Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

Senior Medical Advisor of Elevate CBD, Dr. Murdoc Khalegi joins Midas Letter for an informative conversation regarding CBD an alternative to opiates and effective treatment for chronic pain.Dr. Khaleghi is a Board-Certified Emergency Physician and has degrees in Bioengineering, Medicine, and Business from UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and Columbia University. At Elevate CBD, Dr. Khalegi works to educate the public on both the benefits and safety of CBD. As an emergency physician, Dr. Khalegi witnesses opiote overdoses on every shift. This he believes is far too many. Dr. Khalegi and James discuss a future where CBD will hopefully replace opiotes and become a more prominentpart of the US pharmacopeia.

James West: Im joined now by Dr. Murdoc Khalegi, who is the Senior Medical Advisor to Elevate CBD. Dr. Khalegi, welcome.

Murdoc Khaleghi: Thanks so much for having me.

James West: Yeah, sure. Dr. Khalegi, you have quite a deep medical history with CBD, more so than most people Ive ever talked to, and you are an advocate for CBD for chronic pain and as an opiate alternative. Can you give me a background on how you came to arrive at that sort of mindset?

Murdoc Khaleghi: Absolutely. So Im an emergency physician; I work in the Emergency Department, and heres what I see in the Emergency Department: I see opiate overdoses every single shift, some of them deadly. And so seeing that, it made me wonder, are there alternative, better therapies for pain? We do have other therapies for pain, but unfortunately, a lot of them dont work in certain groups. For example, we have anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or Aleve, but that can cause increased bleeding, it can cause problems in the gut, it can cause impaired blood flow to the kidneys.

We have things like Tylenol, which most people dont consider that strong a pain reliever, but that can also cause inflammation in the liver. So in exploring what are other options, I became increasingly interested in CBD, and I became interested in it for various reasons, one of which is, while Ive seen every kind of overdose in the Emergency Department, including even marijuana overdoses, fairly frequently, actually, if people dont have a tolerance or they unintentionally take a higher dose like an edible I have yet, a single time, to see a CBD overdose.

Meanwhile, Ive talked to hundreds, maybe thousands of people at this point who swear by CBD has helped their pain. And when you combine all those people that have found benefit with the increasing amount of research demonstrating a benefit, well then, that made me start to pay attention.

James West: Yeah, okay, interesting! Theres been a lot of research to suggest in areas where CBD is widely available, theres a correlated decrease in the incidence of death from opiate overdose. So, is that because CBD, where its available, is appealing to people who might be having abuse issues with prescribed opiates?

Murdoc Khaleghi: The way I think about it is this: no one wants to be dependent on opiates. No one wants to be addicted to opiates. The reason it happens is because, as I mentioned, we just havent had that many good therapeutic options for acute or chronic pain. So what I think were seeing is more and more people are finding another option, CBD, which is helps with pain, partly through an anti-inflammatory mechanism so a lot of people are also experiencing decreased inflammation, such as people with arthritis. And so, because theyre finding that alternative, they dont necessarily need to go to what had become such a common therapy for pain, and that was opiates.

And so, with less use of opiates, yeah, I think were seeing less overdoses.

James West: Okay, so do you see a future where CBD replaces opiates for the treatment of pain, post-operative pain, inflammation-related pain? Do you see it becoming a bigger part of the US pharmacopeia over time?

Murdoc Khaleghi: Well, with the proliferating amount of research, I think were certainly going to see that. Unfortunately, medicine has been a little slow on the uptake, partly because of the stigma around CBD. Because CBD can be derived from a couple different sources; one of those sources is marijuana. So a lot of people, when they hear CBD, they think marijuana, and so they think, controlled substance. They think it will get them high; they think maybe they can become addicted to it. They think of it like a drug.

But CBD is not the component of marijuana that causes all those things. CBD is a separate component, and its actually found in other sources. Part of the reason its legal in so many places now, because it can also be derived from hemp. And the CBD derived from hemp is the exact same as the CBD derived from marijuana, meaning, it has the exact same benefit.

So I think as some of the stigma and misconception goes away, yeah, were going to start to see this uptake in medicine. Last week was the first time we saw a national health organization, the Arthritis Foundation, actually put guidelines around CBD use, because they recognize hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of arthritis sufferers, are already taking and experiencing benefit from CBD; maybe its time to at least have some guidelines around the use, so this can be more programmatic in its prescription and use in therapy.

James West: Sure. The FDA has started to hold hearings looking, seeking, consulting with the public, essentially, and other stakeholders in the hemp industry, and theyre trying to, you know, arrive at a sort of policy towards CBD. Is there a risk to the current availability of CBD should the FDA decide that it needs to become more of a regulated substance than it is now?

Murdoc Khaleghi: While theres always a theoretical risk, I dont think thats going to happen, and the reason why is, as I mentioned, CBD can be arrived from different sources. One is marijuana, and while, you know, on the Federal level and in many states, marijuana is still regulated, not fully legal, hemp is fully legal in all 50 states. And so I do not anticipate seeing increased restriction on the use of hemp-derived CBD. In fact, I believe as a lot of the misconception goes away about CBD and that it can be derived from hemp, and that it doesnt come with all these effects like getting you high, I think were going to continue to have the legality in all 50 states like we do now, but I think well also have, with that, increased use by consumers, as well as increased prescription use by healthcare practitioners.

