Beat hayfever before it starts
For those who suffer the seasonal misery of hay fever, diet and homeopathy can help. Seasonal allergies represent an inappropriate response of you immune system to an innocuous substance. Your body interprets the substance as dangerous and releases histamines which cause congestion, sneezing and even breathing difficulties. Allergies can be seasonal, such as moulds, trees, pollens and grasses. They can also be perennial, such as allergies to house dust mites. The allergy season for most of the UK begins from about April. Currently, about 20% of the population suffers from hay fever during spring and summer. Hay fever causes not only a loss of quality of life but in some unfortunate individuals, severe illness. It is responsible for days lost from work and school.
Heels is German company that makes a form of complex homeopathic remedies, called homotoxicology. A study by German researchers in 1999 found that Heels Luffa Compositum nearly eliminated hay fever symptoms and was as effective as conventional sprays. In another randomized, double blind study of 146 patients, the effectiveness of Luffa comp was compared to a cromolyn sodium nasal spray over a six week period. The Luffa spay achieved as significant an improvement in symptoms. It is suitable for long term treatment. Luffa works most effectively if the tablets are taken for two months before the season, as well as during the season.
A good diet is also essential to overcome hay fever. Eat a diet rich in anti-oxidants from brightly coloured fruit and vegetables – very easy in the summer. Supplementing with quercetin, a good quality vitamin C, and essential fatty acids strengthens the tissues and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Beating low back pain
Low back pain is common and can be highly disabling. It is one of the most common causes of sickness absence from work, and can reduce the quality of life of the sufferer.
The trial was run by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton, and funded by the General Medical Council. It was a scientific randomised controlled trial, in which almost 600 patients were recruited from sixty-four GP’s practices in the south and south-west of England. Each patient had seen a doctor because of recurrent or chronic back pain in the last five years.
The trial found significant improvements after a year among those having lessons in the Alexander Technique. They spent just three days in pain each month compared to twenty-one days in pain among those receiving standard NHS care. There were also important improvements in function and quality of life. One year after the trial started the average number of activities limited by low back pain had fallen by 42% in the group receiving AT lessons.
The study can be accessed on www.bmj.com
The rise and rise of RSI
According to the Daily Mail (Friday, September 9, 2005) half a million workers have RSI. From figures compiled by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 448,000 workers were reported as having RSI last year. And the number of cases is rising.
More and more employers are aware of the cost of employee sickness due to the variety of conditions termed RSI, including tendonitis, tennis elbow, and frozen shoulder. Employers frequently spend a great deal on well designed work stations, thereby tackling half the problem. The Alexander technique can help you with the other half, showing you how to use that work station more effectively. Good use, with the head properly balanced and the spine lengthening, can greatly reduce the chances of RSI developing. If you are unfortunate enough to already suffer symptoms, recovery can be helped with the Alexander technique.