Traditional Acupuncturist (BSc hons, LicAc, MBAcC, Dip Tui na)
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Archive for the ‘Conventional medicine’ Category
Research shows yoga improves lower back pain
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An article in today’s Guardian reports the conclusions of recent research showing that patients with lower back pain who had a 12 week course of yoga experienced greater mobility and pain relief than patients on current standard care. Benefits were also maintained even 9 months after the yoga was stopped, which could see yoga being recommended for patients with lower back pain and integrated into conventional care.
In the study, a group of 156 patients with chronic lower back pain were assigned to have the 75-minute yoga classes over 12 weeks, while a control group of 157 just saw their GPs. Participants filled in a 24-point questionnaire on whether their condition prevented them from doing everyday tasks. Those who did the yoga scored on average 2.17 points lower than those who did not. Three and nine months later, their scores were still 1.48 and 1.57 points lower respectively.
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the body in the UK which sets the guidelines on the recommendations for best treatment. Acupuncture for lower back pain is already recommended by NICE, and as a result I’m one of the acupuncturists working in conjunction with the NHS to deliver acupuncture to patients with chronic lower back pain through the Milton Keynes primary care trust pain clinic.
Yoga is something I frequently recommend to patients as an excellent practice for health, mental and physical well being, and physical flexibility, so it’s a great thing to see its benefits being more readily recognised through research.
The full story in The Guardian is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/oct/31/yoga-lower-back-pain-treatments?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038
In an interesting article published online in the New Scientist, writer Jo Marchant explores the evidence for looking at how our mental and emotional activity affects our physical health. While in Chinese medicine the mind body connection has been long established for thousands of years, it’s only relatively recently that western biomedicine has begun to escape the shackles of Descartes’ mistaken assertion that the two are separate, non interacting entities. Modern disciplines such as psychoneuroimmunology are showing us how our emotional life has distinct physiological correlates that impact not only the quality of our lives, but also their length.
In this brief video, and in the associated article, Jo quotes evidence that shows that optimism and positivity reduces circulating levels of stress hormones like cortisol, and that optimists not only recover better from medical procedures such as coronary bypass surgery but also live longer when suffering from conditions such as cancer, heart disease and kidney failure. In general they are noted to have significantly healthier immune systems.
You’ll also find some interesting facts that people who see themselves in a positive light have lower cardiovascular responses to stress and recover faster as well as having lower baseline cortisol levels. There are also references to some fascinating research that showed that students suffering from exam anxiety showed lower levels of adrenaline in their urine on exam day when they were given creative writing tasks before hand that focussed on their own positive qualities…All fascinating stuff, so read, watch, and perhaps consider for yourself what one thing could you do, that would positively impact how you view yourself and your life. Your organs will thank you for it.
Video: The healing power of the mind
Article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128271.700-heal-thyself-think-positive.html
