids and terpenes; Temple University, Philadelphia; Sara J. Ward, Ph.D. This project will use rodent models of pain to evaluate the effects of four biologically active components of cannabis that may act synergistically to protect against pain development and to assess the interactions of these four substances with morphine. (Grant 1R01AT010778)

Senate Report Slams Drug Scheduling System For Blocking Marijuana Research

Link:

Feds Award $3 Million In Grants To Study Marijuana Ingredients As Alternatives To Opioids - Marijuana Moment

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Emmy has had chronic pain for 20 years along her spine and in her joints.

She had taken opiates in the past, but stopped. However, she still needed help.

Through Allegheny Health Networks Enhanced Pain Management Program, she got acupuncture, counseling and massage.

Right afterwards, you feel kind of relaxed. And then maybe a little bit after that, you feel some relief, Emmy says. That really helps me because she actually puts her hands on your body and works out the painful parts. And its not a whole ton of relief. I think everyone is different with all these things. But it helps.

A counselor will give you tools to help you manage your pain, she adds. Its not a magic pill, its not a magic cure, its not one procedure. Its, like, multiple things.

While Emmy was not on narcotics when she came into the program, it can also benefit people who want to stop taking them, or who find themselves cut off.

Some physicians are concerned about continuing to prescribe, says Dr. Jack Kabazie, a pain specialist at West Penn Hospital.

Some people hesitate getting help, because of the muscle pain, sweating, nausea and anxiety of opiate withdrawal.

The potential is that they go to the street, Dr. Kabazie says. We should be weaning the patient slowly off the opioids, and coming up with another treatment path.

The idea is to treat the entire patient, physically and psychologically, all in one place.

We have addiction medicine, we have medication management, we have acupuncture, we have medical massage, we have nutrition, we have weight loss, we have medical marijuana, he said.

Its intensive, with the patient at the Pain Center near West Penn Hospital most days medical massage once a week for six weeks, acupuncture two times a week, group or individual therapy, then a reevaluation.

In the meantime, we are weaning people off of opioids as we move through this program, Dr. Kabazie said.

Since august 2018, about 300 patients have been treated. Because the regimen is still evolving, success rates havent been tracked. But Dr. Kabazie has seen improvement in the patients anxiety, depression, and function scores. Also, opioid use in total is down by 15 percent.

Were moving in the right direction, he says, There has to be a metric that we can actually say this is working.

Insurance companies are looking for that metric, that data point, that number. Without it, coverage is inconsistent.

Getting someone to change their behavior you cant do that in a week, a month, sometimes a year. Progress and not perfection, as we say in the addiction world, Dr. Kabazie said.

Luckily for Emmy

My doctor told me that there is a special grant and I was able to get these three things and they werent any charge, she said.

And if the grant runs out one day?

After that, I guess well just wait and see what happens, Emmy said.

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AHN Program Using Alternative Treatments, Not Opioids, For Pain Management - CBS Pittsburgh

Complementary or Alternative medicine(CAM) refers to different medical therapies and systems outside of conventional healthcare to improve and treat the mental and physical illness.CAM therapies are based on the knowledge, practices and skills derived from theories, experiences and philosophies to improve and maintain health, as well as to diagnose, prevent, and treat various disorders. Alternative healthcare providers offer a variety of medical and healthcare systems, products and practices used by patients without medical supervision. CAM therapies are particularly used by people with chronic illnesses and pain, such as liver disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Alternative system of healthcare include Ayurveda, unani medicines, yoga, acupuncture, homeopathic medicines and others systems of healthcare.

Complementary or Alternative medicine can be categorized on the basis of

Intervention Alternative medical systems Mind-body interventions Biologically based therapies Physical manipulation Energy therapies.

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Types Ayurveda Yoga Naturopathy Homeopathy Unani Siddha Acupressure Acupuncture Others

Now a days, people are evidently looking for more gentle and natural methods of healing and thus are increasingly supporting different types of CAM therapies within existing healthcare systems that will subsequently lead to the growth of alternative healthcare providers market. According to an article published by the EUROCAM, an association of European CAM organizations, currently, CAM is practiced by around 145,000 doctors trained in conventional medicine and a particular CAM modality. The rising awareness and interest of healthcare professionals in CAM therapies is expected to drive the market of alternative healthcare providers market. Moreover, the World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization WHO has urged its member states to integrate CAM and traditional medicine within national healthcare system. This would further boost the market for alternative healthcare providers.

