Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

The wellness industry has capitalised on the coronavirus public health crisis with many alternative medicine practitioners pushing false claims about cures

As the coronavirus threat gets worse, sotoo does the misinformation surrounding the novel disease.

From miracle minerals to herbal remedies and supplements, it seems the wellness industry will stop at nothing to capitalise on the worst public health crisis in a generation.

Homeopaths have claimed they have a cure. Aromatherapists are selling anti-viral essential oils. Chiropractors claim spinal treatment can boost the immune system and natropaths have recommended eating garlic to prevent an infection.

None of these claims are true. There is no cure for Covid-19, and scientists across the world are racing against the clock to develop a vaccine for it. Yet with people desperately rushing to supermarkets to get their hands on anything that can reduce their risk of infection, many are falling for this false health advice.

Here are some of the top coronavirus wellness scams to look out for and why they wont work

Eating garlic can get rid of coronavirus

During the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak a post on social media, shared by hundreds of thousands of people, claimed drinking boiled garlic water would improve and cure people afflicted with the virus overnight. Several naturopaths have claimed eating garlic, along with other immune boosting food such as ginger and veg, can also prevent catching Covid-19.

Throughout history many cultures have hailed garlic for its alleged ability to treat and prevent various illnesses, including colds and flu. However, scientific evidence supporting such claims are weak. The World Health Organisation (WHO) even addressed this rumour in their myth busting guide to Covid-19.

WHO said: Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.

The NHS says eating fruit and veg and drinking plenty of water will, in general, keep you healthy. But there is no evidence specific foods will help fight this particular virus.

Herbal remedies and supplements will boost your immune system

On that note, its worth pointing out that the whole concept of boosting your immune system, whether by eating superfoods, doing a juice cleanse or taking herbal remedies and supplements, is scientifically suspect.

Charles Bangham, professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Imperial College London, has previously warned against the idea that the immune system is some kind of internal force field that can be boosted or patched up. In an interview for The Guardian way before anyone had ever heard of Covid-19 he said: This couldnt be further from the truth. As the name suggests its not a single thing but a system incorporating many organs and biological functions.

Of course, this has never stopped Instagram influencers and alternative medical practitioners claiming conveniently expensive products can do exactly that. Even at the best of times, immune- boosting is a popular marketing trend, never mind during a global pandemic.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has said it is taking swift action after a number of homeopaths in the UK claimed they had remedies to cure Covid-19 (again, there is no cure for the virus). A Telegraph investigation found these remedies include colloidal silver to boost the immune system, the side effects of which include turning the skin a bluish grey colour, whichcan be permanent, and kidney damage.

In the US, the Food and drug administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are pursuing legal action against seven companies for selling unapproved herbal remedies and other supplements to treat or cure the novel coronavirus.

One of those companies has ran out of anti-viral herbals due to overwhelming demand, but advises people to google immune herbs as they are being sold across the nation.

Homeopathy is hugely popular in the states and proponents may genuinely think they notice health benefits when they take special remedies. But, according toDr Ben Neuman, the head of the biology department at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, this is down to the placebo effect when your brain tricks you into thinking that this works.

Addressing claims about supplements, Medicine researcher Dr Melanie R Graber from the University of Connecticut has explained: Unless you have a vitamin deficiency, it is believed that supplements arent really necessary. Focus on eating a diet full of various fruits and vegetables to meet your vitamin and mineral needs.

This is inline with NHS advice, which says there is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy works as a treatment for any health condition and that most people dont need to take vitamin supplements if they already have a balanced diet.

Drinkable Silver

Another myth gaining popularity amid the coronvirus pandemic is that colloidal silver tiny particles of the metal suspended into liquid can cure the disease. This false claim was brought to the attention of US authorities after it was promoted on televangelist Jim Bakkers show.

A guest said it hadnt been tested on Covid-19, but claimed the liquid solution had been tested on other strains of coronavirus, and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours. Not only does silver totally eliminate the virus, the so-called natural health expert claimed, but does it, also kill it, deactivate it and then boost your immune system.

Bakker is now being sued by the State of Missouri for refusing to take the produce off his website, insisting the treatment does work. His belief has been widely shared on Facebook, particularly by medical freedom groups which are extremely suspicious of mainstream medical advice.