James West: Sure. And Ive noticed in the media that youve been a rather vocal proponent of CBD for use in treating pain associated with professional sports injuries, and in fact, I read a piece earlier where you were commenting on the participation of Rob Grankowski, the former star of the New England Patriots, as having become an advocate for CBD. How does CBD play into the treatments for professional sports where, if Im not mistaken, its still more or less a banned substance?

Murdoc Khaleghi: So the one important thing to understand is, its being used, CBD, very widely in professional sports. As I mentioned, CBD derived from hemp is legal in all 50 states, and so ideally, thats the type thats used; if its marijuana-derived, its still the same CBD substance. So it is being used, and I think what athletes are finding is, its a better alternative than a lot of the things they were doing, because athletes were already experiencing pain, injury, inflammation. That was already, has always been the case. And theyve been using things to deal with that.

I think some of those options have been less than ideal. For example, taking injections of anti-inflammatories, which can cause all those side effects that I mentioned about bleeding and damage to the kidneys and gut. And so now, theyre finding this better anti-inflammatory option without those side effects.

So part of the reason Im an advocate, as you mentioned, is not because Im saying CBD good/bad, Im saying, lets compare it to the alternatives that people are already doing, which is opiates, anti-inflammatory injections, and theres no doubt in my mind that CBD is a better alternative in terms of the risks it presents. It has a far lower risk profile.

James West: All right. Well, thats great input, Dr. Khaleghi. Were going to leave it there for now. Well hope to come back to you soon. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Murdoc Khaleghi: Thanks again for having me.

Original post:

Elevate CBD Providing Opioid Alternative and Treatment for Chronic Pain - Midas Letter

With changes in the business trends, the pharmaceutical industry is also opting for new trends in terms of patents, developments, corresponding equipment, and third party involvement for packing activities. The pharmaceutical companies save time and expenses by subcontracting the non-core services like packing. In recent years, the movement of conventional, as well as alternative medicines, are moving fast to meet the patient's demands. Pharmaceutical companies outsource the medicine packing to specialized companies to save time and additional investment required for packing activity. The global market for contract packagers is expected to grow due to the rise in the number of senior age population, growing consumer's interest in innovative packing, and governing agencies pushing stricter regulations. The demand for polypropylene (PP) and polymers used for packing medicines is expected to dominate the global market.

The research report on the Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market covers the market size, forecast, industry trends, drivers, growth factors, market share, and vendor analysis. The research study includes insights on segmentation. The Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market study considered the present scenario of the Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market and estimated market value. The report also covered a detailed overview of the growth factors, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and market trends. The Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market research report focuses on both the supply and demand aspects of the overall market. It provides a detailed analysis of leading players in the company profile section. In this section, it provides market player offerings, financial analysis, and innovation, developments, strategies, and SWOT analysis.

Get Free Copy of Sample Report@https://www.marketdensity.com/contact?ref=Sample&title=contract-pharmaceutical-packaging-market-2020-size-development-prospects-supply-demand-applications-sales-analysis-and-research-forecast-report-to-2025

The Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market is segmented as below

Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging Segments

The segmental analysis of the Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market report focuses on market players segmental revenue, customer base, and presence, offering and employee size to estimate the segmental revenue. While estimating segmental revenue multiple factors such as government regulation, growth factors and market trends.

Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketdensity.com/contract-pharmaceutical-packaging-market-2020-size-development-prospects-supply-demand-applications-sales-analysis-and-research-forecast-report-to-2025

The report works as an adviser for upcoming promising players entering the Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market. Various methodological processes and techniques have been utilized during analysis to review market expansion in the forecasted period. The market has been estimated with regards to value and volume to provide a comprehensive view of the market. In addition to this, the report also focuses on pricing, value chain, ecosystem, PESTEL, Porters five, SWOT, micro and macroeconomic factor and parent market analysis to provide detailed views on Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market.

The detailed analysis of the Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market is essential for all the stakeholders involved in the market. The Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market stakeholder consists of solution providers, distributors, investors, technology providers, raw material suppliers, mediators, wholesalers, retailers, and end-users. This analysis supports market players to design and develop their competitive strategies for sustainable growth. The executive summary of the report provides a snapshot of the market, segmental market share, and market trends of Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging market.

Market Density is a one-stop market research, advisory, consulting and, industry analysis reports platform. The reports' library providing business data and intelligence information on thousands of micro as well as high growth markets with global as well as regional coverage.Market Density offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for B2B, B2C, and government organizations around the globe. Market Density helps global clients to deal with the business challenges in the competitive world for sustainable growth.

Read this article:

Contract Pharmaceutical Packaging Market 2020 Size, Development Prospects, Supply, Demand, Applications, Sales Analysis And Research Forecast Report...

