Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

The popularity of yoga is surging. According to the 2016 Yoga in America Study (published by the Yoga Alliance), the number of people doing yoga increased from 20.4 million in 2012 to 36 million in 2016.

The benefits of a regular practice can be wide-ranging, including relief from pain, increased strength and flexibility, stress relief, better breathing, weight management, cardiovascular conditioning, better circulation, and a calmer mood, according to the Yoga Alliance.

And while nearly every version of this ancient practice incorporates some degree of strength, flexibility, and breath work to improve mental and physical well-being, not all practices are alike. Within yoga, you can find variations that run the full gamut from gentle restorative practices to sweaty, challenging workouts.

So, if you want to get into yoga, there are indeed a lot of options. And if any of the following myths about yoga have been keeping you from trying it, don't let them.

Social media is rife with yogis who can move their bodies in unimaginable ways, so its easy to see why you might think yoga is only for flexible folks. But its time for a reality check.

You dont do yoga because youre flexible; you do it to increase your flexibility and mobility, explains Samantha Clayton, an International Sports Science Association (ISSA)certified yoga instructor coach and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)certified personal trainer based in Los Angeles. We all have to start somewhere, and each pose can be modified to fit where you are on your own personal flexibility journey.

Yoga (and the stretching youll do as part of it) is good for all levels of exercisers. And while you may never be able to stretch like the Instagram yogis, your flexibility will improve over time. Most people start noticing a difference after three to four weeks of practice, says Clayton, who is also the vice president of worldwide sports performance and fitness for Herbalife Nutrition and a former Olympic runner.

Good news: That back pain shouldnt disqualify you. Yoga can be modified for almost any medical condition, says Samantha Parker, an exercise physiologist with the United States Air Force in Washington, DC, a Yoga Alliancecertified yoga instructor, and an International Association of Yogacertified yoga therapist (meaning she is trained to modify yoga practices for various health and medical issues).

For instance, if you have glaucoma (a disease that damages the optic nerves in your eyes), youll need to avoid dropping your head below your heart, which means youll have to modify certain poses, Parker says.

While medical issues shouldnt hold you back from doing yoga, if you do have a health condition and youre not sure if yoga is suitable for you, check with your doctor first and ask if theres any movement you shouldnt be doing, Parker says.

Then talk with the yoga instructor before class to let him or her know you have certain moves you need to avoid. The instructor should be able to show you pose modifications to make that happen. (If your instructor is a certified yoga therapist, he or she can recommend modifications for specific health conditions, Parker adds.)

Though often associated culturally with Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga does not necessitate a set of religious beliefs and can be practiced in a completely secular way, according to the Yoga Alliance.

Yoga does, though, promote the idea of peace and purpose, which some people equate with spirituality, Parker says. If youre not into that, seek classes and instructors who focus solely on the physical aspects of yoga.

Women do make up a majority of yoga participants 72 percent female versus 28 percent male, according to the 2016 Yoga in America studybut the benefits of yoga extend to anyone who is interested in fitness.

Yoga helps everyone improve joint mobility, range of motion, and overall core stability, Clayton says. These benefits can help both men and women with performance goals across a wide range of sports, he says, from weight lifting to running and much more. Plus, yoga promotes good posture and muscular control and involves many of the smaller stabilizing muscles and tendons that may not get the same attention and stimulation with other workouts.

Yoga does involve a lot of stretching, but youre gaining more than just flexibility and mobility. Youre also building strength. Many of the movements involve holding your own body weight as resistance, and this can improve muscular strength and endurance, Clayton says.

In a study published in June 2015 in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, for instance, a 12-week yoga program improved not only flexibility but also cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength and endurance in a group of healthy adults.

Parker doesnt mince words when she hears this myth. You have time, youre just choosing to spend it doing other things, she says.

And, she says, theres no minimum or maximum amount of time you need to do yoga. Longer yoga sessions can offer more benefits (depending on why youre practicing and what results youre looking for), but even short ones can boost mood, relieve stress, and increase physical fitness. You can do simple yoga flows at your desk to alleviate pain, increase cognitive function, and lower stress, Parker says. Or do five minutes of Sun Salutations in the morning or at night to achieve those same effects.

RELATED: A 5-Minute Stress Relief and Calming Yoga Flow

Because of the restorative, strengthening, and meditative aspects of yoga, experts say the right type of yoga complements nearly any other type of physical activity. If your muscles are tight, your muscles are also weak, and if you lack flexibility, youre unable to access the muscles entire power potential, Parker says. By doing yoga, you may find that you can perform better in other activities like strength training and aerobic exercise.

Plus, yoga gives those muscles much-needed relief from other activities. Most yoga is designed to heal and aid in active recovery, Parker says.

The key is finding the right practice to balance out the other types of activity youre doing, Parker says. If strength training is your primary focus, look for a yoga practice that focuses on flexibility and mobility. If youre spending most of your time doing cardio, look for a yoga practice that will help you build strength. Or if youre following an intense training plan for an upcoming race or event, check out a restorative yoga practice.

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Myths That Shouldn't Stop You From Doing Yoga - Everyday Health

Earlier this week, the FDA announced that Pfizer was voluntarily recalling all lots of Chantix 0.5mg and 1mg tablets. The drug recall is due to the presence of N-nitroso-varenicline. In large enough quantities, N-nitroso-varenicline can be a carcinogen.

If this recall sounds at all familiar, its because Pfizer back in August issued a similar recall back in August. While that recall involved four lots, the latest recall is far more expansive.

Before addressing the drug recall, lets briefly cover what the drug in question actually is.