The global alternative healthcare providers market is witnessing an admirable growth due to medical advancements, high number of research activities in this segment and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. The increasing prevalence of different cancers in developed as well as developing countries has resulted in a significant growth in alternative healthcare providers market. According to WHO, 14.1 million new cases of cancer were observed and 8.2 million deaths occurred throughout the world in 2012. This significant rise in cancer incidence has driven the growth of CAM therapies. However, lack of awareness and unregulated market may hinder the growth of alternative healthcare providers market.

In terms of geography, alternative healthcare providers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East. Among these regions, North accounts for the largest share of alternative healthcare providers market due to increasing awareness about various CAM therapies among people and rising prevalence of chronic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Europe accounts for the second largest market for alternative healthcare providers owing to high acceptability of various CAM therapies, rising incidence chronic diseases and high disposable income. However, Asia Pacific market is expected to witness positive growth due to high rate of development in healthcare industry, rising demand for herbal and natural medicines and growing medical tourism industry.

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The global alternative healthcare providers market is highly fragmented due to the participation of mid-sized and small sized manufacturers. Some of the major players in alternative healthcare providers market includes Allen Labratories Ltd. Baidyanath Herbal, Dabur Limited, Hamdard Laboratories, Medisynth Ch. Pvt. Ltd., and SBL Homeopathy Medicines.

This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. This report provides comprehensive analysis of Market growth drivers Factors limiting market growth Current market trends Market structure Market projections for upcoming years

This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.

Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segments

Note:Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.

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Alternative Healthcare Providers Market Overall Study Report Analysis 2017-2030 - Market Forecast

One biotech companys newest director has a very familiar face. Dr. Mehmet Oz will be joining the board of directors of PanTheryx, a Colorado-based nutraceutical and biologics company, the company recently announced.

Oz, the host of The Dr. Oz Show, commands a huge following. He has also drawn sharp criticism for his embrace of alternative medicine and for his disdain for science and for evidence-based medicine, as 10 physicians wrote in a 2015 letter to the dean of medicine at Columbia University, where Oz is a faculty member.

Its unclear whether Oz has served on the board of a biotech company previously. He served on the American Association for Thoracic Surgerys board and the board of nonprofit HealthCorps; he is also named as a co-founder of several health companies, including SleepScore Labs and Sharecare.

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Representatives for Oz and PanTheryx said they were not available for comment.

Traditionally, directors make sure the company they serve is generally staying on the right side of the market and the right side of the law. Boards are also responsible for some nitty-gritty aspects of corporate governance, like overseeing external auditors and determining compensation packages.

Is a surgeon turned Emmy-winning daytime television talk show host really qualified to do that?

For a company in biotech and health care, it would make sense, said Robert Pozen, who teaches two courses on corporate governance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Sloan School of Management. You wouldnt want him to be on General Motors.

In a statement, the company said it expects Oz to advise it on expanding its impact and will bring his decades of medical, nutrition, wellness, and communications expertise to the PanTheryx board.

Two kinds of people wind up as directors, said Pozen, who has served on Medtronics board and is the former president of Fidelity Investments. You want what people think of as domain experts so if its a biotech company, you want someone who knows something about biotech or health care, he said. And you want people who have the more technical knowledge about governance and compensation.

Chances are that Oz is intended to sit in the former category, not the latter. PanTheryx is a nutraceutical company with one medical food product on the market. That product, DiaResQ, is made in part with the milk that cows produce shortly after they give birth. Sometimes called bovine colostrum, that milk can be used to treat diarrhea in human children, too.

But the company, which has raised $170 million over the last 12 years, has also begun exploring more traditional drugs, too. Its scientists are currently running preclinical studies for drugs intended to treat C. difficile infections, Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, and the diarrhea that some chemotherapy patients experience.

Oz wont be the only notable name on the companys board. Dr. Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, joined the board in April. Tom Bumol, the executive director of the Allen Institute for Immunology one of several research organizations founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen also joined that month.