Market outlook: Palmarosa Oil

The blooming era of a healthy lifestyle has led to an increased demand for the products derived from natural sources be it food, oil or cosmetics. The development in the contemporary market has ushered the demand for essential oils. The essential oils usually derived from distillation have found great use since history due to their enrichment with therapeutic and medicinal benefits. The aroma of these oils is surmised to induce an uplifting effect in the human sensory system. The evolution in the market has shepherded the development of different types of essential oils such as: Lavender oil, Peppermint oil, Tea Tree oil,Palmarosa oil, Frankincense oil, among others. Cymbopogon martini commonly known as Palmarosa oil has an enhanced importance in the market not only due to its rich aroma but also its multi-benefit profile involving health and skin benefits. The advancement in the field of alternative medicine has revived Aromatherapy wherein Palmarosa oil is highly recommended for the improvement in the psychological well-being.

Reasons for Covering Palmarosa Oil as a Title

Palmarosa oil derived from the native grasses of India is known for its enriched contribution of volatile oils. The stress buster properties in the aroma of Palmarosa oil is a boon for Ayurvedic treatments. Apart from Ayurveda Palmarosa oil is umpteen with benefits involving sepsis prevention, inhibition of bacterial growth, digestion improvement and its cytophylactic property help in wound healing. Over the past few years, the demand of Palmarosa oil has seen a significant elevation in the cosmetics industry. Its moisturizing properties have provided it with the efficiency for treatment of skin disorders such as: eczema, psoriasis, boils, acne, and abscesses. These benefits have resulted in a soaring demand of Palmarosa oil in the market. The easy blending property of Palmarosa oil along with its ability to stimulate cell growth has made it an important remedy for the treatment of animal skin disorders as well.

Request PDF Brochure:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=46590

Global Palmarosa Oil Market: Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the global Palmarosa Oil market are: Floracopeia, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd, Albert Vieille SAS, BioSource Naturals, Esoteric Oils, Young Living Essential Oils LC, Vents, Florihana, Edens Graden Inc., Mountain Rose, Inc., among others.

Opportunities for Market Participants in Palmarosa oil Market

The incessant phase of a healthy lifestyle has beguiled the customers for utilizing Palmarosa oil due to the numerous benefits accompanied by a soothing aroma. From food processing to medicinal purposes Palmarosa oil has positioned itself as one of the most widely used essential oil in the market. The exclusive moisturizing properties steered with the rose-like fragrance has made it preferable in the cosmetics industry. Therefore, the market players need to come up with new strategies and promotional activities to spread the perks of Palmarosa oil thus, dilating the consumer awareness for Palmarosa oil allowing deeper penetration into the market.

More:

Palmarosa Oil Market - Valuable Growth Prospects, Key Country Analysis, Trends and Forecast till 2026 with Top Players - Montana Ledger

In 2017, Dr. DugaldSeely was awarded the Dr. Rogers Prize for contributions to complementary and alternative health in Canada. It is a Canadian prize that acknowledges the role of complementary and alternative medicine and it supports research with the awarding of $250,000 prize.

What exactly is thecontribution of complementary therapies to health care? Are there direct and verifiable outcomes? And how do complementary and alternative therapies intersect with allopathic medicine?

The pushback against complementary and alternative medicine over the years has been fierce. Until the, 1970s, such therapies were known as iIrregular practices and derided as not being evidence based. Since then the door of acceptance has crackedopen.

In 2019, the World HealthOrganization reported that 98 countries had policies on traditional Chinese medicine and 124 had regulations on herbal medicines. The report said that where traditional and complementary care converge they can help tacklethe unique health challenges of the 21st century.

In Canada, Seelysresearch on cardiovascular disease has been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. He is in the midst of an 11-year study in partnership with Ottawa Hospital into how some post-surgery outcomes can be improved with complementary and alternative medicine. Seely is the founder and executive director of the Ottawa IntegrativeCancer Centre, as well as the executive director of research at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

He says evidence-based complementary medicine has a positive impact on patients and the health care system.We invitedSeely to join us for a Conversation That Matters.

ConversationsThat Matter is a partner program for the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University.

The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.Please become aPatreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge here.

Original post:

Conversations That Matter: Complementary and alternative medicine - Vancouver Sun

According to a leading physician, thousands of Americans die needlessly every year from a deadly myth that only drugs and surgery can heal. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., a pioneer in the successful treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and the author of "Real Cause, Real Cure," tells Newsmax that the financial power of the pharmaceutical companies has skewed our healthcare into a system that ties the hands of natural practitioners and patients who want to find root causes of illness and restore their health.

"Standard medicine offers about 15 to 20 percent of what can help people recover from illness. Other branches of the healing arts offer the rest," Teitelbaum says.

Dr. John Reed, a Maryland-based physician who believes in integrative healthcare, adds that it isn't so much which diseases should be treated with alternative medicine, but what kind of people are receptive to taking control of their health. Some people are so used to popping pills that they won't explore the opportunities to self-heal while others want the information but can't get it from their regular healthcare practitioners.

