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, [...]
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 January 2017 for the first article) [...]
When you have stressed induced high levels of cortisol in the blood and you eat, lots of changes happen in the body. Blood sugar and insulin levels rise and the food you eat is converted to fat which is stored and not used for fuel. Increased belly fat is the outward sign that there is [...]
There is a lot to learn about this subject and the challenge is to merge the science regarding appropriate usage with political and community expectations. Around the world and also in Australia, medical marijuana is being introduced well before the true benefits and side effects are known. Before a medication is released we can have [...]
How meditation strengthens the brain. Those who have pain and no time for meditation will need to find time to manage pain in potentially more potent ways. Here are the details of the next More Than Meditation course. • ( Call 95349495 now to participate.)
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common chronic pain syndrome with symptoms that include widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disruption and cognitive impairment. It is known that infections and other types of stressors are capable of triggering the development of FM. Researchers have hypothesised that these stressors could be responsible for triggering a reactivation of latent herpesviruses, and [...]
Movement while being focused in the moment is a reminder that once you have the skill everything can be a meditation. You are invited to our next meditation course. Early Bird registration extended to 28 Feb. Click here
On again off again.... The long-running debate for glucosamine in osteoarthritis. This study suggests that it is not useful. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28144573
Join a group that understands. Learn about your condition. Participate in trials. Focus on health and fitness, not illness and drugs. Lower inflammation with food. Help for carers. Be less isolated. Please join the new Dragon Claw site. You are very welcome. https://www.dragon-claw.org/
DOS AND DON'TS OF GOUT MANAGEMENT - this article has now been updated http://tinyurl.com/jhcjb36
There is an excellent website called Health Rising which is devoted to reporting on research into fibromyalgia. Here is their latest issue https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2017/02/25/fibromyalgia-improvement-prognosis/ They report that recovery from fibromyalgia is rarely possible. I have a different perspective on this. I see individuals with fibromyalgia every day of my working life. In my experience recovery is [...]
In December 2015, I 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. This idea is derived from current neuroscience research that recognises that positive experiences are [...]
The vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in the body and its central role in all functions of the body is being revealed with an explosion of research. It is the 10th cranial nerve and arises above the midbrain. It comes out through the base of the skull and passes down [...]
