Surgery – placebo or justified?

Researchers in Oxford are hoping to find out if a commonly-performed operation used to treat shoulder pain actually works – or whether its success can be attributed to the placebo effect.

The use of a surgical technique called arthroscopic sub-acromial decompression has increased by more than 700 per cent in the past ten years but there is no hard evidence to show how effective it is. There is a growing concern that the vast increase in the frequency of the operation being performed needs to be justified.

Now a team at Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre are comparing the effectiveness of the operation with a placebo operation as there are a number of conflicting views about the effectiveness of surgery for shoulder pain.

While some reports show that arthroscopic or keyhole surgery is no more effective than physiotherapy to relieve pain, others show that it can be helpful and provide a useful treatment option. Other results suggest that removing a piece of bony spur from the shoulder - a procedure known as decompression – during surgery may be unnecessary, and that actual process of undergoing investigative arthroscopy can in itself produce benefit.

“The fact that a period of no treatment can also be beneficial for patients completes a rather confused picture,” added Ms Cooper. “It’s quite clear that we need to perform some definitive studies to show what really helps people with this type of shoulder pain. Pressures in the NHS are such that surgeons are being encouraged to prove the benefits of their practice, so that’s what we hope to do in this study.”

Surgery should be the last choice for sufferers of shoulder pain with many effective treatments available. The Bowen Technique helps the body remember how to heal itself. The gentle yet powerful Bowen moves send neurological impulses to the brain resulting in immediate responses of muscle relaxation and pain reduction. The moves create energy surges.  Electrical impulses sent to the nervous system remind the body to regain normal movement in joints, muscles and tendons. This helps relieve muscle spasms and increase blood and lymph flow.

Massage to be rolled out into primary schools

Schools across the country have begun to introduce massage as a daily subject along-side science, English and maths.

The new initiative aims to help the children de-stress after lunch by performing light massage movements on each other through their clothes.

Research has shown that the treatment can aid concentration and contribute to a calmer working environment. It is thought the massage will help the children learn to respect each other and themselves.

The parents must give permission for their child to be involved and the schools that have been part of the scheme so far have had pleased with the feedback from the children and parents. 

One parent who supported the scheme said: 'Apparently it is doing really well in other schools so it is worth a try. It might calm them down a bit. My daughter enjoys it and she even does it to me.'

Head of the 550-pupil school, Mrs Hobson, said: 'It makes such a difference to the way the children calm down and get focused on their work.

'Actually, they end up getting far more done in the afternoon than if they are still all a bit jittery from having been out playing football or running around with their friends or whatever.

'I first saw peer massage in one of the local schools in Sheffield and I noticed how calming it was for the children and how well they managed to get on with their work in the afternoons.”

BTPA & London RSI Support Group join forces...

The BTPA (Bowen Therapy Professional Association) is joining forces with the Central London RSI Support Group on Tuesday 28^th February 2012, one day ahead of International RSI day.

The meeting being held between 6.30-8.30pm, at Lucas Arms, Upstairs Function Room, 245a Gray's Inn Road, London. WC1X 8DP is part of the Central London RSI Support Group’s regular monthly meetings, which are free to attend and open to all. The difference with this month’s meeting is that Claire Harrison, Chairwoman of the BTPA will be attending in order to talk about Bowen Therapy, the benefits it can have for people who suffer from RSI (repetitive strain injury) and a clinical trial that the BTPA is currently undergoing with regards to RSI.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs) remain not only the most common type of disabling injury in our worksites, it is on the rise, as our workloads are pushed beyond manageable or achievable levels. Thousands of people already have the aches, pains, tingling, swelling and loss of joint movement and strength that left untreated can develop into full blown RSI injuries.

The Bowen Technique is a natural, drug-free non-invasive complementary therapy that prides itself on being able to trigger the body’s own healing systems. Rather than 'making' the body change, Bowen 'asks' the body to recognise and make the changes it requires. With primarily fingers and thumbs, the Bowen practitioner makes small, rolling movements over muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue at precise points on the body, using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that individual. No hard-tissue manipulation or force is needed or used. Between each set of moves, the body is allowed to rest for a few minutes, to allow it to absorb the information it has received and initiate the healing process.

Claire Harrison from the BTPA, will be available from 6.30pm-7.30pm to answer any questions about the Bowen technique and demonstrate how Bowen therapy works.

For further information on Bowen therapy or the BTPA

visit www.bowen-therapy.co

For further information on the Central London Support Group, RSI or the meeting on

28^th February visit www.londonrsisupportgroup.org.uk

George Clooney; also one of the many to suffer from back pains...