DIY hand sanitiser

Due to a global hand sanitiser shortage sparked by panic buying, many are taking it upon themselves to promote their own recipes online. While this may be well-meaning, it can harm your skin if made wrong.

The World Health Organisation has published a guide on how to make a safe and legitimate hand sanitiser. But some experts say soap and hot water is a better option than doing it yourself as it is not an easy process.

Hand gels usually contain emollients, which make them gentler on skin, on top of their 60-70% alcohol content. Thats stronger than anything you would find in a store even vodka only has 40% alcohol (and we dont recommend using that!)

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. said there is no real need to make your own hand sanitiser as soap and water works just fine.

Here is a guide on how to wash your hands properly, as advised by the NHS.

Drinking water to flush out the virus

The NHS advise drinking six to eight glasses of water a day as part of a healthy diet. But some on social media have taken it upon themselves to proclaim it has the power to heal when consumed in excess amounts (spoiler: it doesnt).

One post that appeared on multiple Facebook accounts quotes a Japanese doctor who recommends drinking water every 15 minutes to flush out any virus that might have entered the mouth. Meanwhile, there is a version in Arabic that has been shared more than 250,000 times.

University of Oxford Professor Trudie Lang says there is no biological mechanism that would support the idea that you can just wash a respiratory virus down into your stomach and kill it.

Meanwhile, Dr Neuman, called it bonkers, explaining that once the virus enters your body it will quickly infect your cells and, over time, spread to your lungs. Although in some cases it does reach the intestines, gulping down water wont have any effect as the intestines actually have more of the virus receptor than the lungs, and would offer a potential route of access to the bloodstream.

Essential oils

I think weve established by now that there is no cure for Covid-19. Needless to say, anti-viral oils will not help you fight off symptoms of the pneumonia-like flu.

US beauty influencer Michelle Phan has come under fire for making such a claim on her Instagram account to over two million followers. Posting a picture of her essential-oil diffuser she wrote: If you are burning antiviral essential oils around you this will kill off the virus before it enters your system.

She was forced to apologise when Dr Sandra Lee known more commonly as Dr Pimple Popper shut down her claim, writing Sorry, antiviral essential oils DONT EXIST.

Aromatherapists would disagree and several have written articles on the best antiviral oils to ward off the novel coronavirus, promoting ingredients such as cinnamon bark, lemon and clove bud.

We asked a couple of experts who both agreed with Dr Pimple Popper that oils cant fight viruses. That being said, theyre not completely useless for alleviating some symptoms of a common cold.

Antiviral essential oils are an alternative form of treatment for some of the symptoms of colds and flu and can alleviate conditions like a blocked nose, or aid sleep to improve recovery times, explains Dr Simran Deo at UK-based online doctor, Zava UK. However, there is no evidence to suggest that inhaling or applying essential oils to the skin can prevent infection in the first place, she adds. Viruses are spread by coming into close contact with someone who has one, or touching infected surfaces or objects and then putting your hands in your mouth.

Dr Diana Gall agrees on the lack of evidence. She doesnt think essential oils can have a preventative effect against viruses. While they may help to soothe the symptoms of viruses such as flu, they have very little effect in stopping viruses making their way into the body, she said.

Miracle Minerals

YouTuber Jordan Sather, who has thousands of followers across different platforms, has been falsely claiming that a miracle mineral supplement, called MMS, can wipe out coronavirus.

It contains chlorine dioxide a bleaching agent.

He and others promoted the substance even before the coronavirus outbreak, despite numerous warnings from health authorities accross the globe about the dangers of drinking it ( it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and symptoms of severe dehydration).

The FDA has warned: Miracle Mineral Solution does not cure COVID-19 and has not been approved by the FDA for any use. The solution, when mixed, develops into a dangerous bleach which has caused serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.

So, how do you protect yourself from coronavirus?

Symptoms

The early symptoms of coronavirus include a dry cough, a high temperature or fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing and a sore throat.

While many of those affected have shown only mild symptoms, scans on some patients have shown fluid in the lungs which is consistent with viral pneumonia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have advised that older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease seem to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

For more information about symptoms, click here. To read more about what counts as an underlying health condition, click here

How to protect yourself To protect yourself from coronavirus, advice from WHO includes: Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.

Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

For more advise on how often you should wash your hands, click here

When to see a doctor If you develop symptoms including a high temperature, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing, the NHS advises that you stay at home for avoid public transport, work places, your GP, hospitals and schools for seven days.

