Natural Supports for Joint & Muscle Pain Relief?
Fitness trainer, arthritis patient, and herbal pain relief explorer Jesse Cannone has searched out a set of ten ‘natural’ substances, mostly herbals, that clinical trials suggest can promote & support reduced pain in the muscles and joints. A couple are recent discoveries, and others have been considered highly effective since prehistory. Some are applied externally to be absorbed through the skin. As always, readers, do your own research and discuss with a healthcare professional before considering use of any herbal, as you would a drug. (What are Cannone’s ten ‘best’? See “Ten Natural Pain Remedies.”)
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What Makes Local OA Pain Become ‘I Hurt Everywhere’?
With osteoarthritis, “What we’re discovering is, the central nervous system rewires itself when pain keeps occurring from one place and generalizes the pain instead to other places in the body,” said Joanne Jordan, director of the University of North Carolina’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center, speaking Nov 12 at the American College of Rheumatology’s 2012 meeting. The more painful joints, the lower the overall pain threshold, according to a study at Duke. The key is to exercise and otherwise treat the pain early on before it does get generalized, Jordan says.
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HHV-6 Probably Not Key ME/CFS Culprit: LIPS Analysis
A recent cross-NIH study of immunoreactivity in ME/CFS patients by comparison with the general public finds no indication that antibody levels or frequency of HHV-6A or B are statistically different for patients. Suggesting these viruses are unlikely to play a role in ME/CFS pathogenesis. The study, which involved experts in four NIH divisions, also suggests the antibody profiling technology they used (LIPS) will be very useful for analyses regarding other pathogens.
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Gupta’s Amygdala Retraining Video Online Free
Ashok Gupta is offering the interactive “Amygdala Retraining” DVD program for ME, CFS, FM, MCS & GWS on his Facebook page. (Scroll down.) Might it help? Last year, we reported that ‘Susie’, founder of the Canary Report Network & blog about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, described each step in her experience on the program, to which she dedicated several months’ intensive attention. And in Feb 2012 she said her sensitivity was so much improved that she would not continue hosting the Network, which had been an excellent resource for its 1,400 members and many others with MCS.
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Rich VanK Phone Memorial Sun, Nov 18
Sunday, November 18, 2012, beginning at 2 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific, 7 pm London/GMT. Everyone in the ME/CFS/FM, Lyme and MCS community is invited to share a phone conference memorial service for Dr. Rich Van Konynenburg. All will have the opportunity to share – “Thank you; We love you; Goodbye” – to our beloved community leader, Rich VanK. For information on the simple process for dialing in click here.
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Saffron = Prozac for Alleviating Depression, PMS
A recent trial reports that saffron (tiny golden stamens of the crocus flower used in baking and cooking) performed as well as the antidepressant Prozac in supporting alleviation of clinical depression, PMS, and menstrual pain. Dr. Michael Greger’s Nutrition Facts.org video “Wake up and Smell the Saffron” provides a good summary of this research. “Even the scent of this spice may reduce stress hormone levels and ease the psychological symptoms of PMS,” he reports.
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A Primer on the Gallbladder & Gallstones
If you’re curious, this primer clears up the mystery of the gallbladder, which gets attention only when it hurts. Where your gallbladder is, the important jobs it does, what won’t happen if it’s removed, how to tell if a strange symptom might be from gallstones, and much more.
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Why are 75% on Cumadin Prescribed Wrong Dose?
Researchers have found that about three-quarters of all people in the US taking the blood thinners dopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient) may be receiving an inappropriate dose, putting them at serious risk for either uncontolled bleeding or development of blood clots. The problem is, the guidelines for the drugs recommend the same doses for everyone, but a new study of patients at Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute found this one-size-fits all approach is not appropriate for about 75% of patients. The solution? A blood test: “A physician could have a test machine on his or her desk and perform the test right there in the office.”
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Women’s Asthma Symptoms Linked to Menstrual Cycle
Women’s respiratory symptoms – such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath – vary a great deal during different stages of the menstrual cycle, according to a new study involving 4,000 women conducted by researchers in Bergen, Norway. The team suggests, for example, that adjusting asthma medication at specific points in a woman’s cycle would improve treatment cost/effectiveness.
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Vet Discovers New Way to Fight Viral Infections
A team of veterinary science researchers at the University of Pennsylvania report they’ve identified a new strategy for boosting the effects of the immune molecule interferon to fight off infection and perhaps tumor growth and the effects of autoimmune diseases as well. The strategy involves use of specially designed drugs (a PTP1B inhibitors) to “target a particular molecule in the interferon signaling pathway.”
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SSRI Antidepressants & Blood Thinner Warfarin Not Good Mix
According to a study including more than 13,000 people, warfarin, a blood thinner prescribed for many years to help prevent stroke, can raise the risk of major bleeding 60% in those taking one kind of antidepressant – a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as Celexa, Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft. The reason is not clear. According to the researchers, the risk – 2.3 hemorrhages per 100 people per year vs 1.3 for people not taking an SSRI – should be considered when selecting treatment for depression. They suggest patients taking both meds should talk to their doctors but “depression is a big deal,” so should not go untreated because of a worry about this.
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Mount Sinai ME/CFS Research Center Facebook Page
For news relating Dr. Enlander’s M.E. and CFS Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York City), see the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DrEnlander?ref=stream. Posts made by the Center are displayed, but by clicking on “highlights” you will see comments and contributions posted there by others. Inquiries about treatments, research, etc. be directed to this page rather than Dr. Enlander’s personal Facebook page.
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Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is generic, is in no way intended as advice, and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness, condition or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and thoroughly discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.