"The current medical system is in danger of collapsing because it is treating problems, not people," he tells Newsmax. "The whole idea of integrative medicine is to restore vitality and function. Our healthcare doesn't encourage healthy lifestyles that could prevent many of our dreaded diseases, including the diabetes epidemic we are facing right now."

Teitelbaum, the author of "Diabetes is Optional," agrees. "People with adult onset or type 2 diabetes do not need to be treated with insulin because adults produce enough insulin. Their problem is that they are insulin resistant. This disease can be prevented and treated with a low-sugar, high-fiber diet, the herb Hintonia (Sucontral D), and checking for deficiencies in hormones and vitamin D. If necessary, I prefer to give the drug metformin over insulin because it doesn't encourage more weight gain."

Teitelbaum says that when it comes to heart disease, traditional or Western medicine shines in acute situations such as heart attack or stroke. But alternative medicine, including a change in lifestyle habits, can prevent and reverse cardiovascular disease.

"The key treatments I use for heart problems in my practice, including angina and abnormal heart rhythms, are ribose, coenzymeQ10, magnesium and B complex, and acetyl-l-carnitine," he says. "I often see dramatic improvements in heart health in six weeks."

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are usually managed traditionally with potentially dangerous pain killers like Lyrica, which is known to increase thoughts of suicide. Instead of medication, Teitelbaum has had success with his famous S.H.I.N.E. protocol. "This provides a blueprint for the body to heal itself," he says. "Getting adequate sleep, testing for hormone deficiency, boosting the immune system, maintaining optimal nutrition, and exercising are five key elements to beating these autoimmune diseases. In our published research study, over 90% of patients improved with treatment."

Teitelbaum says that new research is showing that some old, safe, and very low-cost medications can starve cancer cells. "But this research is largely being ignored by standard medicine because there is no profit in it," he says. For more information, check out yufoundation.org.

Dr. Alan Christianson, a Phoenix, Arizona-based Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD), tells Newsmax that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is another disorder for which modern medicine has no cure.

"Natural medicine, on the other hand, can identify and treat the causative factors such as food intolerances, intestinal permeability, and intestinal parasites, which may be causing IBS. In fact, conventional medicine has no real treatments except for suggesting a high-fiber diet which often exacerbates the condition," he says.

Reed says that the best medicine is what he calls an "integrative approach."

"For example, I was on duty at a trauma center when an accident victim arrived in very bad pain from his crushed limbs. We gave him a very high dose of opioid medication which lessened his pain to 8 out of 10, I then used acupuncture to shift his nervous system away from the pain centers and his pain subsided to 5 out of 10, making the medication more effective.

"When the medical situation is acute, it is beneficial to give drugs or surgery so that the patient doesn't slide downhill, but in the meantime, we must offer supportive care and suggest lifestyle changes to restore good health. We have found in our practice that approaching illness in this fashion also reduces the number of return visits to the hospital so in the long run, an integrative approach saves money.

"We need to spend more time and money on educating people starting with our children on how to stay healthy in the first place instead of focusing on fixing problems."

2019 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

View original post here:

Here's When Alternative Medicine Can Save Your Life - Newsmax

What are alternative therapies?

Traditional physical therapy is often viewed as stretching & strengthening. Alternative therapies are medical treatments used instead of, or in adjunct with, traditional mainstream therapies. They can be referred to as complementary or integrative care to others that patients may be familiar with.

What are commonly used alternative therapies?

Statistics show that more than 50 percent of United States adults report using some form of alternative medicine in any given year. The most commonly reported alternative therapy nationwide is massage therapy. Massage has been found to relieve acute and chronic pain, reduce stress and ease anxiety. Massage therapy is common for spine pain, as well as hip and shoulder pain. Other common alternative therapies include spinal manipulation, acupuncture or dry needling, cupping, instrument assisted soft-tissue massage (IASTM), herbal medicines, meditation, imaging techniques, or even yoga!

How long have alternative therapies been around?

Oftentimes, alternative therapies have been around as long if not longer than conventional medicine, but have historically lacked research to support its effectiveness. With the changing environment of United States health care & insurance restrictions, more and more patients are turning to less traditional means of treating their aches & pains.

Why use alternative therapies?

Alternative therapies are becoming more common in the realm of therapy. Often these are used as a way to reduce pain & stiffness, improve blood flow to injuries or sore areas, or cause relaxation. At OSPTI, these are used throughout the physical therapy care continuum, as well as following the end of formal treatment for long-term symptom maintenance.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

ve alternative therapies?

Whether youre seeking something different or looking to add an alternative therapy in addition to your current plan of care, please contact OSPTI at 218-641-7725 to schedule an appointment for massage therapy, dry needling, cupping, or more!

Read more:

Alternative therapies explained | Health - Wahpeton Daily News

As a child, Ganga Chaudhary, a New Delhi 20-year old, dreamt of a flight attendant career. But two years ago, she saw a local newspaper advertisement about training to become a dialysis technician. She now works at a small private hospital and earns Rs17,000 a month ($237).

Job opportunities in healthcare are common. Indias healthcare sector may be booming but it faces a chronic shortage of skills. The country has a basic need for more doctors, with only one government doctor for every 10,189 people. It also needs an additional 18.8m ancillary workers such as nurses and technicians for the operating theatre, radiology and dialysis to meet the growing demand for accessible healthcare.

