Senior Care Partners

Archive for November, 2011

It is probably fair to say that most people have noticed that there are numerous magnetic therapy products on the market. You often see jewellery that has magnets in it at the check-out counter of pharmacies. For many sceptical people however, the question is: does it really work?

There are a number of companies that make their living promoting the healing abilities of magnets. According to Dr. Mercola of Mercola.com in a 2008 article entitled “The healing power of magnets”, magnetic therapy is a $5 billion market annually around the world. All the same, as a student of science, I like to see studies performed following clinical trial methodology before I spend my hard earned dollars on what may otherwise be “snake-oil”.

About 2 years ago, I did a short consulting stint with a company in Bristol, England called Magnopulse, a family run business who were interested in expanding their markets outside of the UK. Magnopulse designs, manufactures and sells a full line of magnetic therapy products. I was struck initially by two aspects of the company. The first was that the company was created about 12 years ago when Founder and President Derek Price was looking for a way to help his dog who was suffering from arthritis that numerous vets were unable to cure. After fashioning a collar with a magnet on it, the dog’s health improved dramatically, and Derek began a quest that continues to this day, to find ways of helping people (and yes, their pets too) using magnetic therapy. Secondly, Derek was mostly interested in finding new ways to help people manage their pains and ailments, more so than his interest in growing sales.

Is it all hearsay?

Okay, I see how that all works for marketing, but though still sceptical, what struck me next was that Magnopulse had spent a great deal of time, energy and money performing consumer and clinical trials. One such trial was a double-blind, placebo controlled trial, overseen by a qualified medical practitioner and eventually published in the respected Journal of Wound Care. It tested the ability of a product called 4Ulcercare to help heal open sores (ulcers) on the legs of people with very poor circulation as a result of age, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. I could relate to this problem, because my own father, after surgery in Florida to place a pin in a badly broken ankle, had a surgical incision that never healed and remained an open wound for the 4 years that he lived afterwards.

The published results of the trial stated that although the trial group was small, there was significant improvement in the group that wore the real 4Ulcercare wrap relative to the placebo group. Speaking from experience, there is little else available to help heal leg ulcers, beyond compression wraps and antibiotic creams, and lest anyone doubt the value of these results, as a direct result of the trials, the National Health Service in the UK added the product to their drug tariff, which means that a doctor or nurse can prescribe the product for a patient and the state buys it for them. In my mind, this gives not just this product, but all of the Magnopulse products, a leg up on credibility that I hadn’t previously expected to see in the industry.

My Eureka Moment

When I left England, Derek gave me a magnetic wrist band product for my mother. She experienced a stroke in 2002 that has left her paralyzed on the left side. During the ensuing time, her mostly inert left hand had become like a claw. This was in spite of years of at least bi-weekly therapy that included painful alternated hot and cold baths and massage. Without much hope, since her hand seemed beyond help, I placed the band on her wrist and thought little more about it. Wasn’t I surprised, when the next day she called me and told me that her hand was “almost completely loose”. It went from being so brittle that you thought you would break her fingers by just touching them, to being just like anyone else’s hand in less than a day! This is not to say that she suddenly had use of her hand again. Far from it, but the fingers loosened up, the pain was gone and no more painful treatment was required. All for a wrist band that cost about $50 and lasts a lifetime.

To say the least, I was no longer a sceptic and in fact I have used many Magnopulse products myself, for chronic sore back, neck and shoulders, sore knees from hockey, and my wife has used the product for menstrual pain and PMS: all with terrific results and all because of simple but remarkable technology in my mind.

Healing or Placebo?

This question can only be answered with expensive clinical trials on each and every product for each and every purpose. The trial of 4Ulcercare has given proven results for one product from one company, for the rest we may have to look at the wealth of testimonials, including my own experience. In the end, I can’t help but think that it doesn’t matter much either way. If my mother is really gullible and believed in these magnets so much that her hand got better, then so be it. If I only think that my back pain subsides when I wear the general pain products, again, I can live with that. After all, there is a neck product for migraines that doesn’t work for me (which somewhat negates the whole placebo question – for me personally at least), but my mother-in-law puts it on every time she starts to experience the aura for a migraine and it takes it away. If it’s a placebo effect, fair enough; one less migraine is a welcome improvement regardless of the reason.

I can’t answer that question for anyone else, but this author is personally sold on magnetic therapy. Part of the reason that these particular products are successful, in my opinion, is that Derek is very committed to the science behind them. He has constantly improved the technology, while insisting that the negative pole must be against the skin (unlike some companies who either don’t think it matters or who intentionally alternate the positive and negative poles) and has developed a US patented technology called “directional plate” which apparently boosts the penetration power of the magnetic field into the body.

