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June 2010:
Swine flu 'vastly overrated by World Health Organisation' -
Daily Mail
The Council of Europe last night also accused the UN's health
arm of 'grave shortcomings' in the process that led it to declare a pandemic
last year. Plummeting confidence
in health advice could prove 'disastrous' in the event of a severe future
pandemic, parliamentarians at the Strasbourg-based senate said.
Predictions of a 'plague' that would wipe out up to
7.5million people allowed pharmaceutical companies to profit to the tune of
£4.6billion from the sale of vaccines alone.
June 2010:
Alternative
Medicine Sales Booming
-
HealthyPages
Even though economic conditions are far from good, the
sales of alternative medicines are rising. The Daily Mail, a UK newspaper
reported a study that revealed how the alternative medicine market in the UK
has grown by 18% in the last two years making it worth £213 million yearly.
In the next four years that is forecast to rise to £282 million.
What is especially interesting in the study is that the rise in purchases of
alternative medicines also includes categories that are not so well known
such as Indian ayurvedic medicine. The U.S. has also experienced a rise in
sales to the tune of $639 million but at a lower percentage rate of 10%.
June 2010:
Scientists Discover How Acupuncture Works
-
HealthyPages
A team of university scientists have discovered how
acupuncture works to reduce or eliminate pain. Researchers at University of
Rochester Medical Center found that a molecule called adenosine is
responsible for the pain reducing effects as well as other benefits that
acupuncture brings.
Adenosine is a natural compound found in the body that influences the sleep
pattern, heart health and possesses anti inflammatory qualities. It is also
known to be an effective natural pain killer by inhibiting nerve signals in
damaged skin.
(It is also a vital part of DNA! - DS)
May 2010: Princes
Foundation for Integrated Health Succeeds!
-
Press Release
The Trustees feel that The Foundation has achieved its key
objective of promoting the use of integrated health. Since The Foundation
was set up in 1993, integrated health has become part of the mainstream
healthcare agenda, with over half a million patients using complementary
therapies each year, alongside conventional medicine.
From 2000-2007, at the request of the
Department of Health, The Foundation ran a regulation programme which
resulted in the creation, in 2008, of an independent self-regulatory body
for complementary therapy, called the Complementary and Natural Healthcare
Council.
On 1st April 2010, the Secretary of
State for Health announced plans to introduce statutory regulation for
herbalists and to consider the equivalent for acupuncture.
April 2010:
Placebos work with dogs! - Journal of Veterinary
Internal Medicine
When placebos are given to epileptic
dogs, they work well enough for the researchers to say that this effect
could interfere with the results of drug trials that assume there is no
other factor having any effect.
So... perhaps this means:
1. that natural therapies might work by methods different to normal
medicines
2. that normal medicines may not produce all the benefits seen
3. that lower cost & fewer side-effects may be good outcomes
4. that dogs receive TLC by this method and appreciate it - as we do too!
February 2010: Was
Swine Flu 'pandemic' a Fake? -
Healthy Pages
The Council of Europe‘s Parliamentary Assembly has
accepted that there is a need to launch an enquiry into
Swine Flu. This is due to serious allegations of gross
conflicts of interest of the experts who were advising the
World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare that swine flu
was a pandemic.
Of specific concern is the fact that out of the 20
members of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts
(SAGE), 11 of them are either linked to pharmaceutical
companies via their universities or have profited from work
they have done for them. Some of the scientists have
declared that they have interests in GlaxoSmithKline, which
as a manufacturer of Swine flu vaccines has been poised to
benefit the most due to the pandemic.
November 2009:
EU to fund research
- The Prince's Foundation for
Integrated Health
The Prince’s
Foundation for Integrated Health welcomes news that the EU is to put
€1.5 million into complementary medicine research over the next three
years.
Professor George Lewith, who heads the CAM research unit at Southampton
University, is one of the project’s co-ordinators and a Foundation
Fellow. He said: 'More than 100 million people in Europe and the UK are
regular users of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 'Yet compared
with conventional medicine, there is a lack of research, very little
funding and not enough scientific co-operation.'
September 2009:
Herbs 'can be natural pesticides' -
BBC
Common herbs and spices show promise as an
environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional
pesticides, scientists have told a major US
conference.
Some spice-based commercial products now being used
by farmers have already shown success in protecting
organic strawberry, spinach, and tomato crops
against destructive aphids and mites. An additional
advantage is that insects are less likely to evolve
resistance and these products are also safer for
farm workers, who are at high risk for pesticide
exposure, as well children using household
pesticides. This comes at a point when the Prime
Minister will be advised that common pesticides are
killing bees - who may be facing disastrous decline.
August 2009: Regulating more
complementary therapies - The
Prince's Foundation
As a long standing campaigner for the regulation
of complementary therapies, The Prince's
Foundation for Integrated Health is delighted
that the government has announced a new
consultation on regulation of practitioners of
complementary therapies.
In line with previous consultations and surveys,
we are confident there will be overwhelming
support in favour of regulation.
Dr Michael Dixon, the Foundation’s medical
director, said: 'There is good evidence for
herbal medicine, acupuncture and Chinese
medicine in the treatment of some conditions
but, as in all healthcare, these therapies
require properly trained practitioners.