The government, through its National Skill Development Corporation, is trying to address the shortfall by providing incentives and accreditation to private institutions to train young Indians. They include Vivo Healthcare, where Ms Chaudhary was trained; the Virohan Institute; and Apollo Medskills.

Virohans training centres take a gamified approach to teaching, where facilitators use pre-recorded videos to teach the students. At the end of each video, the class takes a test in the form of a quiz. The class cannot move to the next video unless all the students have passed the test, says Nalin Saluja, Virohans co-founder and chief technology officer.

Students get laboratory-based education and need an internship to successfully complete the course

Virohan and Vivo Healthcare, which has 50 training centres across the country, realised early on that skills-based training alone would not prepare students for the medical world. By the time they complete the programmes they are confident of doing the job and also have the soft skills needed, says Shakti Singh, Vivos co-founder and managing director.

Mr Singh says each training centre is located in a region where students have opportunities to secure an internship. We go where healthcare is going, he says. Students get laboratory-based education and need an internship to successfully complete the course.

Students are not, however, qualified to work at public hospitals.

Srinivasa Rao Pulijala, chief executive of Apollo Medskills which trains 15,000 students a year says a lack of a consensus on qualifications is adding to the problem.

Ms Chaudhary, for example, will not be able to undertake dialysis technician training at a government-recognised centre because she did not study science in her class 12 at school. Many private hospitals may also avoid hiring candidates from private centres because it might hurt their accreditation.

The current recruitment system followed by the government for allied healthcare workers is obsolete, says Mr Saluja.

But he is not concerned. In rural parts of India, sometimes smaller private hospitals are the primary care provider, he adds.

Mr Saluja is not alone in thinking that the private sector is the solution to Indias healthcare problems.In September 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government launched Ayushman Bharat dubbed Modicare a fully-funded health insurance scheme that provides coverage worth Rs5,00,000 ($6,975) to more than 100mpoor families. India hopes the scheme will help it achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

Individuals can receive treatment without charge at government-run hospitals or at private institutions, which are reimbursed by insurance companies.

When Ayushman Bharat was launched, many believed it would incentivise private hospitals to open facilities in underserved areas.

However, policy experts fear the country is too reliant on the private sector to deliver quality and affordable healthcare. For instance, of the more than 18,000 hospitals that are part of the Modicare network, only 3 per cent are quality-accredited or certified.

Soumitra Ghosh, assistant professor of health policy at Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, says: The primary goal of this [Modicare] scheme is to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure but we dont know if that has been achieved because the government does not share the data for independent review. In India, 92 per cent of healthcare spending comes from the patients themselves, pushing many into poverty.

The government is also considering retraining alternative medical practitioners in modern medicine to fill gaps in rural areas.

We need to utilise the skills of these alternative medicine practitioners but what the government is trying to do is create half-baked doctors, says Dr Pulijala, chief executive of Apollo Medskills, which runs two private medical colleges. The country needs to look at models such as nurse practitioners to improve access and quality of healthcare, he argues.

Delivering healthcare is too reliant on medical doctors, says Anant Bhan, a researcher in global health and policy and adjunct professor at Yenepoya University in Mangaluru. Allied workers, such as Ms Chaudhary, need to play a much bigger role if the gaps in healthcare provision are to be addressed.

See the original post here:

Indias health ambitions curbed by shortage of doctors - Financial Times

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT -- Exhausted, sick and struggling to breathe thats how Nicole Stringer feels almost every day.

The 27-year-old from Kelowna, B.C. was born with cystic fibrosis a genetic disorder that causes mucus to clog her lungs and damages her organs.

She is also infected with a superbug a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa that antibiotics cant kill.

(The superbug) will never go away so you are constantly sick and the older you get, the worse it gets, said Nicole, who has documented her painful journey in video diaries that she posts online.

She uses puffers, an oxygen machine and takes a hundred pills every day to control symptoms like fever and nausea. But she's still in and out of hospital every few months.

Like all CF patients, Nicole knows her lungs could fail at any time.

Thats why she travelled to the U.S. to become the first Canadian CF patient to try an experimental treatment called phage therapy using viruses to kill bacteria. Shes part of a group of 13 patients receiving care at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

I'm at a point where this is my last resort, said Nicole.

Shes relying on natures best killers.

Phages are viral smart bombs, blowing up trillions of bacteria every single day. They achieve this feat by attaching to a bug, injecting their DNA to produce more phages until the bacteria explodes, expelling billions of baby phages that search for new targets.

They exist everywhere bacteria is found on skin, in water, soil and rotten food.

The phages used to attack Nicoles superbug, were extracted from municipal sewage, and purified in the lab by Ben Chan, a Yale University biologist.

Its something that we can dredge out of nature and put into a person and make a big difference in their quality of lifeits the ultimate dream, said Chan.

Every day for one week in November, Nicole inhaled a dose containing billions of phage that Chan prepared.

