“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” — Hermann Hesse Chronic widespread pain (CWP) which includes the conditions of fibromyalgia (FMS) and central sensitisation is one of the most difficult pain conditions to treat due to an unknown [...]
As a medical student, I became aware of a Harvard University academic, Richard Alpert who later chose a different path in life after going to India. He is better known as Ram Das and the author of a highly acknowledged book, "Be Here Now". He died peacefully at 88 on December 22, 2019. His was [...]
Osteoporosis literally means porous bones. When the bones become thinner, they become more fragile resulting in a higher risk of fracture. This is a silent development. There are no warning symptoms for osteoporosis. In the over 50's in Australia in 2012 osteopenia and osteoporosis affected 4.74 million Australians resulting in 140,882 fractures. Osteoporosis [...]
Guest Blog by Bill Patterson, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and meditation teacher - www.mindbodysolutions.com.au If you're like many people, you may have decided that you want to spend less time staring at your phone. It's a good idea. An increasing body of evidence suggests that the time we spend on our mobile phones is interfering with our [...]
If you cannot switch off the body's stress response ….. you will not have restorative sleep ….. If you don't have restorative sleep you won't clean the toxins from your body and brain ….. your immune system is undermined (weakened) …. relationships suffer as you cannot function psychologically, emotionally or physically at optimal levels. . The [...]
Inflammation is both good and bad. Acute inflammation is essential for metabolic regulation and the healing of injuries. It is a response of the immune system to injury, infection, radiation exposure, the influence of toxins, or the activation of autoimmune responses. The inflammatory process is designed to remove damaged cells, invading pathogens or chemical toxins. [...]
Sleep is the most potent health promoting activity for well being and longevity. It is ignored by most people. All living creatures sleep.. why? The duration and quality of sleep is now considered by many to be the most important lifestyle behaviour that determines health and vitality. Sleep is a vital function. Getting enough quality [...]
I have had the opportunity over the holidays to reflect on how to approach health in 2019 and below is the summary of my thoughts. I have used the Pathways to Wellbeing template as the basis of these reflections. Mind-Body Awareness What is the mind ? Thoughts and [...]
Breathing Exercises Must Be a Real and Effective Intervention to Consider in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial In this recently published research article more evidence is provided that targeting the autonomic nervous system is worthwhile in fibromyalgia management. Here is the article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29653069 Breath Awareness is now a mainstream health practice. Spending [...]
Guest Blog by Bill Patterson Bill is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychologist. He works with individuals and groups to help achieve goals in health and self-improvement. The way we think about things is important in determining how we feel. Our thoughts are negatively biased as a possible protection against harm. Read on to find out [...]
I have just completed a podcast with Eileen Laird. She lives in America and has rheumatoid arthritis. She has delved deeply into ways to manage this condition as well as other autoimmune diseases. I was delighted to be her guest number 102. Here are the notes she has prepared to describe some of the things talked about in the podcast. [...]
Do you want to learn how to reduce the health-impairing effects of the over-analytical mind and the overactive stress response, simply and naturally ? Evidence is growing that the over-active mind and stress response can exacerbate the state of imbalance within any system of the body. This can amplify the experience of chronic anxiety and [...]
I recently had a wide ranging interview with Gary Kirwan From BiohackersLAB. "If you know someone who is interested in how natural approaches can help manage chronic pain and reduce inflammation, or, how lifestyle factors such as diet and meditation can impact our health, then this interview is for them." Gary Kirwan . I enjoyed [...]
Breathing Exercises Must Be a Real and Effective Intervention to Consider in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial In this recently published research article more evidence is provided that targeting the autonomic nervous system is worthwhile in fibromyalgia management. Here is the article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29653069 Breath Awareness and breathing with purpose is now a [...]
STRESS AND ANXIETY Stress is a natural part of living and the body's systems are finely tuned to deal with stress. However, too much stress and for too long can overload body systems and is a cause of illness, anxiety and accelerated ageing. Understanding the nature of stress and anxiety and how to release it is [...]