To this end, Chantix has been around for more than 15 years. Its an anti-smoking drug that helps users cut back on cigarettes at a slow and steady pace. When it works as designed, smokers will stop smoking completely in about three months. As weve covered previously, the way Chantix works is somewhat novel. The drug essentially latches onto nicotine receptors in the brain. In turn, when a person on the drug smokes a cigarette, the nicotine has nowhere to latch onto. This serves to lessen the high of smoking and discourage future use.

Like many recalls with respect to both food and drugs the actual risk here is low. Note that N-nitroso-varenicline can often be found in grilled meats, dairy products, and vegetables. In other words, its not uncommon for someone to be exposed to nitrosamines. However, prolonged exposure can be risky.

Pfizer, despite the drug recall, makes a point of stating that the health benefits of stopping smoking outweigh the potential risk of cancer from nitrosamines.

Pfizer believes the benefit/risk profile of CHANTIX remains positive, the recall notice reads in part. Patients currently taking Chantix should consult with their doctor to confirm if they received an affected lot, and if appropriate, about alternative treatment options. To date, Pfizer has not received any reports of adverse events that have been related to this recall.

Additionally, there is no immediate risk to anyone currently taking Chantix.

The FDAs information page regarding nitrosamines reads:

The FDA put together a chart that maps out all the impacted Chantix lots. That list can be viewed over here. If you have the drug and you see it listed, you can contact Stericycle Inc. at 888-276-6166. The customer support line there is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM ET. When you call, youll be given instructions regarding how to return the drug and get reimbursed.

Originally posted here:

If you take this popular prescription medicine, stop immediately and read this - BGR

According to IMARC Groups latest report, titled Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026, the global complementary and alternative medicine market exhibited strong growth during 2015-2020. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes numerous medical products and practices that are usually not a part of conventional or standard medical treatment. It primarily comprises of self-administered products and activities, such as herbal medicines, dietary supplements, homeopathic remedies, and yoga, with chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy. CAM also includes manipulative and body-based practices, whole medical systems, and biofield therapy. Currently, CAM is extensively used to treat cancer by alleviating common side effects of chemotherapy, such as pain, fatigue, and nausea.

Request for a PDF sample of this report: https://www.imarcgroup.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-market/requestsample

The increasing consumer preferences towards natural products and gentle therapies are primarily augmenting the global market for complementary and alternative medicines. Additionally, the growing incidences of numerous chronic ailments are also driving the demand for CAM for disease diagnosis and prevention. Moreover, numerous health insurance companies are offering CAM coverage in their medical plans, thereby further propelling the market growth. Due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a rising inclination towards natural or alternative medicines to treat coronavirus infection. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the global complementary and alternative medicine market to grow at a CAGR of around 15% during the forecast period (2021-2026).

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis takes over the world, we are continuously tracking the changes in the markets, as well as the industry behaviors of the consumers globally and our estimates about the latest market trends and forecasts are being done after considering the impact of this pandemic.

Competitive Landscape with Key Players:

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Segmentation:

Breakup by Type:

Breakup by Disease Indications:

Breakup by Distribution Channel:

Breakup by Region:

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If you want latest primary and secondary data (2021-2026) with Cost Module, Business Strategy, Distribution Channel, etc. Click request free sample report, published report will be delivered to you in PDF format via email within 24 to 48 hours.

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2021-26 Stillwater Current - Stillwater Current

I just had my first childa baby girlin January of 2016. I noticed that a lot of other new moms around me were bouncing back quickly after pregnancy and delivery. But I felt the opposite. I was so lethargic I couldnt even get out of bed. In my head I thought, This is new mom stuff. But I never came out of that "new mom stuff."

I could tell something was off about my body. Yes, we experienced all the normal challenges of a new baby at home. Our daughter had a difficult time sleeping as an infant (which is to be expected), and we got very few hours of sleep when she was born.

I spent most of the night awake and trying to feed and care for her. I was able to take care of her okay, but was having a really difficult time elsewhere. Id try to go for a walk and it felt physically impossible.

My doctor ran a bunch of tests trying to uncover the source of my fatigue. They looked for thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune diseases, adrenal fatigue. Chronic fatigue syndrome and depression was also considered. I received a test for Lyme disease. That test was negative, and so my doctors threw the possibility of Lyme out the window.

Still, my symptoms kept getting worse and worse. I was unable to get out of bed because my chronic pain and fatigue was so bad. I was miserable and kept seeing different doctors to try to find answers.

"My intuition told me that there was something wrong. Im glad I listened."

After doing research, I really thought that what I had was Lyme disease. Doctors wouldnt retest me, though, because my initial test was negative. However, I wanted to make sure that test wasnt a false negative.

Fast-forward to my visit to a functional medicine doctor. He told me I had adrenal fatigue and attributed my fatigue to being a new mom, once again. He sent me home with the recommendation to take a bunch of supplements, such as vitamin B12 and rhodiola. My doctor kept promising me that in three, then six months Id feel better. I never felt better.

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I knew I had so many symptoms because, at each doctors office I visited, Id have to fill out an intake form and list them all. Beyond the fatigue, I developed pretty bizarre symptoms. My muscles would twitch and wouldnt stop. In the middle-of-the-night, Id wake up shaking and my husband would have to hold me until it passed. The fatigue was like being weighed down by bags of sand.

When you write even 30 or 40 symptoms, the personnel at the office start giving you looks like something is wrong with you mentally. I was telling the truth. Ask any member of my family who has been through a day of this hell with me. The longer medical doctors put you off and dont take you seriously, the crazier you look. My gut, though? It said something was off.

The answer was no, but he agreed to give me a Lyme screening test, which is basically a questionnaire about your symptoms and the likelihood that you contracted Lyme. My score indicated a high probability of Lyme.

Finally, my doctor sent me to an infectious disease doctor. That doctor ran another blood test and, sure enough, I was positive for Lyme disease. This was 2018. I'm not sure how or when I contracted Lyme exactly, but I must've gotten a tick bite at one point in my life.