It's her second treatment in seven months and she says theyre already making a difference.

About three to four hours after my very first dose, I could smell flowers for the first time in about 15 years."

My lungs started feeling like I could breathe just a little bit better, she said.

Her lung function, just 54 per cent before treatment began, is now up to 71 per cent.

And she told W5 shes been coughing up a lot of the sticky mucus that coats her lungs a sign her infection is clearing.

Dr. Jonathan Koff, the pulmonologist monitoring her phage therapy, says the results are promising and he plans to launch a larger study.

We are seeing very clearly that we are dramatically reducing the amount of bacteria in the sputum during the treatment and after, which is very encouraging, he said. In some patients, phage therapy is as effective as CF drugs.

"These are small patient numbers and we have to do our due diligence with clinical trials, but it certainly gives us some optimism that this type of intervention could be effective.

Earlier this year, U.K. scientists used genetically altered phage to fight a treatment resistant infection in CF patient Isabelle Carnell-Holdaway.

Doctors gave her less than 1% chance of surviving, but phage therapy restored her good health. News of her dramatic recovery boosted phages profile and the hope the treatment will be offered in Canada.

It would be a huge relief for Nicole. Travelling to the U.S. is expensive, costing her and her husband Ben thousands of dollars for each trip. Recently a friend set up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses.

Another concern every time shes around other passengers, she worries she'll pick up another infection and further compromise her health.

"One hundred per cent, if there was a chance to get the phage without coming (to the U.S.) I would do that, she said.

Phage therapy may not available in Canada but it did start here over 100 years ago.

French Canadian scientist Felix dHerelle co-discovered these micro killers in 1917. Early studies showed they were very good at controlling outbreaks of dysentery and typhoid plague.

But phages were abandoned in favour of antibiotics, which could be mass produced and were much more profitable. Eventually, D'Herelle moved to the Soviet Union to continue his work. And phages were relegated to the fringes of mainstream medicine.

Over the years, bacteria evolved and now many are resistant to our antibiotic wonder drugs. Patients around the world are developing treatment resistant infections after joint replacements, organ transplants and cancer therapy.

A recent report predicts superbugs will claim the lives of almost 400,000 Canadian in the next 30 years.

And the World Health Organization is warning we are entering a post antibiotic age where even a simple skin infection can kill.

So phages are making a comeback, thanks in large part to another Canadian scientist, Steffanie Strathdee. She witnessed their potential firsthand, when she used them to save her husbands life.

In 2015 Steffanie and Tom Patterson, a psychiatry professor, were on vacation in Egypt when he began vomiting after a meal. They suspected food poisoning but it turned out to be something far more serious.

He was flown to Frankfurt, Germany where physicians diagnosed acinetobacter baumannii, a potentially deadly pathogen in his pancreas.

The doctor said there is a giant abscess in his abdomen the size of a football and the doctor picked up this flask and was showing me this murky brown putrid fluid, said Steffanie, an associate dean of global health science at the University of California, San Diego.

I knew that meant there was some bacteria that was growing inside the cyst in his abdomen (...) but I figured, well there's antibiotics that will cure that."

Airlifted back to their home near San Diego, Tom was admitted to the hospital at the University of California San Diego Health, where he fell into a coma for several months.

His kidneys were failing and he was beginning to develop liver failure. So he was developing multi organ failure. And you know it's hard to predict how long he would have lived. But it would have been inevitable, something would have pushed him over the edge, said Dr. Robert Schooley, an infectious disease specialist at UCSD and family friend who oversaw his care.

Every antibiotic they tried failed to contain his raging infection. Steffanie had to face the terrifying truth Tom was dying.

This one particular day, I took his hand and saidif you want to live, I need to know. If you could squeeze my hand, I will leave no stone unturned and I will try whatever I can to try to overcome this thing, said Steffanie.

Tom, still in a coma, squeezed her hand. It was the sign she needed to continue fighting.

Steffanie started a desperate search to find something that could save Tom's life. During her research she came across phage therapy a treatment she learned in school, when she was a student at the University of Toronto.

The idea that there could be a perfect predator that would attack this superbug that Tom had was something that was really compelling," she said. But unfortunately, with phage, you have to match the phage to the bacteria. It isnt like any phage will attack any bacteria. It has to be like a lock and key.

She started contacting labs around the world, asking for help to find phages that could kill acinetobacter baumannii Toms superbug.

"I wrote these researchers it was like cold emails, they were total strangers...There was some (phages) that were directly sourced from ... barnyards," she said.

In the end the phages came from three sources: The U.S. Navy, a San Diego based biotech company and Texas A&M University, which found phage in purified sewage.

On March 15, 2016, the doctors injected billions of phages into Tom's abdomen and bloodstream. Five days later, he woke up.

"Literally he was off life support within two weeks, said Steffanie. "My favourite line is: you know that my husband was cured with phage therapy, he is full of shit.

I am a fairly skeptical, cynical person, said Dr. Schooley. But I was elated to see it. I thought this could be something big.

Soon Steffanie and Tom were fielding calls from desperate patients, looking for their own miraculous cure.

