I guess a lot of you saw the recent articles (such as this one in The Australian) questioning the effectiveness of Paracetamol for back pain. This is newsworthy because it is probably the first thing a doctor would recommend for back pain, so we want to know if it actually works. It has very few side effects, if any, so it’s almost certainly not going to be dangerous to take, but according to this new research, there may not be much point.
The study in question looked at 1,600 people with …

I’m really excited to be heading to India next month! After speaking at a conference earlier this year I was approached to go and do a short work/teaching placement at an elite Sports Medicine Hospital in Mumbai. I’ll be doing 10 days working in the clinic, which will involve a combination of treating patients (apparently it’s where the Indian Cricketers and Bollywood Starlets hang out), and running daily lectures/seminars on sports injury management.
I’ve never been to India so I’m really looking forward to being able to go someplace new and …

Soothes a dry sore throat. Welcome to Cold and Flu Season. I’ve been laid low the last couple of days with a flu that would kill a grizzly bear (spoken like a true man I know) and as I was lining up my potions and vitamins and other drugs I remember an article I’d read on Manuka Honey.
According to the article, published on the BBC website, Manuka Honey’s antiseptic properties can help enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics. It was tested on hospital strength bacteria.
Here are a couple of choice quotes …

For those of you who aren’t already aware, GP’s can refer you to see an Osteopath under a Medicare scheme covering allied health practitioners. It’s called the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Scheme and it covers up to 5 treatments per year and refunds you approximately $45-50 of the treatment cost. If you have a “chronic” condition, meaning you have had an injury for a couple of months or more, your GP can refer you under this scheme.
That’s your tax dollars hard at work people – take advantage of it!
If you …

Seasons Greetings! Many of you will no doubt still be under the pump at work, clocking long hours all the way up until Christmas. Hopefully you then get some time off with family and friends to recharge the batteries. I certainly get the impression when talking to patients that 2013 has been a long, hard year, so it’s important to use your break wisely. You don’t want to be starting 2014 still feeling the hangover of this year. Aim to look after yourself, enjoy yourself, and get the right mix …

I’ve seen a couple of articles on this recently and I think it’s pretty interesting. Here’s one. Here’s another. There’s growing support for the idea that Alzheimers is related to diabetes, specifically, Type 2 diabetes, and though they aren’t quite sure how yet, this is actually good news. It’s good news because Type 2 diabetes, for those who don’t know, is strongly related to lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise levels, which are things you can obviously do a lot to improve. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, …

I just read this article on The New York Times website which talked about the rate of misdiagnosis in the medical fraternity. This follows on from a number of earlier articles questioning the necessity of many surgeries. If your condition is not life threatening and especially if it involves your musculoskeletal system don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion before agreeing to surgery or injections.
I’ll leave you with this quote: “In the United States and Canada it is estimated that 50,000 hospital deaths each year could have been prevented …

Yes, that’s a picture of my Nan and I playing the pokies. I was browsing a bunch of nerdy medical sites the other day trying to make myself seem knowledgeable when I stumbled across an article with the title “Aging process reversed with positive lifestyle changes“. I opened it and had a read and it had merit, so I thought I’d share the contents with you.
There’s these tiny things in your chromosomes called Telomeres, and according to scientists Telomeres control the aging process: “If the telomeres are shortened or damaged, …

I know, I really seem to bang on about exercising, don’t I. Just happens to be the case that there have been a lot of studies come out recently showing its benefits, like how it helps you handle stress, and how it can change your DNA so you store less fat. Now a new study has shown that it can help you sleep more, and get better quality sleep. Apparently exercise does it all.
In the study a group of people were asked to do 30 minutes of exercise (stationary bike …

Howdy,
I was lucky enough to be able to get out of town on the weekend and head down to Canberra. A short trip but long enough to remind me that there are some do’s and don’t’s when it comes to driving:
When you first hop in the car, sit up nice and straight and set your rear view mirror and side mirrors. If you notice after a while that the mirror position is no longer suitable, you must have either shifted in your seat or started slumping. Either sit up straight …