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TV personality Dr. Oz is now on the board of a biotech company - STAT

Ah, yes, the ol acne desperation. If youve ever gotten a massive breakout before, or you just live your life dealing with a constant barrage of cystic zits and whiteheads, youre probably all too familiar with acne desperationthe mind-numbing, heart-racing panic that comes with feeling absolutely helpless and out of control over your own skin. I, for one, am currently queen of acne desperation as I deal with a patch of hormonal zits on my chin, and I would French-kiss a subway rat if someone told me it could give me clear skin (without, you know, giving me the modern-day bubonic plague).

So when one of my co-workers recently lamented her own acne struggles, telling me that she once got so desperate to fix her cystic zits in college that she slathered pee on her face, I didnt even question the thought process or the "ew" factorI just asked if it worked. And because Im sure half of you are more than willing to do a whole lot worse for good skin, I went ahead and investigated this beautiful little story to find out how it ended, starting with

I want to say that pee was not my first choice in acne treatments, says Christina* (*who asked that her name be changed to protect her privacy and to also pay homage to her childhood idol, Christina Aguilera, who has probably not put pee on her face). I had such terrible cystic acne in college, and I had tried every over-the-counter product, every antibiotic and oral medication, every prescription topical cream, and I would sit on Google, crying, trying to find any possible treatment that might work.

And thats when she found an online community of people who swore by putting pee on their acne to treat it. I was so grossed out by the idea, but I was also so, so desperate, so I decided just to try it, says Christina. I peed on a Q-tip like a pregnancy test, then wiped it all over my cheeks where my acne was. I fully remember looking at myself in the mirror while I was doing it, like, this is what its come to, this is what Im doing. I just remember it being really warm, and my cheek feeling warm, and everything smelling likepee. Yeah, that checks out.

I mean, this is what were all here for, right? All the sites said that the smell goes away when it dries, and that I should be applying the pee every day for the best results, but I just...couldnt, says Christina. I did it before bed, and I slept with it and tried to give it a fair chance, but in the morning, my skin looked the exact same. I think I was hoping for a magic bullet, something that would make a huge difference and make the pee worth it, but everything looked the same, and I just couldnt do it again, she says.

Okay, understandable. Buuut what if she had continued slathering pee on her face for a few weeks? Or a month? Or a year? Would she have cleared her acne and transformed her skin had she just stuck with it? What? No, said a very bewildered Mona Gohara, MD, dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale University. I have no problem with urine itselfits sterile; but what that urine comes out of definitely isnt, she says. "So youre introducing a host of issues and bacteria by putting your urine your face.

So where the hell did this whole urine theory come from? Well, from the dark corners of the internet, but also from history: Its called urine therapy, and its been a staple in alternative medicine since the early ages. And it kind of, sort of, makes sense as to why. Urine is high in urea, which is a natural exfoliant that helps soften skin and break down the top layer of skin cells, says Dr. Gohara. Basically, it acts in the same way as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acidall of which are safer, more effective, and dont carry the possible risk of, you know, E. coli, she adds.

If youre looking for the tl;dr here, then no, we should not all try putting pee on our face. If, says Dr. Gohara, you could somehow catheter yourself (dont?) to get that sterile urine from its source, and if urine were the end all be all, and none of the other alpha or beta hydroxy acids already existed and were proven to be effective, then fine. Go dunk your face in pee. But even then, there isnt really a legit scientific reason as to why urine would be superior to anything else.

So if you are dealing with acne that just wont go away, know that there are always options (really, even if youre in the depths of acne desperation), including retinoids, prescription topicals and orals, and, yes, even Accutane, which isnt as scary as youve been led to believe. So to tide you and your skin over before you make that derm appointment, try one of these pee-free acne products, below, and save the urine for, uh, whatever else you do with it. IDK YOUR LIFE.

Salicylic Acid Serum

$5.30

Use this 2 percent salicylic acid serum all over or as a spot treatment to keep pores clear of acne-causing sebum and dead skin cells.

Adapalene Gel

$10.88

This retinoid gel treats acne in two ways: 1. Itboosts cell turnover to keep pores clear and 2. It reduces inflammation associated with breakouts. It's strong though, so use it only every three days for the first few months.

Sulfur Mask

$52.00

10 percent sulfur in this maskdeep-cleans pores, absorbs excess oil, and eliminates bacteria. For best results, apply it on clean skin for 10 minutes twice a week.

Benzoyl Peroxide

$18.00

BP is gold when it comes to killing acne-causing bacteria. It's used herein a 2.5 percent concentration, which is is proven to be as effective as higher dosesjust less irritating.