At present, you do not need to contact the 111 helpline to tell them youre staying at home.

The NHS says you should contact 111 if:

Social distancing & self-isolating

Boris Johnson has urged people to work from home and avoid social contact and non-essential travel as the coronavirus outbreak continues to grip the UK.

The Prime Minister has also said that those over the age of 70 should be prepared to self-isolate for at least 12 weeks, and that anyone who is living with someone who has symptoms should also self-isolate for 14 days.

For information on how to self-isolate, click here

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Coronavirus wellness scams being pushed by homeopaths, aromatherapists and naturopaths - Metro

Forty-one-year-old Gaurav Bhalotia realised there is a lot to health beyond medicine, and that our bodies need to participate very strongly to recover from any illness.

Gaurav thus started FindMyHealth in 2018 with a vision to give individuals control of their health, and to help them stay healthy and recover quickly. However, the seeds of the current product was sowed in April 2019 after the successful Proof of Concept (POC) of its computer vision technology.

Gaurav Bhalotia

The platform allows users to get a peek into their inner health based on an Ayurvedic framework. It starts by analysing the face to identify the body constitution and visual aging or obesity, which is followed by a conversation with its AI doctor to identify the state of the inner health.

The B2C startup has about 10,000 users at present.

A former employee of Oracle, Kosmix (later WalmartLabs), and Flipkart, Gaurav got the idea of FindMyHealth from his own health experiences, where he moved from being a sceptic towards alternative medicine to start believing in the bodys power and participation in recovery.

The biggest gap which Gaurav saw to start with was helping people identify what herbs to take. There were many people consuming Ayurvedic herbs, but most of it was through ad-hoc recommendations from friends and family.

Gaurav says, he is passionate about holistic health and traditional Indian health sciences and medicine. FindMyHealth grew out of his belief that everybody deserves a healthy living and that it is viable to take control of our own health through personalisation and AI. He likes to address his startup as a scorecard for one's inner health.

Team FindMyHealth

The biggest challenge for him, however, was to get Ayurvedic doctors, nutrition experts, engineers, and data scientists to think and work together on a common platform as well as in creating a strong positive awareness of Ayurveda among the users.

Based in Bengaluru, today the startup is a team of eight employees including engineers, data scientists, doctors, and nutrition experts.

FindMyHealth mainly targets people in the age group 25-45. Gaurav says, this segment can be broadly divided into two categories. One is the users who are health conscious (HCIs), and are willing to invest in supplements that will help them be at the top of their health. The second set of users are those with chronic or lifestyle conditions, especially those newly diagnosed. These users want a way to manage or reverse the condition without significant trade-offs in their lifestyle.

The startup uses AI and mobile web to do remote ayurvedic assessment of the person on the phone.

The startup also offers personalised supplements, which is custom built for users health condition. Currently it offers the whole set (assessment, personalisation, and shipping of the personalised pill) for Rs 999 for one-months supplements. However, the startup is yet to monetise its services.

FindMyHealth has also partnered with Hyderabad-based startup Healtheeliving to deliver Ayurveda compliant diet plans to its customers.

According to reports, the Ayurveda market in India is estimated to be around $5 billion, and is growing at a CAGR of 14 percent yearly. There are other players in the space like 1balance delivering personalised supplements, and Jiva Ayurveda, Dr Vaidyas, Cureveda, Organic India, etc., trying to create a new-age brand for Ayurvedic supplements.

However, FindMyHealth considers personalisation through AI as its USP.

The angel-funded startup is currently working on personalised diet plans by using AI, which will be Ayurveda compliant. According to Gaurav, the team is focussing on fine tuning the technology and monetisation model before raising additional funds.

The team is also building a symptom checker based on Ayurvedic theory, which will also give an idea of disease progression.

(Edited by Megha Reddy)

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This ex-Flipster's startup combines AI and Ayurveda for health monitoring - YourStory

3/18/2020

First and foremost, we want you to know that were thinking about those of you who are feeling alone or afraid as we go through these trying times. We want to help you in any way possible, so feel free to reach out if theres anything we can do, ethan@valleybreeze.com .

During these days when local businesses are struggling and residents are fearful about a loss of income, my hope is that all of us do what we can to help our neighbors and friends. Give an extra big tip, start a fundraiser, reach out to lonely people (remember social distancing), calm fears. Simple daily actions make the difference.