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I was treated with the standard 30-day dose of antibiotics used for Lyme disease. After the antibiotics, I went to a second infectious disease doctor because I still did not feel well or feel like myself. That doctor said that it was impossible for me to still have Lyme disease after being treated with two weeks of antibiotics. Instead, she, too, chalked my symptoms up to motherhood.

I was a run down, stressed out mom, she told me, and the best thing for me was to be on an antidepressant. I just thought, Im not depressed. The only thing thats depressing me is that I cant get anyone to help me with whats wrong with my body. And this was from a female doctor who was also a mom. She said that she was a tired mom, too, so she understood. I felt totally brushed off.

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We tried a lot of remedies, from homeopathic drops to infrared sauna therapy. But the biggest thing that made a difference was lowering inflammation by changing my diet drastically. (Always work with a doctor you trust before making major dietary changes to make sure they make sense for you.) Currently, Im slowly reintroducing food to see if I can tolerate it without an inflammatory response.

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Im now walking 10,000 steps per day or more. Im able to homeschool my daughter, be active, and do all the things I love, such as hiking and kayaking. I can garden without stopping. It brings me to tears every time I can do those things. (I've documented my journey on Instagram @againstoilodds.)

My story shows that you have to listen to your gut and be your own advocate. Dont be afraid to ask questionsrepeatedly, if you have to. Get a second, third, or fourth opinion. Dont be afraid to try alternative treatments if you feel stuck. Im glad I never gave up.

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'My Chronic Fatigue Turned Out To Be Lyme Disease' - Women's Health

Some patients who have recovered from Covid could be suffering from lingering symptoms but unlike those with an active infection, they are not contagious, UAE doctors have said.

The condition, called long Covid, may include symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, stress and anxiety, body ache, cough, sore throat and breathing difficulties, among others.

Studies have shown that these Covid-19 aftereffects are likely to stay in the body for many months, said professor Adrian Kennedy, chief wellness officer for Arabian Wellness and Lifestyle Management at RAK Hospital.

Emerging evidence indicates that majority of people who had been hospitalised because of Covid-19 experience symptoms, like fatigue and shortness of breath, months after being discharged from the healthcare facility, Kennedy said.

In Dubai, special clinics have been set up for these long Covid patients.

ALSO READ:

First free online Covid rehab to help long-haulers in UAE

Obesity linked to long Covid-19, RAK hospital study finds

The newly launched post-Covid-19 clinics would be open on Tuesdays at Al Barsha Health Centre and Thursdays at Nad Al Hammar, according to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The service, however, is not for pregnant women and children under six years of age.

According to healthcare specialists, long-term debilitating effects are observed in about 30 per cent of patients who had been infected with the virus.

Long Covid in UAE: New study says fatigue, depression may last up to 9 months

Since its a new disease, what we have learnt so far is that the symptoms can continue for three weeks or even for three to nine months and pose challenges for people experiencing it. It not only affects patients who were severely sick or hospitalised but, in many instances, it impacted the ones who remained asymptomatic during the infection, Kennedy said.

The most common lingering symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, cough or abdominal pain.

Dr Hammad Khan, ER physician and head of emergency at Prime Hospital, said long-haulers are provided various types of treatment.

Among the most common ones are breathing therapy, stamina training, attention and memory training, and improvement of general fitness, said Dr Khan.

Dr Harkirat S Wilkhoo, lifestyle medicine specialist at RAK Hospital, added: Long Covid symptoms are treated by supportive measures like lifestyle changes (nutrition, physiotherapy, exercise, stress management, dependency management), as well as conventional medicines and alternative medicine (homeopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy),

ayaz@khaleejtimes.com

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UAE: Can long Covid patients still spread the infection? - Khaleej Times

When Kimberly Sheldon was 47, she says made the biggest mistake of her life. That was in 2018, when she says that a dentist explained to her that cutting the tissue under her tongue would help her jaw pain, gum recession, and occasional headaches. Her issues, he said, could be due to the fact that the back of her tongue couldn't reach the roof of her mouth. With a quick laser slice, a $600 charge, and some instruction on tongue exercises, he seemed confident that she would feel better soon after.

But, according to her account, the dentist didn't explain the possible risks, which include nerve damage and scarring that can restrict the tongue. Sheldon only found out about the issues after she experienced them. Since then, she says, the effects have torn her life apart.

The idea that tongue position can contribute to health problems is not well-supported by research, but it's edging towards the mainstream. Millions of people are watching YouTube videos about how the tongue allegedly influences the face and jaw, and books, videos, websites, and social media posts say that improper tongue position can contribute to a host of health issues dental problems, sleep apnea, headaches, neck and back pain, and more. These ideas are especially becoming popular in dentistry echoed by Colgate and a dental hygienists' magazine. Some even claim that changing the tongue position can make people more attractive.

Two proposed solutions to help with an allegedly poor tongue posture are becoming more popular, which may be done together or separately (in Sheldon's case, her dentist recommended both). The first is myofunctional therapy, a series of exercises to strengthen the tongue so that it can rest on the roof of the mouth. Celebrities, including Kourtney Kardashian, are promoting this therapy. The second is surgery on what some practitioners call a tongue-tie a condition in which the tissue under the tongue, called the frenulum, is supposedly restricted.

Some tongue-ties are undisputed diagnoses generally in very young children. In infancy, a type of tongue-tie where the frenulum attaches all the way to the front of the tongue and severely restricts its movement has been treated for hundreds of years. More controversial are hidden, or posterior, tongue-ties, which, as Undark previously reported, are increasingly diagnosed and cut in children. Adult tongue-tie diagnoses also lack rigorous evidence.