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Does Pee Cure Acne: I Tried It - Urine Therapy for Skin Breakouts - Cosmopolitan

TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blueberries Medical Corp. (BBM.CN) (BBRRF) (1OA.F) (the Company or "Blueberries"), a Latin American licensed producer of medicinal cannabis and cannabis-derived products, is pleased to announce that the Company has partnered with The Colombian Society of Pediatrics to host a full-day educational seminar for medical practitioners and other industry participants on the therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis and current industry developments. This event is part of the Companys ongoing initiatives focused on the development of medical education programs for physicians and patients in Latin America.

The event will be held on October 11, 2019 in Bogota and has been designed to educate pediatricians, pediatric residents, general practitioners, alternative medicine specialists, psychiatrists and other health professionals on the applications and benefits of medicinal cannabis.

This is a great opportunity to educate the medical & scientific community on the ever-growing medicinal cannabis industry and further position our company and brand within this community, stated Eduardo Molinari, Chief Marketing Officer of Blueberries.

Attendees will receive industry leading insights from Blueberries team of experts as well as other renowned industry professionals including the founders of The International Research Center on Cannabis and Mental Health (IRCCMH) in New York, Dr. Jahan Marcus and Dr. Jan Roberts, who is also the former Chief Scientist for Americans for Safe Access. IRCCMH is a leading research and academic organization in the cannabis sector with extensive experience in cannabis research and education, pharmacology, product formulation and the efficacy of cannabis-based treatments. Based in New York and aligned with the Silver School of Social Work at New York University, IRCCMH is comprised of renowned scientists, educators and clinicians and was created to bridge a gap between research and clinical practice.

The seminar includes a full day of presentations, workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities providing attendees a comprehensive overview of industry developments and related matters including:

More information on the event can be found at the following link: https://scp.com.co/eventos/en-bogota-se-llevara-a-cabo-la-jornada-academica-enfoque-terapeutico-cannabis-medecinal-en-la-poblacion-pediatrica/

About Blueberries Medical Corp.Blueberries Medical is a Latin American licensed producer of naturally grown premium quality cannabis with its primary operations ideally located in the Bogot Savannah of central Colombia and operations currently being established in Argentina. The Company is led by a specialized team with proprietary expertise in agriculture, genetics, extraction, medicine, pharmacology and marketing, Blueberries is fully licensed for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of CBD and THC-based medical cannabis in Colombia. Blueberries combination of leading scientific expertise, agricultural advantages and distribution arrangements has positioned the Company to become a leading international supplier of naturally grown, processed, and standardized medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products.Additional information about the Company is available at http://www.blueberriesmed.com. For more information, please contact:

Camilo Villalba, Chief Operating Officer cvillalba@blueberriesmed.comTel: +57.313.483.0131

Jessika Angarita, Pacta Relations angarita@pactarelations.com Tel: +1 (305) 877 4710

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward looking statements relate, among other things, to: closing of the proposed transactions and achieving milestones in 2019 as contemplated, or at all, ability to expand distribution networks, ability to expand and upgrade the Companys cultivation facilities in Colombia, internal expectations, expectations regarding the ability of the Company to access new Latin American and international markets, the ability to attract and retain new customers, and future expansion plans including development of the cultivation, production, industrialization and marketing of cannabis for commercial and scientific purposes.

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These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the Colombian and international medical cannabis market and changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution and sale of cannabis and cannabis related products in Colombia, Argentina and elsewhere; and employee relations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Additional information regarding the Company, and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Listing Statement dated January 31, 2019 filed on its issuer profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

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Blueberries Medical and The Colombian Society of Pediatrics Partner to Host Medicinal Cannabis Seminar in Bogota - Yahoo Finance

EDWARDSVILLE - The opioid crisis is a hot button, controversial topic like politics, vaccines and climate change. Everyone has an opinion on what caused them, whether its a media conspiracy, who is to blame, how to stop it and if they are an effective solution for chronic pain. As I found out recently with my last column, even if you spend weeks researching, interviewing sources and cross-referencing the current statistics, there will still be critics screaming through their keyboards accusing you of spreading false information.