Part of whats contributing to so many people feeling uneasy is the great amount of misinformation floating around. Many of us have seen at least some of the viral nonsense related to the virus, from cutting up onions to gargling salt.

But theres also more subtle misinformation that gets out there from claimed experts or politicians who have ulterior motives. It can be difficult to know what to believe, but truth isnt a hopeless cause.

This Sunshine Week is a time to highlight the importance of holding officials accountable for the claims they make. As journalists, we rely on openness in government and freedom of information to keep you properly informed and protected from harm, so if that link is not functioning properly, everyone is worse off.

Peter Adams, senior vice president for education for the News Literacy Project, says we should learn from encounters with misinformation. Most people know much of what they see online is bogus, even if shared by someone in authority, but misinformation still thrives. Why? Because it bypasses rational minds by exploiting deep instincts and ideals.

But, according to Adams, we can learn to recognize the patterns, including stories that are too perfect, images and now video that lend themselves to manipulation, headlines that evoke anger or fear, and claims about conspiracies or cover-ups that defy logic. Try adding a variety of fact-checking organizations to social media feeds.

Speaking with NPR recently, Adams told Michel Martin of All Things Considered that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out a clear picture of the kinds of things that tend to circulate in the misinformation ecosystem, but on a more intensified level and with higher stakes. Everything from miracle cures and alternative medicine recommendations, anti-vaccination propaganda to conspiracy theories, has thrived.

There have also been plenty of opportunists active, he said, people posing as doctors for their own purposes.

Much of the fake news over the past couple of weeks is what one calls a cheap fake or low-tech fake, says Adams, or copied and pasted claims going viral across platforms. For example, think, my sister-in-law works with a man whos married to someone at the CDC

Also, says Adams, beware of emotions. Most misinformation has a strong emotional effect on us, and anger or fear can override rational thoughts and short-circuit our critical thinking.

The top item anyone should look for is the source, he says, and if you cant tell the source, disregard it and go to verified authoritative sources such as health agencies or Johns Hopkins Universitys coronavirus tracker.

One of the best ways we can help our neighbors at this time is to build a better information system by taking an extra minute to verify before sharing.

- Shorey is editor of The Valley Breeze Newspapers

Continued here:

ETHAN SHOREY During these times, trusted information so important - Valley Breeze

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend daily life across the globe, confusion has persisted over whether its safe to take Ibuprofen for symptoms related to COVID-19.

The World Health Organization, which earlier this week recommended against taking Ibuprofen, indicated Thursday that it was walking back that advice.

"WHO is aware of concerns on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e., ibuprofen) for the treatment of fever for people with COVID-19, said a statement from the organization. At present, after a rapid review of the literature, WHO is not aware of published clinical or population-based data on this topic. We are consulting with physicians treating COVID-19 patients and are not aware of reports of any negative effects of ibuprofen, beyond the usual known side effects that limit its use in certain populations. Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen.

Thursdays statement from the WHO followed an earlier comment from a spokesman for the organization, who told reporters in Geneva Tuesday that the group was looking into a recent article published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine suggesting Ibuprofen may not be safe, Science Alert reported.

In the meantime, we recommend using rather paracetamol, and do not use ibuprofen as a self-medication. Thats important, the spokesman told reporters, according to Science Alert.

The Lancet article was published Mar. 11. and authored by researchers from University Hospital Basel in Switzerland and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. It said human pathogenic coronaviruses bind to target cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

The authors wrote that ACE2 can be increased by thiazolidinediones and ibuprofen, and that they hypothesize that diabetes and hypertension treatment with ACE2-stimulating drugs increases the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19.

But in a separate statement Monday, the University of Basel, which two of the study authors are affiliated with, said there currently are no conclusive findings.

Currently, the question is being discussed whether taking the painkiller Ibuprofen exacerbates the progression of COVID-19, the statement said. A correspondence by Basel researchers states that there are some indications of a negative effect, but no clear evidence of an adverse impact. More research is needed to investigate this hypothesis.

One of the studys authors, Dr. Michael Roth, who leads a research group at the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, was also quoted in the schools statement.

Roth said the researchers hypothesis "does not constitute a recommendation to use certain drugs or not. Patients should always follow the instructions given by their physicians.

He and his co-authors wrote in the Lancet piece that patients with certain underlying health conditions are particularly vulnerable.

