NEWS ARTICLES

We have all been told to stay out of the sun because harmful UV rays can cause premature ageing and skin cancer. But are we missing a trick?

Many experts now say that some sun exposure is necessary because the skin only makes vitamin D in the presence of sunlight.

Written by Gabrielle Collett-White, health journalist

As we already know smoking is very injurious to health and is responsible for many respiratory problems.

Smoking can damage your lungs and also results in certain skin allergies. Apart from these respiratory disorders, there are certain adverse effects of smoking on skin.

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live microbial organisms that are naturally present in the digestive tract and vagina.

Probiotics are considered beneficial and are sometimes referred to as "friendly" bacteria. Some of the ways they are thought to promote health include suppressing the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, improving immune function, enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive tract, and helping to produce vitamin K.

Prevalent in women and those under forty, migraines are a hideous affliction which we are seeing more of in practise. Whether hereditary, hormonal, dietary, due to atmospheric pressure or stress we need to be able to offer answers to help the patient through the pain while the underlying causation is adressed. Antony Haynes looks at the alternatives.

Naturopathy is a non-invasive system of treatment, which encourages the body's vital force to resist disease and promote healing through a wide range of modalities. Techniques used are often compatible with the vital curative activity of the body, such as air, water, sunlight, relaxation, exercise and dietary therapy. Many other techniques are used as well, for example; acupuncture, homeopathy, herbalism, energy medicine, bodywork, counselling and osteopathy to name a few. These modalities vary from practitioner to practitioner and depending on the country of practice. Naturopaths use different forms of diagnosis, these include: skin, hair, nails and tongue analysis, iridology, kinesiology, urinalysis, as well as other forms of non-invasive testing (depending on the practitioner).

A comprehensive, holistic medical system that can treat most conditions, considering their physical, emotional and mental states. Homeopathic medicine aims at restoring the body's vital energetic balance in order to stimulate the body's natural healing process. This is achieved through the homeopathic principle of; 'like cures like', where a remedy will produce symptoms the same or similar to those which the patient has presented with. An example of this 'law of similars' would be coffee, a stimulant that can cause temporary insomnia, is used in minute potentised doses to relieve the insomnia.

Acupuncture is a part of a traditional Chinese medicine system whose principles are based on the flow of Qi (energy) along meridians (energy channels). The philosophy is that there are many factors that disturb the flow of Qi, including emotional, physical and mental factors that result in disharmony of the body, producing diseases and malfunctioning. Acupuncture aims at improving overall well being by stimulating the body's own healing mechanism by inserting very fine needles along specific meridians, helping to restore the body's natural balance.

Chiropody, also commonly called Podiatry is a branch of orthodox medicine that deals with diagnosing and treating disorders of the feet and lower leg.

The foot is a highly complex structure that consists of 26 bones, held together by ligaments, tendons and muscles, with a network of nerves running through. Due to the foots anatomical position, it is exposed potentially to a range of infections and injuries such as; ingrown toenails, athletes foot, plantar warts, corns, calluses, bursitis, fractures, heel spurs, over-use syndromes and many others. In addition there are genetic conditions of the foot that a Chiropodist will treat, for example, clubfoot, flat feet and weak arches.