To everyone out there in chronic pain searching for a solution to regain control of their life back, I hear you and empathize with your struggle. Pain at any level is draining physically, emotionally and mentally. Imagine getting up in the morning and immediately feeling so physically terrible that you need to cancel all the activities you planned with your family and friends. Now imagine having to do that on a frequent basis. How guilty and emotionally beat up do you think you would feel? Those of you with chronic pain already understand.

In my bio photo, I show no apparent signs of sickness that would lead anyone to believe I have a chronic illness. Butlooks can be deceiving. Every day I still wake up in pain. The severity though is dependent on how well I have controlled my level of stress, diet, and exercise. The weather, unfortunately, I cant control and there are days Mother Nature hears my wrath. Worse than any pain has been the emotional agony I have experienced feeling like a bad mom. I have had to miss planned outings with my daughter or events because mommy just didnt feel good.

My primary care physician started testing for Lupus, MS, and Fibromyalgia when I was in my early 20s after I experienced a series of migraines that led to stroke-like symptoms. Now at almost 40, doctors have broadly labeled my symptoms as an unnamed autoimmune disease with Fibromyalgia. Honestly, though, I gave up trying to find a label to validate this significant impact on my life. With or without a set diagnosis, I would still experience the same symptoms. My focus shifted from searching for a label to How can I regain control over my body again?

Currently, my average day is feeling achy throughout my entire body at a level enough to make the bi-product of anxiety tolerable. There have been other days I have woken up feeling disconnected and the pain level is comparable to the flu. The times when the soreness in my fingers, hands, and feet elevated, my irritability went from annoyed to give me someone to punch in the face. Before I could decrease the flare-ups, I would compare eating to Russian Roulette. Everything ingested would trigger gastrointestinal issues or nerve reactions. Therefore, bathroom accessibility was always top of my priority list when dining out. On absolute worst days, I experienced brain zaps, my skin felt like it was burning/melting, internal organs felt like they were being punched or stabbed and body parts started going numb. These more painful symptoms were an alarm to warn me that I would have what mimics a stroke on my right side of my body.

Experiencing this daily led me to be incredibly passionate about educating others about the dangers of opioid abuse and the benefits of alternative pain management. For years the only treatment doctors and specialists would prescribe to control my symptoms was a mix of opioids and Cymbalta. And oh how my addictive personality loved opioids. For once, I experienced a span of pain-free days but the trade-off was low energy, irritability, weight gain and feeling like a zombie all completely counterproductive to keeping up with a toddler and working. When I realized how dependent I had become on opioids, I asked the doctors to take me off and up the Cymbalta. Unfortunately, that plan backfired catastrophically when my body decided to rebel leaving my right kidney a permanent casualty of the withdrawals.

The catalyst for change came when I started working for my boss, Dr. Curtis Baird. His 30+ year knowledge of chiropractic and functional medicine opened my eyes to the benefits of alternative medicine. Being a skeptic to anything new, I consulted with my brother, a highly respected neurosurgeon, about what he felt my options were. Both of them agreed it was time to think outside the box for solutions.

Today, I can happily report that Im 99% free of prescription medication due to alternative pain management. My body has done well responding to the daily regimen of physician grade supplements to support my injured kidney and manage symptoms. For the rare times when my symptoms are unbearable, I do openly admit to having a prescription for valium. Yet, the biggest insight for me came after seeing a pain psychotherapist to understand what my triggers were and how to control them. Learning to listen to my body was the game changer that led to the biggest breakthrough nutritional testing. Switching to an anti-inflammatory diet with supplementation has been the most successful path to controlling my symptoms.

The foundation of wellness coaching is based on the fact that everyones body is different and responds to treatments differently, therefore, care must be tailored. This is why I acknowledge what worked for me, may or may not work for someone else. Understanding that drives me to share my health journey with others. There may be someone out there frustrated with their treatment and looking for an alternative.

Our offices involvement in the Partnership for Drug-Free Communities and the Metro East Recovery Council evolved from that belief. I co-chair the education and prevention work group for the Partnership and sit on both as an expert in alternative pain management and a wellness advocate. Before I worked in healthcare, I didnt understand how prescription drugs attached to the dopamine receptors in our brain triggering dependency nor did I know the nasty side effects of withdrawing from them. My mission is to not take opioids away from those that need them but to educate on all aspects of pain management. Every person suffering from chronic pain has the right to make an informed choice as opposed to being pushed towards a quick fix for relief that down the road has serious health consequences.