We suggest that patients with cardiac diseases, hypertension, or diabetes, who are treated with ACE2-increasing drugs, are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infection and, therefore, should be monitored for ACE2-modulating medications, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs, the article said. Based on a PubMed search on Feb 28, 2020, we did not find any evidence to suggest that antihypertensive calcium channel blockers increased ACE2 expression or activity, therefore these could be a suitable alternative treatment in these patients.

Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.

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WHO walks back warning about ibuprofen and coronavirus, not aware of any negative effects - The Boston Globe

Alternative medicines and therapies refer to natural method of treatment which is different from conventional or pharmaceutical medicines. Alternative medical treatment includes non-mineral, non-vitamin and natural substances. On the basis of modality, alternative medicine market can be segmented into homeopathic medicine, herbal medicine, naturopathy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine and others. Alternative therapies include magnetic therapy, herbal therapies, yoga, mud therapy and oil massage therapy, deep breathing exercise, osteopathic manipulation and meditation. Alternative medicines and therapies are used in chronic diseases, neurological diseases, reducing pain and depression and others.

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Europe, followed by Asia and North America has the largest market for alternative medicines and therapies due rise in adoption of alternative medicines and natural therapies and technological advancement for drug development in this region. In addition, Japan is expected to show high growth rate in the alternative medicines and therapies market in next five years due to rise in aging population and high spending in alternative medicines and therapies in the region.

Increasing adoption of alternative medicines and natural therapies, technological advancement, rise in ageing population, ease to reach, increasing healthcare expenditure, government initiatives and rise in adoption of alternative medicines and therapies such as biosimilars are expected to drive the market for alternative medicines and therapies, In addition, increasing consumer spending in healthcare, rise in number of incidence of various diseases and cost effectiveness of alternative medicines and therapies are expected to drive the market for alternative medicines and therapies. However, economic downturn and side effects from the alternative medicines and strict rules and regulations led by some governments are restraining for the growth of global alternative medicines and therapies market.

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Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as India and China is expected to lead the growth in alternative medicines and therapies market in Asia. In addition, rapid increase in aging population, increasing demand for herbal medicines and rise in demand of alternative drugs and natural therapies are expected to offer new opportunity to global alternative medicines and therapies market. However, safety in clinical trials and standardization is a challenge for the alternative medicines and therapies market.

Increasing number of collaborations and partnerships and new products launched in the market are some of the trends have been observed in global alternative medicines and therapies market.

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Some of the major companies operating in the global alternative medicines and therapies market are:

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Alternative Medicines Therapies Market to Make Great Impact in Near Future by 2020 - Feed Road

Destin internal medicine physician Nitin Bawa of Bawa & Associates offers a free curbside service for patients who dont want to wait in the waiting room during the coronavirus pandemic.

DESTIN Dr. Nitin Bawa has no intentions of spreading the coronavirus in his waiting room.

The internal medicine physician started a curbside service at the Dr. Bawa & Associates Destin office, so patients can wait inside their car instead. The office offers curbside check-in locations, where patients ring an electronic doorbell and answer the nurses questions. The nurse will then perform vitals in the car and accompany the patient to the exam room, completely bypassing the waiting room to cooperate with social distancing recommendations.

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"You have to look at your front waiting room, and you see thats one area where unfortunately people have to congregate," Bawa said. "I feel bad for my healthy patients who come in wearing masks because theyre going to a doctors office. I came up with the idea, Lets get rid of waiting rooms altogether. Why do people have to wait in waiting rooms?"

The idea was inspired by Sushimoto, a Destin restaurant Bawa frequents that doesnt use a waiting room, and a Ring doorbell he recently installed in his home. The ability to see people walking up to the door and talk to them through the doorbell impressed Bawa.

"You can see people outside, ask them questions, Do you have a cough? Cold? How bad is it?" Bawa said. "If its really bad, they dont even need to come see us. They need to go straight to the emergency room and be admitted. What better way than to have a Ring doorbell, where we can talk, we can see the patient, we can advise them from inside. We dont even have to be exposed to them."

Patients who are not short of breath or coughing excessively can come to the clinic for a swab test for COVID -19 that will be sent to the health department, as well as test for other types of viruses, such as the flu. They offer instant tests for influenza A and B. People can wait in their vehicle for the results.