Despite the limited evidence, myofunctional therapy and tongue-tie surgeries are increasingly promoted as a treatment for the many ailments attributed to poor tongue posture in adults. Especially concerning, some experts say, is the claim that the therapy is an alternative treatment for sleep apnea, despite a lack of evidence and with possible risks to patients.

Many doctors, however, caution against the idea that changing tongue posture is a panacea. "I think people want to believe that myofunctional therapy is helpful," Eric Kezirian, a professor and physician of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at the University of Southern California, wrote in an email. "The problem is that the history of health care is littered with thousands upon thousands of treatments that were not helpful, or were in many cases harmful, in spite of people's best intentions." (An otolaryngologist is also called an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT.)

To be sure, some patients say that tongue surgery and therapy has been life changing. In an invite-only Facebook group for tongue-tied adults, which has more than 15,000 members, some advocates report improvements in everything from facial composition to migraines, neck tension, anxiety, and even bowel movements. But not everyone has a positive experience. After the numbing wore off from Sheldon's procedure, she says the pain was horrific; her tongue was pulled backwards and pinned down, gagging her. Her dentist recommended more tongue exercises, she says. It didn't help. After months without improvement, Sheldon said a member of the Facebook group referred her to an oral surgeon four hours away, who also set her up with a myofunctional therapist.

The new surgeon said her problems were obvious: The first dentist missed a bit of tissue or ligament, and he would fix it with a second procedure. But after that second laser cut, Sheldon had a persistent painful burning sensation at the base of her tongue, and the tip and the underside became permanently numb some of the nerves were damaged, she recalls being told. She couldn't swallow solid foods, she says, and her weight dropped from 140 pounds to 106. Eventually, she was hospitalized due to difficulty swallowing, and got occupational therapy to help. Now, she sees a doctor every three months for related chronic pain.

* * *

When the frenulum is cut, it could damage nerves, salivary glands, and ducts that lead to salivary glands, says Soroush Zaghi, an otolaryngologist and sleep surgeon, as well as the medical director of The Breathe Institute in California, where Kardashian is a patient. There's also a risk of scarring, which Zaghi says is the most common adverse outcome. Scar tissue can cause the tongue to contract and reduce tongue mobility.

Nonetheless, Zaghi advocates for a surgery that cuts through the frenulum and sometimes into the muscle. He calls the procedure a frenuloplasty, during which he cuts until the patient is able to lift their tongue so the tip is just behind the front teeth when their mouth is fully open, and the back of their tongue can reach the roof of the mouth. (Sheldon's laser surgery was a different approach, and there is no consensus or evidence to indicate if one technique is better.)

A tongue-tie, Zaghi asserts, can contribute to improper facial development in children, plus mouth breathing, sleep apnea, and more. However, Cristina Baldassari, an otolaryngologist and sleep medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, wrote in an email that there are no high quality research studies that demonstrate that tongue-tie causes any of these issues. The few studies that do exist have include small numbers of patients, or lack a control group.

Zaghi and others also promote myofunctional therapy, sometimes in conjunction with frenuloplasty, as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. But Baldassari says there isn't sufficient evidence to support myofunctional therapy as a sleep apnea treatment, either. The few small studies that have been done did not show that the therapy alone could decrease moderate to severe sleep apnea. Baldassari says she worries that real harm could come to sleep apnea patients with a severe disorder if they eschew conventional medical treatment for tongue therapy, because there are risks for medical complications like stroke and heart attack if the disease goes untreated.

Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says. Slicing through the tether could cause the tongue to fall back into the throat, obstructing the airway during sleep. This concern was echoed by Karthik Balakrishnan, a professor and physician of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Stanford University, though he pointed out there's no research on the subject to know for sure. And even Zaghi says some people are better off with an intact frenulum, including those who don't have enough space to accommodate their tongue high in their mouth, and those with low tongue muscle tone (though Zaghi cannot point to a method for providers to objectively assess these things, he says he's working on it).

Baldassari points out that researchers know the tongue is involved in sleep apnea devices that send electrical signals to the tongue, which cause it to move outward during inhalation during sleep, are effective at enlarging the airway. But, she says, if this tongue stimulation is strengthening the tongue, like myofunctional therapy proposes to do, it doesn't have a lasting effect; if doctors turn the device off after a year, patients still have sleep apnea.

Yet Baldassari doesn't mind if someone with mild sleep apnea or other conditions like neck tension, anxiety, bad posture, allergies, or teeth grinding, want to try myofunctional therapy, despite the lack of research, because she says there's little risk. Still, she added in an email, "it likely will be a waste of time and money."

* * *

In addition to the lack of strong evidence, both the tongue therapies and surgeries don't have strong professional standards. Neither has a standardized protocol, so the process varies from one practitioner to another. And while tongue-tie surgeries are performed by licensed doctors or dentists, myofunctional therapists have no system of licensure. Sarah Hornsby, a myofunctional therapist a sizable YouTube following and therapy co-director at The Breathe Institute, who offers a training program through the institute, acknowledges that this lack of standardization is one reason the medical community is skeptical of the therapy and says it is something therapists are working towards.

Though Zaghi has published a method for assessing tongue-ties, he argues that at least some standards for myofunctional therapy are unnecessary. For instance, he says that myofunctional therapy shouldn't all be based on one person's protocols he compared it to an exercise regimen, pointing out that there are benefits whether someone does yoga, pilates, weightlifting, or running.

Other experts disagree. If an exercise is used as a medical treatment, it needs to be researched that shows it's effective, says Kezirian. "Myofunctional therapy has nothing like this," he wrote in an email. (Kezirian holds a patent for a device to correct obstructive sleep apnea, as well as for head and neck exercises done with an apparatus to improve sleep disordered breathing, though he is not currently selling either product.) Not only do variations in practices make it difficult for researchers to evaluate whether it works, Baldassari wrote that "if there is a lack of standardization, there is no way to ensure that patients are getting adequate therapy."