George Clooney has opened up about the pain he suffered after cracking his head open during a torture scene in his movie, Syriana in 2005, revealing it took doctors weeks to figure out exactly what was wrong with him.

George Clooney in Syriana

It was only when pal Lisa Kudrow's neurologist brother discovered fluid leaking from his spine that medics realised just how serious his condition was.

In a candid new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clooney tells the publication he struggled with the strong pain medication he was prescribed after doctors fixed the problem during a marathon surgery session on Christmas Day 2005.

He adds: "They'll hand you a giant tub of Vicodin, which is not a good drug for me; I had a lot of stomach pain and I really didn't like the high it gave me.

"Then there were other drugs. I was on morphine for a while, which created this horrible anxiety where I really thought I was in trouble."

Clooney reveals he finally turned to therapy: "I went to a pain-management guy whose idea was, 'You can't mourn for how you used to feel, because you're never going to feel that way again'."

A national study, carried out by The Bowen Therapy Professional Association (BTPA) in the summer of 2006, showed that 95 per cent of back pain sufferers experienced either complete relief or a marked improvement, after a series of no more than three Bowen treatments. As it prides itself on being able to trigger the body’s own healing systems, Clooney wouldn’t have to suffer any of the side effects that he was experiencing with the drugs he was prescribed.

Rather than 'making' the body change, Bowen 'asks' the body to recognise and make the changes it requires. With primarily fingers and thumbs, the Bowen practitioner makes small, rolling movements over muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue at precise points on the body, using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that individual. No hard-tissue manipulation or force is needed or used. Between each set of moves, the body is allowed to rest for a few minutes, to allow it to absorb the information it has received and initiate the healing process.

 If you suffer from chronic back pain like George Clooney and want to try Bowen therapy from a credible therapist visit www.bowen-therapy.co

Jessica Alba's pains could be rolled away with Bowen therapy...

Jessica Alba was recently spotted enjoying a quick massage in between partaking in some retail therapy in New York.

The Hollywood star appeared to have quite a lot of tension in her back and shoulders as the pictures show, but carried on shopping after with friends in the Big Apple.

Although the actress obviously enjoyed the benefits of the massage, we would suggest having a few Bowen Therapy treatments to ensure that her back issues are dealt with!

Bowen Technique differs to the conventional massage Alba was receiving, as it consists of small rolling movements rather than manipulation and Bowen therapy asks the body to heal itself. The gentle yet powerful Bowen moves send neurological impulses to the brain resulting in immediate responses of muscle relaxation and pain reduction.

For further information on where to get Bowen treatment
visit www.bowen-therapy.co

Massages as good as pain-killers

A new study has found that massage is not just good for soothing and relaxing your muscles, but can mimic the affects of pain relieving drugs.

The findings, published in the Journal Science Translational Medicine, found that massages promote the growth of new mitochondria and dampen the effect of molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation.

Therefore the massage can work in the same way as anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

'The potential benefits of massage could be useful to a broad spectrum of individuals, including those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries and patients with chronic inflammatory disease,' says lead researcher Dr Mark Tarnopolsky from McMaster University in Canada.

'This study provides evidence that manipulative therapies such as massage may be justifiable in medical practice.' 

The Bowen technique is a drug-free, non-invasive, hands-on remedial therapy where the therapist makes small, rolling movements over muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue at precise points on the body, using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that individual.  

Concerns over new ‘medical marijuana’ drug

The new ‘medical marijuana’ drug on the market has sparked concern for possible addiction in patients using it to get ‘high’ rather than treating their pain.

‘Sativex’ is being trialed by pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals, which will be delivered as a mouth spray. The drug will be seeking approval from the U.S FDA to be used as a treatment for cancer pain. 

The active ingredients in Sativex, known as cannabinoids, are derived from the cannabis plant. It is the first marijuana-based drug to be made by extracting the compounds from the plant, rather than synthesizing them.

Because the drug contains THC, the ingredient primarily responsible for marijuana's "high," its possible people would use the drug for recreational rather than medical purposes.

"There is no doubt in my mind that there will be people that abuse it," said Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein, director of the Florida Poison Information Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The drug is already approved in United Kingdom, Spain, Canada and New Zealand to treat muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis, according to the company website.

However an alternative treatment for the pain of multiple sclerosis is the Bowen Technique with many sufferers finding more flexible movement in their limbs and improved mobility.

The Bowen Technique helps the body remember how to heal itself. The gentle yet powerful Bowen moves send neurological impulses to the brain resulting in immediate responses of muscle relaxation and pain reduction, which is excellent for those suffering with multiple sclerosis.