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Why Educating for Alternative Pain Management Instead of Opioids Has Become a Personal Mission - RiverBender.com

A few weeks ago, a patient came to me complaining of nausea, muscle weakness and fatigue. Her urine was tea-colored despite drinking loads of water. A middle-aged woman, she seemed worried she had cancer or some deadly disease.

Her lab tests revealed significant liver dysfunction. But her symptoms were not due to liver cancer, hepatitis or other disease. It turned out she had liver toxicity from a green tea supplement that she'd heard was a "natural" way to lose weight.

When she stopped taking the supplement at my suggestion, her liver tests gradually normalized and she felt better over the course of a few weeks

I've seen the green tea issue in patients before and often witness the real-life pitfalls of eschewing traditional medicine, science and facts in favor of supplements, herbs and cleanses in the name of "natural" healing.

In an effort to be healthy, patients can easily become ensnared in the potential dangers of alternative medicine or homeopathy.

Let's be clear: Nature has a lot to offer patients.

The Greek physician Hippocrates is said to have reported on the use of St. Johnswort, a flowering plant, for mood disturbances in the 5th century BC Digoxin, a well-studied medicine used to treat heart failure, is derived from the foxglove plant.

Parkinson's patients are often commonly treated with the medication L-dopa, which comes from the plant Mucuna pruriens. Moreover, research repeatedly shows that consuming fruits and vegetables, getting adequate sleep and regular exercise, and spending time outdoors have myriad health benefits.

But nature isn't always so well-intended.

Spoiler alert: Arsenic, cyanide, asbestos and snake venom derive from nature. Refined sugar, a naturally occurring substance and one that lives in most Americans' pantries, is in large part responsible for our country's obesity epidemic. Simply because a substance comes from nature does not mean it is good for us.

An important key to health is using nature appropriately.

And in the case of my patient, she was able to lose weight when we made a clear plan to alter her basic human behaviors. Before she started taking the green tea extract, she was skipping breakfast, drinking the equivalent of two Venti coffees before noon, eating takeout meals for lunch, washing down her late-night dinner with two glasses of wine, sleeping restlessly, and spending too much time sitting and indoors.

Green tea extract was never going to be the quick fix that she - and other patients I have seen - had hoped. It may be attractive as a natural cure for extra body fat, but this promise has not been shown in any studies, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health.

The key to helping my patient was pretty basic: looking at her lifestyle, her stress, and creating some structure and accountability for important lifestyle changes.

While she wasn't able to eat like Gwyneth Paltrow would recommend (who can eat Pinterest-perfect meals like that as a mere mortal?), my patient took my advice to heart that she begin eating breakfast, packing healthy leftovers for lunch at work, cutting back the wine to weekends only, and getting more exercise on weekends.

As a result, she started sleeping better and feeling more energetic. Eventually, the weight started coming off, too.

Particular patients seem to be more susceptible to the lure of "naturopathic" medicine or homeopathy. Patients who have vague symptoms that do not fit tidily into a box, for example, are often the ones combing the Internet for answers to their health woes and spending hundreds of dollars on unproven and insufficiently regulated supplements and herbs.

According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included a comprehensive poll on the use of complementary health approaches by Americans, 17.7 percent of American adults had used a dietary supplement other than vitamins and minerals in the past year.

That number is probably larger now: The total sales of herbal and dietary supplements in the United States were estimated to be more than US$8 billion in 2017, the 15th consecutive year of sales growth, according to a market research report. And women were more likely than men to use these products as well as people with more education.

Scientific data is often not the reason patients are drawn to herbal or "natural" supplements, Harvard School of Public Health researchers said. Of supplements users surveyed in 2001, 72 percent said they would continue using supplements despite a negative government scientific study. Patients reported getting much information about herbs from family, friends, advertisements and the Internet.

My patients often consider herbal remedies to be free of side effects, but many "natural" products can lead to toxicity and can dangerously interact with prescription medications.

Compounding the problem is that herbal and dietary supplements are not subject to the same strict regulatory standards as prescription drugs. On its website, NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says the products "are not required to be reviewed by the FDA for their safety before they are marketed because they are presumed to be safe based on their history of use by humans."