Myofunctional therapy lacks standardized training programs, too. A myofunctional therapist is often a dental hygienist, as Hornsby was; other times, the therapist may be a dentist or speech language pathologist who has completed a short online training program. Most of these programs, which are not accredited by a professional organization, cost thousands of dollars. (Several organizations, including the International Association of Orofacial Myology, do offer certifications to those who complete their training.) Even tongue-tie revision surgery training for dentists can be done online, or through a two-day course with two hours of hands-on instruction, and Zaghi teaches his frenuloplasty method online since the pandemic began.

Despite the lack of training and standards, myofunctional therapists stand to earn more than they did as dental hygienists, with fees ranging from $80 to $250 per session; those who are also dentists or speech therapists can charge more. And dentists who revise adult tongue-ties can charge up to about $1,500 for the procedure. "I do not want to suggest ulterior motives," Kezirian wrote in an email, "but of course treatment is offered to patients that pay for services, often on their own because these treatments are not covered by medical insurance."

Sheldon has also noticed these financial incentives. She avoids the adult tongue-tie Facebook group these days because she says practitioners are also members, and stand to profit from the groups' messages. And when someone has an issue after a tongue-tie surgery, members tend to doubt whether that person did enough myofunctional therapy or found the right provider, instead of questioning the procedure itself.

Sheldon says she has struggled to forgive herself for agreeing to do something that brought her chronic pain and health problems. But one thing brings her peace: Because of her experience, she sought a second opinion when an orthodontist suggested that her son needed tongue-tie surgery in order for his teeth to be straightened. What happened to her, she says, saved her son from the possibility of a similar fate. Now, she adds, "I don't believe that we're supposed to be cutting people's frenulums."

* * *

Christina Szalinski is a freelance science writer with a Ph.D. in cell biology based near Philadelphia.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.

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Short on evidence, dubious therapies turn to the tongue - Salon

Wouldnt it be great if when you had a headache you could pick a Tylenol from a plant on your windowsill? Or even cancel your insomnia with the leaves of an unassuming shrub? Well, buck up: You can make your home a veritable forest of medicinal wonders, treating an array of lifes maladies.

No, big pharma wont be shaking in their boots, and nothing here is a replacement for real medicine, but everything on this list has some real, verifiable science backing up its efficacy. Beyond that, the plants Ive listed have been researched for thousands of years, initially through the Indian Ayurvedic belief that illness stems from an imbalance of a persons consciousness.

And of course, before you sample any of the remedies, be sure to speak with your doctor.

Live plant basil plant tulsi

Live Plant - Holy Basil Plant Tulsi

Little Nest

amazon.com

$14.98

Also known as Holy Basil, the medical uses for this amazing plant date back some 3,000 years. Its so revered in Hindu culture that its said to represent the earthly presence of the goddess Tulsi.

This adaptogenic herb (reduces stress while increasing energy), is most often consumed as a tea, which can be spicy, but with zero caffeine content. The remedies include anxiety, lowering of blood pressure, protecting internal organs from pollutants or heavy metals, hyperthyroidism, and even acne.

Overall, this good-to-have-around-the-house plant is thought to assist the body in maintaining its proper state of homeostasis. That is, it helps our natural systems stay in proper balance. You might have a look-see at the kind words for Tulsi from the National Library of Medicine:

A total of 24 studies were identified that reported therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, immunity, and neurocognition. All studies reported favourable[sic] clinical outcomes with no studies reporting any significant adverse events.

Jeez, NLIM, just marry them already. Learn to grow it here. Oh, and check out these interesting recipes.

Lemon Grass Seeds for Planting Outdoor

Lemon Grass Seeds for Planting Outdoor

Mountain Valley Seed Company

amazon.com

$4.98

The Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass plant) is often found in Thai cooking, but theres more to it than that. In fact, the list of health advantages to drinking lemongrass tea is a particularly long one.

First of all, it has some mean detoxification qualities, not to mention it fights bacteria, viruses, and fungus. More? Its thought to lower cholesterol, ease joint pain, fight anxiety and depression.

Skeptical? Take a read from the Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology and Research based on the culmination of recent study data:

Studies indicate that Cymbopogon citratus possesses various pharmacological activities such as anti-amoebic, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antifilarial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties These results are very encouraging and indicate that this herb should be studied more extensively to confirm these results and reveal other potential therapeutic effects.

Learn how to grow your own.

Texas Sage Live Plant

AMERICAN PLANT EXCHANGE Texas Sage Live Plant, 3 Gallon, Lavender Purple Flowers

American Plant Exchange

amazon.com

$38.24

Thats right, like the stuff in a shaker you keep in your spice rack. Its a member of the mint family, though you wouldnt know it when its swimming in your Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Just the same, this spicy contender packs a real therapeutic wallop. First of all, sage is high in nutrients. Next, its a righteous antioxidant. In one study, drinking a single cup of sage tea twice daily significantly heightened antioxidant defenses. In addition, it lowered LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and raised the good HDL cholesterol.

But get a load of this: an article in Science Daily reports that British scientists conducting clinical trials with healthy, young adults confirm centuries-old beliefs that sage can improve memory function. Which means that all my difficulty remembering to pick it up at the supermarket is entirely my fault.

Anyway, you can grow your own sage. For some help with that, just click the little blue phrase right here. And while youre at it, learn some cool sage recipes.

Marigold flower starter kit

Window Garden - Marigold Flower Starter Kit

Window Garden

amazon.com

$10.99

I know what youre thinking: the obscure Nirvana song that Dave Grohl wrote? No, were talking about the plant Calendula, also known as pot marigold. The common ornamental marigolds just wont do this trick.