Bawa said his son coincidentally recently tested positive for influenza A, but not the coronavirus. Patients can have both, he added.

"I said, Son, this is good news, Bawa said. "In the old days, getting the flu would be bad. Today, this is good news. You dont have COVID-19."

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Destin doctor offers curbside alternative to waiting rooms - The Northwest Florida Daily News

Q: FOR several years now, my wife has had attacks of five or six sneezes after every meal. She finds it embarrassing. Could her daily dose of lisinopril be responsible?

WS

A: How unusual. This may be a variation of gustatory rhinitis where eating stimulates nerve endings in the nose, resulting in congestion and a watery discharge.

In your wife, this may have manifested as sneezing. However, this tends to happen only after eating hot or spicy food.

In classic cases, it is usually treated with the nasal spray ipratropium, which opens up the airway. It may be effective on the sneezing, too.

Your wifes lisinopril, used to treat high blood pressure, is an ACE inhibitor which makes blood vessels dilate. This may cause a dry, persistent cough due to substances building up in the respiratory tract.

If your wife has suffered this sneezing only since starting the drug, then the attacks may be related to this. If so, it is worth asking her GP if there is any alternative medicine she could take.

Q: MY HUSBAND, a talented accordionist, had a bad stroke affecting his right side four weeks ago. He has no feeling in his arm or dominant hand. Do you know of any new treatments he can try?

Name and address supplied.

A: Everyone recovers differently. Some have no lasting effects; others lose important brain functions and are left with a degree of disability. There is evidence that musicians dexterity gives them a greater capacity for recovery perhaps because practising has left their brains more adaptable so I urge you to stay optimistic.

Initial treatment may involve reopening clogged arteries and preventing new clots, or reducing damage caused by brain bleeds. The greatest degree of recovery occurs in the first three to six months. Evidence suggests it is best to start rehabilitation right away.

Physiotherapists improve mobility via exercises, while occupational therapists help patients learn how to wash and dress, for instance.

Speech therapists assist with any difficulties speaking or swallowing.

It is also important to reduce the risk of a second stroke. This usually means drugs to lower high blood pressure, statins to lower cholesterol, and strict control of diabetes, if this is a factor.

Your husband will be encouraged to eat healthily, exercise, only drink alcohol in moderation and give up smoking if he does it.

Sadly, there arent many new treatments but sticking with the physiotherapy is vital. It may encourage the brain to form new connections which improve movement.

Studies also find that musicians who return to their instrument during recovery make better progress than those who dont, so encourage your husband to try to play the accordion again.

Daily Mail

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Ask the GP: Every meal makes my wife sneeze how can I help her? - The Irish News

Netflixs latest true crime offering is certainly where the wild(est) things are. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness presents an explosive and expansive portrayal of captive ownership of big cats in America, that is as riveting as it is thought-provoking. About 5,000 to 10,000 tigers live in captivity in America, while less than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild, worldwide. Majority of these tigers in the country are owned privately. As the series takes us to the numerous so-called animal advocates involved in their ownership and trade, one name stands out. Doc Bhagavan Antle.

While the name itself is enough to grab ones attention, it is the man behind it who youre drawn to. For better and for worse. As the founder of T.I.G.E.R.S., Antle is nothing short of a celebrity with a mass-following that believes him to be a savior of the wildlife.

However, as the series progresses, were exposed to what seems to be a cult-like lifestyle Antle has built along with what seems to be an exploitative commercial empire. So what is the truth behind the man who calls himself Doctor? And where is he now? Heres everything we know.

Bhagavan Doc Antle is the founder and director of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.). And the owner of Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina. According to his website, he is a world renowned animal trainer, behaviorist and researcher, who has dedicated his lives to animals. He has also been working in this field for decades now, housing several exotic animals at Myrtle Beach. And in this period, gained the attention of The United States Department of Agriculture as well as animal-right activists. But for all the wrong reasons.

Bhagavan Kevin Antle was born in 1960 in Salinas, California. He grew up in an industrial farm, and was raised by a well-off agricultural family. His father was a boxer, while his mother took care of sick animals, and was interested in Eastern philosophy. Antle revealed that it was his mother who named him Bhagavan. Based on his upbringing, in an interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that he wanted to grow up to be Some blend between Rambo and the Dalai Lama.