Last year, another patient came in to see me complaining of fatigue, joint pains and abdominal bloating. She had seen a naturopath for these symptoms, who told her she had "chronic Lyme" disease and gave her multiple rounds of antibiotics and a bag full of daily herbal supplements. She said she didn't feel any better.

When we met, she told me she was certain she had Lyme disease that wasn't being adequately treated. In fact, the antibiotics she had been given had only worsened her abdominal issues and caused a new problem: an intestinal infection that causes bad diarrhea.

After 10 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment, her diarrhea was gone but she was back to her tired and achy self. At my recommendation, she stopped the supplements, and her fatigue abated somewhat.

When we discussed her situation further, she revealed to me she suffered from a love-hate relationship with sugar.

Like many of my patients, when she was stressed out she binged on sugar. For most people, ingesting sugar provides a quick hit of the pleasure hormone dopamine, and for some people that rush of dopamine and the accompanying instantaneous boost of energy can become addicting.

The problem is that a high sugar load causes a surge in the hormone insulin, which then results in a sudden drop in blood sugar - which can promote fatigue, weakness and irritability, among other symptoms.

If consumed in excess over time, such dietary sugar can cause abdominal distress, bloating and joint aches. This is what was probably causing my patient's symptoms.

So we made a plan for her to not only cut back on sugar but also fill her diet with healthy stuff to get ahead of hunger and avoid binges. I also recommended she work with a therapist to deal with stress-eating. Her joint aches went away and her energy improved after about two weeks, and she continues to see a therapist for stress-eating issues.

Food - and added support to use it properly - was the fix.

Symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, joint pains and irregular bowel movements are some of the most common complaints I see in my office. They can be challenging for physicians to figure out, largely because they require careful and attentive listening by the doctor.

And since more than 40 percent of patients do not tell their doctors about their use of complementary or alternative medicine (including 25 percent who takesupplements and/or herbs), physicians can be bewildered when trying to pin down a root cause for a patient's complaints.

Indeed, these patients are not easily diagnosed after a single lab test - and they are not easily fixed with a supplement.

Occasionally, it takes time with the patient, careful attention to the patient's story, and asking the right questions to get to the bottom of the problem. Often, the solution is right under our nose.

Nature is indeed wonderful, but it doesn't always come in a pill.

Lucy McBride is an internist based in the District.

2019 The Washington Post

This article was originally published by The Washington Post.

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A Doctor Explains The True Risk of 'Natural' Treatments Like Green Tea Supplements - ScienceAlert

The practice of modern medicine treats the body as a biochemical machine and physicians as specialized technicians who can repair the machine. While there have been monumental advances in the medical field as a result of this tradition. It comes at the cost of abandoning healing the ill patient, particularly when physical cure is not possible. In this era of personalized medicine, health care has increasingly become depersonalized. It is estimated that one in four persons have one or more chronic health problems. These numbers will continue to increase as our population ages. With more patients suffering longer with chronic illnesses, it will become more pertinent to revive medicines goals of healing and relief of suffering. Undoubtedly there is confusion and skepticism regarding the role of healing in medicine. Medicine offers no definition for healing, nor does it attempt to, as it does so for science. Modern medicine considers healing beyond its domain, leaving the task of healing to alternative medicine. There has been a greater outcry from the public for more holistic and religious approaches to be integrated in conventional medicine.

In 2007 about 38% of U.S. adults (about 2 in 5) used some form of alternative medicine. These numbers can be interpreted as a growing discontent with the technologically-oriented health care system or a search for care not provided by the contemporary clinician.

Curing refers to treating a physical illness, while healing refers to the inner sense of peace and purpose, the patient finds even in the midst of an incurable condition. In 2004 Huber and her colleagues in Europe proposed a newer definition of health health is the ability to adapt and to self-manage. This recognizes an individuals ability to cope with chronic illness and be healthy even with the presence of ongoing chronic illness or conditions. The spiritual domain is an essential domain in this definition of health. This domain refers to the ability of people to achieve individual fulfillment, meaning, and purpose.

The role of a physician requires shifting from achiever to guider and expert fixer to companion. Authority becomes genuine caring, which makes way for relief of suffering and healing. Modern medicine does not train physicians as healers. Indispensable to the art of healing is narrationlistening deeply and with care to the patients story and accompanying the patient in discovering a new meaning in it.

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Healing beyond medicines - Times of India