Steep the flowers in boiling water to make a tea and youve got yourself an outrageous antioxidant. Thats pretty tough to beat right there.

Bacopa Monnieri Moneywort Freshwater Live

The Sun Ave Bacopa Monnieri Moneywort Freshwater Live Aquarium Plants Stems with Roots (1 Pack)

Generic

amazon.com

$10.97

Heres another oldie but goodie from the ancient world of Ayurvedic medicine. For thousands of years, the people of India have relied on Bacopa monnieri, an aquatic plant, as an answer for pain relief, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder, and even stress relief.

Lets review that last mention stress relief and its impact on our health. Many health professionals estimate that up to 90% of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related issues. While most of us do our best to keep from running (from our problems, or murdering our bosses when we feel theyve been unfair). This keeps us out of prison cells, but there is a cost to our health. In fact, the Japanese, known for their relentless work ethic, have a term for this: "karoshi," which translates loosely to death by overwork.

I dont know about you, but Im stressed from reading this. So how about a nice cup of bacopa tea? Its simple, just pour some hot water over your fresh bacopa leaves (Im sure you have some handy), and let it steep for 10 minutes. Theres no caffeine so you can have it anytime, but brace for the bitterness. Honey makes it better.

You can read about some other serious benefits (and side effects) associated with Bacopa monnieri or you can just read the specifics of the study from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

As always, there are caveats to imbibing the tea or sampling the many bacopa supplements available. Do some research, and consult your doctor.

Having said that, if youd like to try your hand at growing bacopa, just click right here.

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5 houseplants that double as alternative medicine - SFGate

News Release

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Alternate lab test shows comparable accuracy, non-biased results.

In a study supported by the National Institutes of Health, researchers propose changing a key measure in kidney disease diagnosis and treatment to eliminate the use of race as a variable, providing a non-biased kidney function test that does not compromise accuracy. The study suggests use of a blood lab test called cystatin C, which does not vary by a persons race, to replace the current lab test called creatinine, which does. The findings come from a detailed analysis of data from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study, a nationwide longstanding study funded by NIHs National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Health care providers use estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, calculations as a primary diagnostic tool to learn how well a persons kidneys function and to classify the severity of their disease, from mild loss of kidney function to end-stage kidney disease. The eGFR helps determine prognosis and treatment, such as when hemodialysis or a transplant may be needed.

Since 1999, race has been a variable used in estimating GFR. Current eGFR calculations also use a persons age, sex, and serum creatinine levels. Serum creatinine, which the kidneys filter out, is a waste product from the normal metabolism of muscle cells in ones body. Studies have shown that Black Americans, on average, can have higher levels of serum creatinine in their blood, independent of kidney function. To account for this difference, eGFR calculations include a persons self-reported race to give more valid results.

Using race as a testing factor risks kidney disease misdiagnosis. There is great variance within the genetic ancestry of people who identify as Black which means we cannot reliably view Black people as being from a single ancestral group, said Afshin Parsa, M.D., NIDDK program director for CRIC. Misdiagnosis could lead to a person receiving incorrect drug dosing, or delays in receiving dialysis or a kidney transplant. Current eGFR calculations could be exacerbating racial inequities in a disease that disproportionately affects Black people, so this study set out to identify factors that wouldnt rely on including a persons race to calculate eGFR.

CRIC researchers found that even when adjusting for a wide range of factors, using serum creatinine to calculate eGFR without using a race term can lead to systematic bias and race-related misclassification of kidney disease status in people tested.

Yet, unlike serum creatinine, most biomarkers substances that can help identify disease or stages of a disorder arent affected by race or ancestry. By analyzing data from CRIC participants, the researchers found that using cystatin C which is not affected by race or ancestry as a race-independent replacement biomarker for serum creatinine provided accurate and non-biased results.

We hope this studys results will build momentum toward widespread adoption of cystatin C for the purposes of estimating GFR. The alternative eGFR test requires no special equipment, can be standardized, and the more its adopted, the less it would cost, said Chi-yuan Hsu, M.D., professor and chief of nephrology at University of California, San Francisco, and lead author of the study.

CRIC is one of the largest and longest-running studies looking at the causes, frequency, and consequences of chronic kidney disease, or CKD, in the United States. Nearly all CRICs participants are people with mild to severe loss of kidney function. Since Black people are at higher risk for CKD than other groups, approximately half of CRIC participants are Black. This analysis used more than 1,200 CRIC participants data, including measures of body mass and muscle mass, genetic ancestry data, and self-identified race.

An accurate eGFR formula that does not rely on self-reported race is a huge leap forward for all people with, and at risk for, chronic kidney disease, said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. NIDDK is committed to addressing health disparities, and we hope this studys finding leads to positive changes in how CKD is identified and treatedhelping address the risk of systemic bias and error in diagnosing and treating a disease that already disproportionately affects Black people.

CRIC received funding through NIDDK grants DK060990, DK060984, DK061022, DK061021, DK061028, DK060980, DK060963, and DK060902.

About the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): The NIDDK, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see http://www.niddk.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Originally posted here:

NIH-supported study suggests alternative to race-based kidney function calculations - National Institutes of Health

Earlier this month, Dr. Rashid Buttar posted on Twitter that covid-19 was a planned operation and shared an article alleging that most people who got the covid vaccine would be dead by 2025.

His statement is a recent example in what has been a steady stream of spurious claims surrounding the covid vaccines and treatments that swirl around the public consciousness. Others include testimony in June by Dr. Sherri Jane Tenpenny before Ohio state legislators that the vaccine could cause people to become magnetized. Clips from the hearing went viral on the internet. On April 9, 2020, Dr. Joseph Mercola posted a video titled Could hydrogen peroxide treat coronavirus? which was shared more than 4,600 times. In the video, Mercola said inhaling hydrogen peroxide through a nebulizer could prevent or cure covid.