Antle dropped out of school before ninth grade, and was drawn to rodeos and training dogs. He also admitted he lived a wild and reckless lifestyle while growing up. He then left for China, which is where he earned the Doctor in his name. Antles partner in Tiger King states that he was a doctor in mystical science (whatever that means). Other articles, however, have revealed he had some sort of medical training.

He returned to America in the 1980s, and spent the next few years in Yogaville, Virginia. Here, he practiced alternative medicine, and worked as a lecture-guru at Exxon. It was around this time, in 1982, that Antle bought his first tiger a 100 pound tiger cub that he raised.

Antle brought the tiger to his Exxon conferences, where the people wanted to get Polaroids clicked with the animal. Soon enough, Antle realized how profitable this was, and began his business. He was later hired to work on films like Ace Ventura and Doctor Dolittle.

With the savings he earned over the years, he bought a property in South Myrtle Beach, and founded T.I.G.E.R.S. According to the Myrtle Beach Safari website, the preserve has raised and trained more than four hundred big cats, and receives more than three million visitors annually. The preserve also houses Hercules, a liger that has been recorded to be the largest living cat in the world.

While Antel maintains that the 50-acre property at Myrtle Beach serves as a wildlife preserve, the authorities do not feel the same way. In fact, the USDA and Antle clash at least a few several times each year, from as early as the late 1980s. PETA states that Antle failed to meet the minimum standards for care of animals used in exhibition as established by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

According to the USDA, Antle failed to provide the animals adequate veterinary care, sufficient cage space, clean water, along with other things.In fact, in 1991, the USDA charged Antle of multiple and repeated violations of the AWA, and fined him with $3,500. In Tiger King, the shadiness of Antles business is further exposed.

Animal abuse is not the only shady part of Antles business that Tiger King exposes. In the second chapter of the seven-part docuseries, we are made aware of the cult-like lifestyle that Antle has created with T.I.G.E.R. Barbara Fisher, an ex-employee of the preserve shares her horrifying experiences in the docuseries.

Fisher, born and raised in Aimes, Iowa, joined T.I.G.E.R.S. as an apprentice in 1999 when she was only 19 years-old. She then went on to work at the preserve for over eight-years as a full-time volunteer, until she quit in 2007.She revealed how she was renamed Bala, much like the other female workers there, like Moksha and China. From her hair to her clothes, everything was picked out Antle, who made his workers dress seductively to lure more visitors.

Barbara Fisher was even given breast implants, something that was decided for her. She also revealed that the young women were expected, and often willing, to sleep with Antle to get to the top. And how he particularly chose young virgin women as apprentices, who later formed a close bond to Antle who was their first sex-partner.

Along with this, the employees were meant to treat their work at the preserve as a lifestyle and spent long hours working. While there is no concrete evidence to all of support this, the series does reveal that Antle has a polygamous relationship with 3-4 of his employees.

It is hard to ignore the immense commercialization of everything Antle is a part of. Especially with club petting and selling being an important part of the business. After all, where do all these cubs and tigers go? After Joe Exotic was convicted, he claimed that Antle brutally euthanized his tigers in gas chambers in order to make space for the new cubs he breeds for cub-petting. This, however, was never proven.

But it is not difficult to believe that over the years Myrtle Beach Safari has become a center of multiple investigations, including a multi-state one. In December 2019, the Myrtle Beach property was raided by the police for an ongoing case relating to three cubs and their connection to Wild Wilsons Animal Park, in Virginia. But despite everything, Antle maintained his innocence, and nothing concrete against him ever materialized. Today, Antle continues to live at his residence in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Read More: Where is Carole Baskin Now?

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Where is Doc Bhagavan Antle Now? Is the TIGERS Owner in Prison Today in 2020? - The Cinemaholic

Alternative and holistic healthcare seekers in the Los Angeles area have a new service they can turn to in WellSet, the listing platform that launched on Tuesday.

Through the service, customers coming off the companys existing waitlist can access its marketplace for finding acupuncturists, massage therapists, functional medicine practitioners, craniosacral therapists, nutritionists, life coaches and holistic therapists.

WellSet will serve up practitioners based on a users health concerns, as well as the price, location and type of practice on offer.

The company takes a 30% referral fee for its first booking and a 3% booking fee for future appointments booked through its platform. It also provides backend services like intake form management, insurance management and other logistical offerings, according to co-founder Tegan Bukowski.