Does it give us a general answer on magnetic products for all of the many claims they make? No, definitely not. But all products related to alternative and complementary medicine vary a great deal. Prescribed levels of various supplements are all over the map, the sources of those same supplements vary a great deal, making them more or less potent and the evidence to support specific advantages is sometimes outweighed by the potential other effects or side-effects.

Personal Research

The best thing one can do in assessing the claims of alternative medicine generally and magnetic therapy particularly, is to research all of the potential benefits and side-effects and make a short-term or inexpensive commitment to seeing what works for you individually. In the end, magnetic therapy may save you from all sorts of suffering or may just leave you wondering what all the fuss was about, but if you’ve only bought one $50 item, you won’t be too far out of pocket. If that first one works, well, who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones that will be able to avoid using pills for every ache and pain for the rest of your life!

Find more information about how magnetic therapy manages pain and illness here.

Yeast infections are very common and can normally be treated very easily. There is more than one type of yeast infection, but the vaginal infection is the most common. The first step in treating yeast infection symptoms include learning what signs to look for. If the vagina is sore, irritated, burning and itching then odds are you have a yeast infection. You may feel pain and a burning sensation when urinating and sometimes having sex is can be very painful. If you have these signs you should contact your doctor or start treatment right away to avoid a more serious condition from happening.

If you are having these symptoms for the first time, then you need to see your doctor right away. This is a precaution because these symptoms are associated with many other medical conditions that can be worse than an infection. You also want to clear the problem up as fast as possible to avoid complications. Two other types of yeast infection include skin infection and oral infection. On the skin you may see a red rash or red bumps that itch. In the mouth the lining may be red and sore and it is possible to have creamy yellow looking sores appear.

You do need to keep in mind that these symptoms are also the same signs that are associated with other medical conditions. Some of these can be very serious and should be treated by your doctor so if you are having yeast infection frequently then se your doctor. This is very important for your health and well-being. Men can also get a yeast infection if they have sex with an infected person. The symptoms men should look for is a red rash around the tip of the penis. It can be itchy and painful as well. You may also feel pain or burning when urinating.

It is very important that you understand how important it is for you to see your doctor if you are not sure what is causing your condition. Your health is very important and you don’t need to take any unnecessary chances. The symptoms are to close to more serious conditions to take a risk. Your health should be the most important thing to you so you should not hesitate if you feel something is just not right. Go see your doctor toady and get a professional opinion if you are having problems.

Research has shown that Omega 3 fish oils have a beneficial effect for arthritis sufferers because it is capable of reducing inflammation, swelling and pain. Omega 3 is just one of the EFA (essential fatty acids) which is contained in herring, salmon, mackerel and tuna. One word of warning is that as these species are at the top of the food chain, they are quite likely to contain toxic substances. You can’t win, can you? To overcome this problem many people buy and use fish oil supplements. When buying these, you should check that the label says ‘molecularly distilled’ – this means that they are free of mercury. Walnut, soybean and wheat germ oil also are high in omega-3 and can be used for food and cooking or as supplements. Several studies suggest that diets and/or supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure significantly in people with hypertension. Studies of heart attack survivors have found that daily omega-3 fatty acid supplements dramatically reduce the risk of death, subsequent heart attacks, and stroke.

Healthy fats seem to be getting more press lately, especially in the vegan/vegetarian world, as many people find that they don’t feel their best eating a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. We should try to replace hydrogenated fats (like margarine), cholesterol-based fats (butter/dairy products), and poly-saturated fats (common cooking oils) with healthy EFA (essential fatty acids)-based fats when possible. Adding flaxseed and/or virgin olive oil to salads instead of supermarket salad oil is another healthy change. For example, good fats compete with bad fats, so it’s important to minimize the intake of trans fats and cholesterol (animal fat) while consuming enough good fats. Also, good fats raise your HDL or “good cholesterol”.

Symptoms of EFA deficiency or imbalance include dry or scaly skin, excessively dry hair, cracked fingernails, fatigue, weakness, frequent infections, allergies, mood disorders, hyperactivity, depression, memory and learning problems, slow wound healing, aching joints, poor digestion, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. EFAs are used therapeutically to treat and to prevent cardiovascular problems, including heart disease, high cholesterol, strokes, and high blood pressure.

If you would like to know more about a natural cure for arthritis, and the role of Omega 3 in a healthy diet, you will find the following site helpful and full of good advice.

People always relate yeast infections to women – specifically the vagina, so you may be surprised to find out that yeast infections can happen to men and women alike and on any part of the body. The fact is that we all have yeast in our bodies and an overgrowth leading to infection can happen to anyone. Symptoms are often brushed off because most people assume they just have some minor rash or even a bug bite and don’t even think this type of disease could be the culprit.

Symptoms are quite easy to spot if you know what to look for. The sooner you realize that you have a yeast infection the sooner you can start treating it and ensure a quick recovery. Here is a list of body yeast overgrowth symptoms that should make it really easy for you to figure out if an overgrowth is the problem;