These physicians are identified as members of the Disinformation Dozen, a group of top superspreaders of covid vaccine misinformation on social media, according to a 2021 report by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate. The report, based on an analysis of anti-vaccine content on social media platforms, found that 12 people were responsible for 65% of it. The group is composed of physicians, anti-vaccine activists and people known for promoting alternative medicine.

The physician voices are of particular concern because their medical credentials lend credence to their unproven, often dangerous pronouncements. All three continue to hold medical licenses and have not faced consequences for their covid-related statements.

But leaders of professional medical organizations increasingly are calling for that to change and urging medical oversight boards to take more aggressive action.

In July, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the national umbrella organization for the state-based boards, issued a statement making clear that doctors who generate and spread covid misinformation could be subject to disciplinary action, including the suspension or revocation of their licenses. The American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics issued a joint statement Sept. 9 in support of the state boards position, warningthat such unethical or unprofessional conduct may prompt their respective Board to take action that could put their certification at risk.

And the superspreaders identified by the centers report are not alone. KHN identified 20 other doctors who have made false or misleading claims about covid by combing through published fact checks and other news coverage.

For example, at an Indiana school board meeting in August, Dr. Dan Stock claimed the surge in covid cases this summer was due to antibody mediated viral enhancement from people receiving covid vaccines. PolitiFact rated his claim Pants on Fire false.

Dr. Stella Immanuel, a member of a group Americas Frontline Doctors, which has consistently made false statements about covid, said in a video that went viral in July 2020 that masks werent needed because covid could be cured by hydroxychloroquine. Immanuels website currently promotes a set of vitamins, as well as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, as covid treatments.

Two of the doctors mentioned by name in this article responded to requests for comment. Mercola offered documents to rebut criticisms of his hydrogen peroxide covid treatment and took issue with the centers Disinformation Dozen report methodology. Buttar defended his positions, saying via email that the science is clear and anyone who contests it, has a suspect agenda at best and/or lacks a moral compass. He also pointed to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Vaccine Adverse Event Recording System, considered inconclusive by many experts.

Since the onset of the covid pandemic, misinformation has been widespread on social media platforms. And many experts blame it for undermining efforts to curb the coronaviruss spread. A recent poll showed that more than 50% of Americans who wont get vaccinated cited conspiracy theories as their reasons for example, saying the vaccines cause infertility or alter DNA.

Some physicians have gained notoriety by embracing covid-related fringe ideas, quack treatments and falsehoods via social media, conservative talk shows and even in person with patients. Whether promoting the use of ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug primarily used to treat animals in the U.S., or a mix of vitamins to treat covid, doctors words can be especially powerful. Public opinion polls consistently show that Americans have high trust in doctors.

There is a sense of credibility that comes with being a doctor, said Rachel Moran, a researcher who studies covid misinformation at the University of Washington. There is also a sense they have access to insider info that we dont. This is a very confusing time, and it can seem that if anyone knows what I should be doing in this situation, its a doctor.

While covid is a novel and complicated infectious disease, physicians spreading misinformation generally have no particular expertise in infectious diseases. Dr. Scott Atlas, who endorsed former President Donald Trumps unproven statements about the course of the pandemic, is a radiation oncologist.

Traditionally, the responsibility of policing physicians has fallen to state medical boards. Beyond overseeing the licensing process, these panels investigate complaints about doctors and discipline those who engage in unethical, unprofessional or, in extreme cases, criminal activity. Any member of the public can submit a complaint about a physician.

The boards are relatively slow and weak and its a long, slow process to pull somebodys license, said Arthur Caplan, founding head of the Department of Medical Ethics at New York University. In many states, they have their hands full with doctors who have committed felonies, doctors who are molesting their patients. Keeping an eye on misinformation is somewhat down on the priority list.

To date, only two doctors have reportedly faced such sanctions. In Oregon, Dr. Steven LaTulippe had his license suspended in December 2020 for refusing to wear a face mask at his clinic and telling patients that masks were ineffective in curbing the spread of covid, and even dangerous. Dr. Thomas Cowan, a San Francisco physician who posted a YouTube video that went viral in March 2020 stating that 5G networks cause covid, voluntarily surrendered his medical license to Californias medical board in February 2021.

Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, president of the Federation of State Medical Boards, however, said its possible some doctors could already be the subject of inquiries and investigations, since these actions are not made public until sanctions are handed down.

KHN reached out to the medical and osteopathic boards of all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see if they had received covid misinformation complaints. Of the 43 that responded, only a handful shared specifics.

During a one-week period in August, Kansas medical board received six such complaints. In all, the state has received 35 complaints against 20 licensees about spreading covid misinformation on social media and in person. Indiana has received about 30 in the past year. South Carolina said it had about 10 since January. Rhode Island didnt share the number of complaints but said it has taken disciplinary action against one doctor for spreading misinformation, though it hasnt moved to suspend his license. (The disciplinarymeasures include a fine, a reprimand on the doctors record and a mandate to complete an ethics course.) Five states said they had received only a couple, and 11 states reported receiving no complaints regarding covid misinformation.

Confidentiality laws in 13 states prevented those boards from sharing information about complaints.

Social media companies have also been slow to take action. Some doctors accounts specifically those among the Disinformation Dozen have been suspended, but others are still active and posting misinformation.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said social media platforms often dont consistently apply their rules against spreading misinformation.

Even when its the same companies, Facebook will sometimes take posts down, but Instagram will not, Ahmed said, referring to Facebooks ownership of Instagram. It goes to show their piecemeal, ineffective approach to enforcing their own rules.