Co-founder Sky Meltzer and Bukowski began working on the company two-and-a-half years ago, according to Bukowski. A former Yale-educated architect who worked for the starchitect Zaha Hadid, Bukowski founded the company because of her own experience with the healthcare industry. While in school she suffered through frequent trips to the hospital for what was an undiagnosed mystery illness, which she eventually treated holistically.

For the first 10,000 people to sign up for the companys waitlist, WellSet is offering a $20 credit for the first session booked on the platform, once WellSet launches in their city.

So far the company has roughly 7,000 practitioners on the service and enough providers to launch in at least five major markets. Its deliberate rollout strategy will see the company opening its virtual doors in New York and San Francisco in the coming months.

The Los Angeles-based company was founded by Bukowski, who serves as co-founder and chief executive officer. Meltzer, the companys executive chairman and co-founder, was the former chief executive of the yoga company Manduka. Rounding out the team is Hanna Madrigan, a former Pinterest employee who now serves as the chief operating officer.

The company is backed by investors including Kleiner Perkins, Broadway Angels (a female-focused Silicon Valley investment firm) and Kelly Noonan Gores, writer, producer and director of the documentary Heal.

Theres a small holistic healing community growing in Los Angeles. Gwyneth Paltrows Goop is by far the best funded of these new companies, but startups like Kensho Health are making their presence felt, as well.

Increasingly, holistic healing and functional medicine are seen as viable options for certain types of chronic conditions. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently added acupuncture as a reimbursable treatment opening the door to the possibility that other conditions may be covered by the government and private insurers.

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WellSet is doing a limited launch in Los Angeles of its alternative medicine booking platform - TechCrunch

A recent discovery by Cheryl Rosenfeld of the College of Veterinary Medicine shows that BPA-free plastic is just as toxic as plastic with chemical alternatives in them. One of these chemical alternatives is called bisphenol, or BPS, and is used to make plastics.

For this study, Rosenfeld and colleagues from different universities focused on how the BPA affected the placenta of a mouse. The team decided to use a mouse for this experiment because the placenta has a similar structure for both mice and humans.

The substitutes have a very similar chemical structure to BPA, Rosenfeld said. They can bind to the same types of receptors.

That is what led them to choose the placenta. Rosenfeld said the placenta serves as the main communication working between the mother and the fetus. Anything the mother is exposed to, the developing child can also be exposed to.

Rosenfelds lab is particularly interested in behavior disorders, so this led Rosenfeld to look into the effects of BPA and serotonin. According to an article from Futurity, the placenta is the primary source for serotonin for brain growth in both human and mouse fetuses.

This chemical is most commonly associated with happy feelings, but it can also affect the functional abilities of someone as well as their emotions and activities. The brain relies on the placenta to produce this chemical, and due to BPA and BPS exposure, there can be longtime health repercussions.

The process began in 2017 and took two and a half years to complete. For the study, researchers put BPA on a Nilla Wafer and gave it to the female mice two weeks prior to breeding and then gave it to the male mice. They ingested the chemical daily.

Because a primary abroad of exposure for both chemicals is through oral ingestion, theyre in our common household items like plastic water bottles and the lining of canned goods, Rosenfeld said.

The concentration of BPA or BPS can be seen in the mother and then seen in how it affects the placenta. The placenta gives researchers a better idea of the diseases the offspring is likely to develop.

When Rosenfeld was asked if she thought the companies would alter the production of plastic due to the chemicals, she was unsure.

I think [to me] a single study may not convince them, Rosenfeld said. But I think when you start to get a ringing chorus of studies all showing the same results that could change things a bit.

Rosenfeld thinks there should be no more cause for concern on whether or not it influences the producers decision, but rather it is rather up to the consumers.

The Futurity article said funding for this research came from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additionally, there were other authors for the study from Iowa State University and University of Florida.

Vance Trudeau, research chair from University of Ottawa, commented on the topic. One thing he mentioned was how the results found in the study can be beneficial beyond mice and humans.

Other placental mammals could be exposed in the wild through polluted waters, garbage etc., Trudeau said in an email. More of a concern [to me] are the potential effects on aquatic animals such as frogs and fish who dont have placentas.

Edited by Alex Fulton | afulton@themaneater.com

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MU College of Veterinary Medicine research discovers harmful effects of alternative chemicals in plastics - The Maneater