Recurrent infections, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer are the signposts of a declining immune system. There are a host of lifestyle factors that can either accelerate or retard natural age-related decline. In this post, I want to look at the effects of a sedentary lifestyle and of stress on this decline. If exercise were [...]
I was interviewed recently by Michael Gill, the director and founder of Dragon Claw, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide information, community and support for those coping with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and juvenile arthritis to minimise the stress and anxiety arising from these conditions. Michael has rheumatoid arthritis and is very [...]
It was in December 2015 that I first created an “ah ha!” jar as a way of reminding myself of the wonderful aspects of my life and to balance out the impact of the daily serving of "bad news” presented by the media. I have previously posted a blog about this and have decided to post this [...]
LIVE LONGER WITH THIS SIMPLE PRACTICE In this present age of digital domination our lives are becoming ruled by "screens" and "likes". Just simply observing pedestrians and commuters over the next few weeks staring at their devices, will remind you just how much our lives have changed in 10 years. Our brains are now, more than [...]
Reading time : 2 mins Antibiotics were first introduced in the late 1930s. This began an incredible period of effective disease care. Bacterial infections could now be treated. Subsequently pharmaceutical, surgical and a range of body therapies were developed to treat and manage a wide range of symptoms and diseases. Alongside this revolution in acute disease [...]
by Dr Daniel Lewis, Rheumatologist. Over the last month, I have looked at some key strategies for living well. The focus of this posting is understanding the impact of stress in various ways and strategies to lower the impact. Let''s take another look at the vagus nerve. More on the Vagus Nerve. ( see [...]
I am a lawyer in my late 20s who has had chronic pain in various parts of my body (back, hips and neck) for the last 5 years. The pain started after I underwent major back surgery to correct my curved spine (scoliosis) 5 years ago. The surgery technically went well. My spine is [...]
It is essential to get enough good quality of sleep. Most of us do not appreciate this and take short cuts. There are lots of good ideas on how to sleep well. For example taking some time to find a position of comfort and relaxation with the right pillow enhances sleep quality. Having good [...]
a 5 minute You Tube. http://tinyurl.com/ydxlgxyc
You are invited to lean to learn to meditate with us. All details regarding the next course can be found here. The most recent course has just finished and you can read what participants said about their experiences here. Registrations for this course are now open by calling 03 9534 9495 or registering on [...]
A new research group at Deakin University is looking to undertake a program of work studying fibromyalgia from a cognitive-neuroscience perspective. At this stage, they are looking to set up their first study, which examines the relationship between physical activity and fatigue in Fibromyalgia compared to that in people with other chronic illnesses and healthy [...]
I saw this image on Twitter and it reminded me that I forgot that yesterday 12 May was Fibromyalgia Day. It reminded me that we are time pressured with busy lives and multi-tasking has become the norm. All of us experience moments when we can become overwhelmed with the pressures of work, keeping up with [...]
There is so much evidence that chocolate without a lot of sugar has significant health benefits. Dark chocolate has been frequently touted as a ‘healthy' indulgence thanks to its high levels of polyphenols and flavanols which work to protect the body from cell damage. Studies show that eating 45g of dark chocolate, containing 85 per [...]
This recent study is a timely reminder that individuals with lower limb arthritis or muscle weakness are at added risk of falls especially if they use opioid medications for pain and or are taking antidepressants. ( http://tinyurl.com/kyua8h9) This is a reminder to regulary review the management of osteoarthritis and the need for medications. Just as [...]
Scientists are still to discover all the benefits of sleep however, they are convinced that poor sleep contributes significantly to the symptoms and development of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and pain. Brainwave patterns occurring during sleep have important and partially understood functions. One defined pattern is called gamma. Gamma waves are associated with perception, consciousness attention, [...]