August 2009:
Vets revolt against annual
vaccinations -
Canine Health
Concern
Last month, 33 veterinarians and medical doctors from around the world
signed a letter to the press. They were calling for an end to annual
vaccination. When they sign such a letter, they risk censure from their
professional organisations, which could end their careers. Other vets told
us they wanted to sign the letter, but feared for their businesses, or they
feared ‘upsetting’ their veterinary colleagues. The last time a group of
vets got together to sign a similar letter, which appeared in Veterinary
Times, they were threatened with being struck off. To see the letter,
click here
Although it was sent to national newspapers, TV and radio, no-one published
it.
July 2009:
Older people on 'drugs cocktail'
-
BBC
Nearly half of over 65s are
taking five or more drugs, and without regular reviews this may be both
dangerous and costly to the NHS, pharmacists say.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says
not only are lots of older people taking a "cocktail" of
drugs, many are not taking them as prescribed. Over 60% of
500 polled believed they may be suffering side-effects from
the drugs. Many of these drugs are on repeat prescriptions,
the society notes, and could have been prescribed for
conditions the patient no longer has.
June 2009:
Organic
Animal Welfare -
Soil Association
The welfare of animals is central to Soil Association organic principles.
In
most intensive agricultural systems, faster growing breeds that produce more
milk or meat tend to be used. As a result the welfare of some breeds has
been seriously compromised. This can put animals under excessive stress,
weaken their natural immune systems and increase reliance on antibiotics and
vaccines.
Organic farming is a holistic method of agriculture. Through a positive
management approach to health and welfare, farmers aim to prevent disease
from occurring on the farm. If disease does occur then organic farmers are
encouraged to use natural and complementary therapies. If these are not
appropriate then medicines, including antibiotics, may be used.
Read more at the
Soil Association
May 2009:
Back pain? NHS Chiropractic soon! - Daily Mail
Anyone with lower back pain for more than six weeks should be offered
acupuncture, chiropractic and exercise on the NHS, the health service
rationing body National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
said. It has backed widespread use of 'alternative' therapies for the first
time.
Dr
Michael Dixon, medical director of The Prince's Foundation for Integrated
Health, said: "This is integrated healthcare in action. Now all patients
will be able to access proven complementary treatments as well as orthodox
medicine. That means real patient choice. Hopefully better outcomes in
primary care will obviate the need for more costly technological
interventions which can then be saved for those who need them." [our
italics]
Read more at NICE
May 2009:
€1million Research
Grant: Traditional Chinese Medicine - Medical News
Today
King's College London successfully led a consortium bid for 995,100 euros of
EU funding for a ground-breaking research project that will play an
important role in the unification of Western and Chinese approaches to
medicine.
April 2009:
'Peddling
Bad Science' - The Prince's Foundation for
Integrated Health
Aggressive campaigning against complementary
therapies by scientists who should know better,
does patients a grave disservice.
That will be the message from Professor George
Lewith, Professor of Health Research at
Southampton University, speaking at a debate on
complementary medicine at Guy’s Hospital medical
school on 28th April 2009. He will say:
'We hear bigotry rather than science. More
science fiction than science fact. This misleads
doctors and their patients, and can harm the
therapeutic relationship.'
March 2009:
Acupuncture is Scientifically Sound - The
Independent
The UK medical establishment is adopting acupuncture – the British Medical
Journal group is taking over publication of the journal Acupuncture In
Medicine. Its editor declared this is all thanks to scientific proof that it
works.
However, the limited portion of acupuncture that doctors use may be amenable
to scientific research, but there is clearly more on offer from the
thousands of years of Chinese experience.
March 2009:
Patients call for NHS complementary therapy -
Complementary Therapy Assn.
A year-long pilot scheme in Northern Ireland has found
that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can offer significant
health improvements to NHS patients.
After receiving CAM treatments on referral from their GP,
81% of patients reported an improvement in their physical health and 79% in
their mental health. The majority of patients, 84%, directly linked
improvements in their health and wellbeing to the CAM treatment they had
received and 94% said they would recommend it to others with a similar
condition.
February 2009:
Pet Health Care Goes Holistic
- Washington Post
"Like many older
dogs, Buster the beagle suffers from a few health
problems. At 15, the dog has chronic sinusitis that
causes breathing trouble and can turn into
pneumonia, and torn ligaments lead to pain that can
affect his mobility, said owner Chris Shoulet.
"After being
told by several veterinarians that the dog
should be euthanized, the Bethesda resident
turned to holistic medicine to cure Buster's
ills. According to Shoulet, holistic treatments,
including acupuncture, have worked wonders for
her furry friend.
more info on Complementary Therapies for Pets in
the USA
January 2009: Mass Homeopathy Treatment Success - NaturalNews
An incredible 2.5 million people were treated in
Cuba with a homeopathic vaccine against Leptospirosis. The outbreak
of Leptospirosis is an annual occurrence following flooding in the
region due to hurricanes.
The results were that "within 2 weeks after
Aug 2007, the rising lines literally dropped off the chart
to ZERO - ten infections only!""Near-zero infections, zero deaths from leptospirosis after
Aug 2007."
"And in 2008, no deaths, infections less than 10 a month,"
said an amazed attendee of the conference as the charts were
being revealed on the stage.
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