A Facebook spokesperson said the company has removed over 3,000 accounts, pages and groups for repeatedly violating covid and vaccine misinformation policies since the beginning of the pandemic. Buttars Facebook and Instagram pages and Tenpennys Facebook page have been removed, while Mercolas Facebook posts have been demoted, which means fewer people will see them. Tenpenny and Mercola still have Instagram accounts.

Part of the challenge may be that these doctors sometimes present scientific opinions that arent mainstream but are viewed as potentially valid by some of their colleagues.

It can be difficult to prove that what is being said is outside the range of scientific and medical consensus, said Caplan. The doctors who were advising Trump like Scott Atlas recommended herd immunity. That was far from the consensus of epidemiologists, but you couldnt get a board to take his license away because it was a fringe opinion.

Even if these physicians dont face consequences, it is likely, experts said, that the public health will.

Medical misinformation doesnt just result in people making bad personal and community health choices, but it also divides communities and families, leaving an emotional toll, said Moran, the University of Washington researcher. Misinformation narratives have real sticking power and impact peoples ability to make safe health choices.

[Update: This story was revised at 2:40 p.m. ET on Sept. 23, 2021, to state that ivermectin is primarily used in the U.S. for animals.]

Victoria Knight: vknight@kff.org,@victoriaregisk

See original here:

Will Dr. Disinformation Ever Face the Music? - Kaiser Health News

Its an uncomfortable thing to admit, but in the countercultural movements where my sympathies lie, people are dropping like flies. Every few days I hear of another acquaintance who has become seriously ill with Covid, after proudly proclaiming the benefits of natural immunity, denouncing vaccines and refusing to take the precautions that apply to lesser mortals. Some have been hospitalised. Within these circles, which have for so long sought to cultivate a good society, there are people actively threatening the lives of others.

Its not just anti-vax beliefs that have been spreading through these movements. On an almost daily basis I see conspiracy theories travelling smoothly from right to left. I hear right-on people mouthing the claims of white supremacists, apparently in total ignorance of their origins. I encounter hippies who once sought to build communities sharing the memes of extreme individualism. Something has gone badly wrong in parts of the alternative scene.

There has long been an overlap between certain new age and far-right ideas. The Nazis embraced astrology, pagan festivals, organic farming, forest conservation, ecological education and nature worship. They promoted homeopathy and natural healing, and tended to resist vaccination. We should be aware of this history, but without indulging what Simon Schama calls the obscene syllogism: the idea that because the Nazis promoted new age beliefs, alternative medicine and ecological protection, anyone who does so is a Nazi.

In the 1960s and 70s, European fascists sought to reinvent themselves, using themes developed by revolutionary anarchists. They found fertile ground in parts of the anarcho-primitivist and deep ecology movements, which they tried to steer towards notions of ethnic separatism and indigenous autonomy.

But much of what we are seeing at the moment is new. A few years ago, dreadlocked hippies spreading QAnon lies and muttering about a conspiracy against Donald Trump would have seemed unthinkable. Today, the old boundaries have broken down, and the most unlikely people have become susceptible to rightwing extremism.

The anti-vaccine movement is a highly effective channel for the penetration of far-right ideas into leftwing countercultures. For several years, anti-vax has straddled the green left and the far right. Trump flirted with it, at one point inviting the anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr to chair a commission on vaccination safety and scientific integrity.

Anti-vax beliefs overlap strongly with a susceptibility to conspiracy theories. This tendency has been reinforced by Facebook algorithms directing vaccine-hesitant people towards far-right conspiracy groups. Ancient links between wellness movements and antisemitic paranoia have in some cases been re-established. The notion of the sovereign body, untainted by chemical contamination, has begun to fuse with the fear that a shadowy cabal is trying to deprive us of autonomy.

Theres a temptation to overthink this, and we should never discount the role of sheer bloody idiocy. Some anti-vaxxers are now calling themselves purebloods, a term that should send a chill through anyone even vaguely acquainted with 20th-century history. In their defence, however, if they cant even get Harry Potter right (purebloods is what the bad guys call themselves), we cant expect them to detect an echo of the Nuremberg laws.

I believe this synthesis of left-alternative and rightwing cultures has been accelerated by despondency, confusion and betrayal. After left-ish political parties fell into line with corporate power, the right seized the language they had abandoned. Steve Bannon and Dominic Cummings brilliantly repurposed the leftwing themes of resisting elite power and regaining control of our lives. Now there has been an almost perfect language swap. Parties that once belonged on the left talk about security and stability while those on the right talk of liberation and revolt.

But I suspect it also has something to do with the issues we now face. A justified suspicion about the self-interest of big pharma clashes with the need for mass vaccination. The lockdowns and other measures required to prevent Covid-19 spreading are policies which, in other circumstances, would rightly be seen as coercive political control. Curtailing the pandemic, climate breakdown and the collapse of biodiversity means powerful agreements struck between governments which can be hard to swallow for movements that have long fought multilateral power while emphasising the local and the homespun.

So how do we navigate this? How do we remain true to our countercultural roots while resisting the counterculture of the right? Theres a sound hippy principle that we should strive to apply: balance.

I dont mean the compromised, submissive doctrine that calls itself centrism, which leads inexorably towards such extreme outcomes as the Iraq war, endless economic growth and ecological disaster. I mean the balance between competing values in which true radicalism is to be found: reason and warmth, empiricism and empathy, liberty and consideration. It is this balance that defends us from both co-option and extremism.

While we might seek simplicity, we need also to recognise that the human body, human society and the natural world are phenomenally complex, and cannot be easily understood. Life is messy. Bodily and spiritual sovereignty are illusions. There is no pure essence; we are all mudbloods.

Enlightenment of any kind is possible only through long and determined engagement with other peoples findings and other peoples ideas. Self-realisation requires constant self-questioning. True freedom emerges from respect for other people.

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Its shocking to see so many leftwingers lured to the far right by conspiracy theories - The Guardian