The couple knew they had a possible key to solving the superbug crisis and a responsibility to share their knowledge with the rest of the world.

Antibiotic resistance is the coming plague. And this is a potential solution and we shouldnt be afraid of alternative medicine, said Tom.

So a year ago Steffanie and Tom launched IPATH the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics at the UC San Diego School of Medicine the first phage therapy centre in North America, connecting doctors and patients suffering from treatment resistant infections, with scientists collecting phage. The group has already treated eight people and is consulting on many international cases.

Canadian microbiologist Jon Dennis is part of this new scientific network. He and his students hunt for phages on farms and forests for his growing collection at the University of Alberta.

Were constantly looking for new phageswhen we get an (sample) from a patient we go through our library of phages and see if we have one that matches, he said. This really is personalized medicine. This is a prime example of how this one medicine for one patient is going to save lives.

His specialty is finding phages for superbugs that afflict CF patients. Its often a race against time. By the time patients find him they are quite ill and have exhausted all options.

Still, he has managed to extended the lives of people in the United States. But hes frustrated he hasn't been able to help anyone here.

Phage therapy is considered a drug and Health Canada has not authorized its use.

"I would like to see that -- something discovered in Canada being used to treat Canadians," he said. In Canada we are still struggling to get past regulatory hurdles."

And some physicians are still skeptical that phages actually work.

There was a lot of work done in the last century that sort of made it seem like it was not the best approach to treatment, said Chan. So I think a lot of physicians that were trained way back in the day, just still have that in their head and they are not open to considering the possibilities and thats not right.

Experts stress phage has several benefits that go beyond their superbug killing skills.

Researchers are also using phages to prevent infections in farm animals and to stop e-coli and salmonella from growing in food.

Another advantage phage therapy is cheap, according to Chan's calculations, costing about a dollar a dose.

But along with the promise are unanswered questions, scientists still dont always know the correct dose or how to find the right phage for every infection. Thats why Steffanie and Tom are calling for more studies.

"It needs to be evaluated to see whether or not it could be licensed alongside antibiotics. It needs its fair shake, and it hasnt gotten it yet."

To spread the word, the couple have turned their story into a best-selling book: "The Perfect Predator: A Scientists Race to Save Her Husband From a Deadly Superbug.

It will also become a Hollywood film, ensuring this Canadian discovery and its life-saving potential is never forgotten again.

This is a Canadian solution discovered a hundred years ago, Canadians at the forefront. ... We need to be bold," said Steffanie. "We need to take risks and if we hadnt been bold in my husband's case he would be dead.

Watch the W5 documentary 'Super Bug Killers' Saturday on CTV at 7 p.m.

See the article here:

A long forgotten Canadian discovery used to treat superbugs - CTV News

Dr. Jennifer Gunter, a prominent gynecologist and feminist known for writing about womens health, has been a vehement critic of Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrows lifestyle brand Goop and her frequent attacks on Goop have enhanced her online presence. But journalist Emily Shugerman, in an article for the Daily Beast this week, reports that going after Goop has resulted in some fellow feminists, fellow doctors and science writers going after her.

Gunter, Shugerman explains, has parlayed her skepticism into a highly successful personal brand, amassing more than 267,000 Twitter followers, a TV show and a New York Times column. Fans are drawn to her no-nonsense attitude and quick wit, which she uses to condemn everything from abortion bans to natural tampons.

Shugerman adds, however, that Gunter now finds herself under attack from critics.

In recent weeks, Shugerman reports, Gunter has taken flak from her fellow physicians and feminists. On Twitter and Facebook and in the respected journal Scientific American peers criticized her for bullying women and gaslighting survivors of sexual abuse. Critics wanted to know why she was so skeptical of alternative medicine and so dismissive of the women who used it. The anti-anti-Goop backlash had begun.

Shugerman notes that Gunter has been butting heads with the feminist nonprofit Our Bodies, Ourselves, which produced the 1970 book of the same name: Gunter, in interviews promoting her book, The Vagina Bible, asserted that Our Bodies, Ourselves had promoted some misinformation on womens health. Gunter told WBUR, We (now) know a lot more about the clitoris, and other structures, and about sexually transmitted infections than we did then and I thought women needed a physician to write a book for them.

Judy Norsigian, who co-founded Our Bodies Ourselves, told The Daily Beast that she has received an abundance of messages from supporters who took exception to Gunters comments and Norsigian, along with Our Bodies, Ourselves Kiki Zeldes, wrote an open letter to Gunter stressing the 1970s books credentials.

But Gunter told the Daily Beast that her intention was never to slam or condemn the 49-year-old book but rather, to offer some constructive criticism and show how there can be misinformation along with good information.

One of Gunters biggest criticisms of Goop has had to do with vaginal eggs. And Shugerman notes that Dr. Jennifer Lang, a California-based OB-GYN, defended the jade egg in an open letter to Gunter in September.

Lang wrote, Im a GYN, and when I can remember to do my jade egg practice for more than a few nights in a row, I begin orgasming in my sleep. And Lang criticized Gunter for showing a lack of humility, especially when it comes to alternative medicine.

