Do you know how to protect yourself from a leading cause of disability?

Based on my experience treating clients there is little doubt in my mind that a massage can relieve pain in tight or overworked muscles, but there is also growing scientific evidence that it can help relieve chronic pain. A study published in Annals of Family Medicine in 2014 found that 60-minute therapeutic massage sessions two or three times a week for four weeks relieved chronic neck pain better than no massage or fewer or shorter massage sessions. A study of 262 patients published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that massage was far superior to acupuncture or patient education for relieving back pain. After 10 weeks, 74 percent of patients said massage was "very helpful." Only 46 percent for those who received acupuncture and about 17 percent of those who read a self-help book had the same response. Massage patients were also four times less likely than other patients to report being bedridden with pain. The authors concluded that "massage might be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent back pain." In a true test of its value, massage has even been shown to ease the chronic pain suffered by cancer patients. A study of more than 1,200 patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that massage reduces symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, and pain by about 50 percent. Studies suggest that for women in labour, massage provides some pain relief and increased their satisfaction with other forms of pain relief but the evidence isn't conclusive. In a 2012 study there was evidence that massage may help with pain due to osteoarthritis of knee. References Cherkin DC, Eisenberg D, Sherman KJ, Barlow W, Kaptchuk TJ, Street J, Deyo RA. Randomized trial comparing traditional Chinese medical acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and self-care education for chronic low back pain. Arch Intern Med. 2001 Apr 23;161(8):1081-8. Sherman KJ, Cook AJ, Wellman RD, et al. Five-week outcomes from a dosing trial of therapeutic massage for chronic neck pain. Annals of Family Medicine. 2014;12(2):112–120. Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Hawkes RJ, et al. Randomized trial of therapeutic massage for chronic neck pain. Clinical Journal of Pain. 2009;25(3):233–238. Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Kahn J, et al. A comparison of the effects of 2 types of massage and usual care on chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2011;155(1):1–9 Furlan AD, Imamura M, Dryden T, et al. Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008;(4):CD001929 Perlman AI, Ali A, Njike VY, et al. Massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized dose-finding trial. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e30248 Corbin L. Safety and efficacy of massage therapy for patients with cancer. Cancer Control. 2005;12(3):158–164. Wilkinson S, Barnes K, Storey L. Massage for symptom relief in patients with cancer: systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2008;63(5):430–439. Jones L, Othman M, Dowswell T, et al. Pain management for women in labour: an overview of systematic reviews. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2012; (3):CD009234

Autumn babies are more likely to suffer from learning difficulties.  This is probably because their mothers levels of Vitamin D were at their lowest when they were conceived researches believe. In fact, there could be around 11% fewer cases of autism, dyslexia and other learning problems if mother's levels of Vitamin D were higher according to researchers from the University of Glasgow. In an analysis of more that 800,000 Scottish school children during 2006 - 2011, they discovered that 8.9% of children conceived between January and March when vitamin D levels are most likely at their lowest - had learning difficulties compared with 7.6% of children conceived between July and September. While the researchers can't be certain, they believe maternal levels of vitamin D are the most plausible explanation, especially as the first three months after conception are vital for brain development - and other studies have shown just how important vitamin D is to the process. This research has created a change in public health policy, and all pregnant women are now advised to take Vitamin D supplements. Reference

DF Mackay, GCS Smith, A Cooper et al, 2016, Month of Conception and Learning Disabilities: A Record-Linkage Study of 801,592 Children,  American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 184, Issue 7 pages 485-93

See >> http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/184/7/485.abstract

In our day to day lives, during the times when we are deciding what to eat or whether to watch TV or take a walk, who is more likely to be around us, our family, friends, flat mates or a doctor?  Even for individuals living with a chronic condition who will probably only spend a few hours a year with medical professionals compared to the thousands of waking hours with family and friends. Recently researches discovered that women are more likely to survive breast cancer if they have a strong social network of friends and family, whereas those who are more isolated are twice as likely to die of the disease. University of Pennsylvania have found that good health is more likely if people see fewer doctors and more of their family and friends especially if they get their support and help.  They discovered that people are more likely to make healthier choices - like going for a walk over watching TV if they are around family and friends.  In addition people are more likely to go to the gym if they have someone to go with. Being part of a group e.g. family, friends, book club, tennis club, social group, religious/spiritual practice seems to aid our motivation to be healthier in terms of diet, exercise, smoking or drinking.  This could be because being part of a group enhances your sense of meaning in life, which in turn leads you to better take care of yourself.  Or it could be down to feeling a sense of responsibility towards other or even just wanting to fit in. References D A. Asch, and R Rosin, Engineering Social Incentives for Health, N Engl J Med 2016; 375:2511-2513 Kroenke, C. H., Michael, Y. L., Poole, E. M., Kwan, M. L., Nechuta, S., Leas, E., Caan, B. J., Pierce, J., Shu, X.-O., Zheng, Y. and Chen, W. Y. (2017), Postdiagnosis social networks and breast cancer mortality in the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project. Cancer, 123: 1228–1237. doi:10.1002/cncr.30440 Tarrant, M., Warmoth, K., Code, C., Dean, S., Goodwin, V. A., Stein, K., & Sugavanam, T. (2016). Creating psychological connections between intervention recipients: development and focus group evaluation of a group singing session for people with aphasia. BMJ Open, 6(2), e009652.