Jennifer Block, a science writer, wrote an op-ed for Scientific American that was headlined Doctors Are Not Gods and was highly critical of Gunter. The op-ed, Shugerman explains, provided the longest and most in-depth critique of Gunters work, drawing on the history of groups like Our Bodies, Ourselvesto explain how women taking control of their own health and occasionally rebuffing their doctors can be a feminist act.

Gunter and others have criticized Goop for promoting vaginal steaming, but Block defended the practice asserting, There are, anecdotally, many women healing from sexual violence and cancer treatments, who find that steaming helped them regain sensation. Are you really going to argue with them? Isnt that called gaslighting?

Debates over Gunters work and her criticisms of Goop, Shugerman writes, underscore a larger debate within feminism itself.

It would be easy to chalk up the criticism of Gunter to a fight between female physicians or even the inevitable milkshake-ducking of any internet celebrity, Shugerman writes. But the controversy over Gunters work illustrates a larger debate in modern feminism: one about exactly what role the medical system should have in womens health.

It's that time of year when we all give thanks, and we want to extend that thanks to you. All of us at AlterNet are honored by your readership and support. We hope you and your family enjoy a cozy, joyful Thanksgiving.

AlterNets journalists work tirelessly to counter the traditional corporate media narrative. Were here seven days a week, 365 days a year. And were proud to say that weve been bringing you the real, unfiltered news for 20 yearslonger than any other progressive news site on the Internet.

Its through the generosity of our supporters that were able to share with you all the underreported news you need to know. Independent journalism is increasingly imperiled; ads alone cant pay our bills. AlterNet counts on readers like you to support our coverage. Did you enjoy content from David Cay Johnston, Common Dreams, Raw Story and Robert Reich? Opinion from Salon and Jim Hightower? Analysis by The Conversation? Then join the hundreds of readers who have supported AlterNet this year.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure AlterNet remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to AlterNet, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

Go here to read the rest:

A gynecologist blasted Gwyneth Paltrows Goop and now some doctors and feminists are going after her - AlterNet

With a new year on the horizon, its no surprise that wellness enthusiasts are already looking ahead to forecast how theyll take their self-care to the next level. Just about every week, it seems like a new Soul Cycle or Equinox has popped up and emerging wellness brands such as FaceHaus, Shape House and Nap Bar are continuing to grow in appeal and popularity.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness market is now valued at $4.2 trillion, up 12.8% from $3.7 trillion in 2015 and its only expected to continue growing over the next few years as we continue to recognize the importance of valuing ourselves first. As a result, and in an attempt to capitalize on consumer demand, just about every brandfrom weight loss oriented companies such as WW and Jenny Craig to consumer brands such as Nestl and GM is repositioning itself as a wellness company. Its a trend known as the pivot to wellness.

Our friends at MINDBODY recently conducted a 2020 wellness index study, and heres where they think youll be spending all your coins next year to help you get zen.

Experiential Wellness

People love to experience wellness with the most common being spa retreats, fitness pop-ups and wellness festivals. Forty-two percent of those polled valued experiences over material possession. That means in 2020, youll see your favorite brands capitalizing off the intersection of things you love to do trap meets yoga, fitness pop-ups that intersect your favorite apparel companies, and we cant forget wellness-focused vacations such as Cayman Rejuvenate and the Integrative Health Retreat at Carlisle Bay.

More Sleep

Sleep: were all craving it, but likely not getting enough of it. According to the National Sleep Foundation, forty-five perfect of Americans arent getting the sleep they deserve, but that will likely change in the new year. As people want to make this a growing priority, MINDBODYs research showed that 57 percent of people consider sleep to be a luxury (and not a necessity), with 28 percent using sleep apps, to help with this. Expect more downloads of Sleep Cycle and Relax Melodies to help put you down each night. Other ways you can try to prioritize your sleep in 2020 include natural supplements, non-toxic mattresses and bedding such as Casper and Purple, or even popping in midday at a nap pod, such as Houstons Nap Bar.

Emotional Wellness

Our emotional well being is just as, if not more important than physical. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed in MINDBODYs 2020 Wellness Index study agree that personal wellness is a never-ending quest, and this will be seen in the new year by focusing on sustainable and realistic eating habits as well as making more time for your mental health whether it be with therapy, meditation, journaling and expressing gratitude more often. This will be seen by individuals making both small and large actions to preserve their sanity which as Black women, we need to spend more time doing.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

While Dr. Sebi had been promoting this for decades, mainstream America just now seems to be catching on. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to gain in popularity, so much so that 68% of those surveyed in the MINDBODY Wellness Index study agree that alternative medicine is a good complement to modern medicine. In addition to the most popular forms of this, like meditation, guided visualization, and breath work, getting acupuncture, acupressure, and even ear seeding are a few rising practices that will become a lot more accessible in the next year. So, it is no surprise that in 2020 many consumers will look to alternative medicine when it comes to healing and recovery of both the mind and body.

Read more here:

2020 Will Be The Year of Self-Care With These Top Health and Wellness Trends - Essence