Cancer immunotherapy, commonly using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), has revolutionized the treatment of previously hard to treat metastatic (stage four) cancer. The main difference to other treatments such as chemotherapy is that it boosts the immune system rather than impairs it. Chemotherapy tries to kill cancer cells by using medications that are toxic to cancer [...]
Stress can cause muscle tension and conditions related to muscle tension such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), tension headaches and migraines, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain and dizziness. Stress creates muscle tension by activating your sympathetic nervous system and releasing adrenaline making you ready for a fight or flight response. In most cases, [...]
Some national guidelines do recommend acupuncture/dry needling for some conditions including low back pain, while others do not. However, when you review the evidence, there is a lot of evidence that acupuncture and dry needling is helpful in a large range of musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain, neck pain and post whiplash injuries and [...]
It is important to remember when choosing a pillow for your neck pain that there is a lot of variability in neck thickness, shoulder width and neck length. This means that there is no one pillow that will suit everyone. The type of pillow that may be beneficial for you is partly determined by the [...]
Axial spondyloarthritis is a classification that includes Ankylosing Spondylitis but also includes a similar condition that does not have the charachteristic bamboo spine presentation on X-Ray imaging. The bamboo like image is from one vertera forming bony bridges (fusing) with its adjacent vertebra along the ligaments between vertebrae, especially the outer fibres of the disc [...]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we approach health and wellbeing. Here’s how you can use AI to better understand and manage your health—especially for issues like muscle, joint, or movement problems. AI can help you understand your symptoms. Recent studies show that AI can be as accurate as a health professional for certain [...]
Weight lifting is recommended for most people, especially as you get older as it helps to reduce muscle atrophy, improve bone density (osteoporosis) and improve balance. Athletes and recreational sports persons also benefit from improved sports specific performance if their strengthening routine is tailored to their sports requirements. If you have never lifted weights or [...]
If your mattress isn't supporting you correctly while you sleep, it can give you back pain and sstiffness. You will usually feel this pain when you are trying to sleep, in the morning, or it will wake you up at night. It is important to remember that you can also wake up with back pain, [...]
There is increasing but limited evidence to suggest that Long COVID, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue (ME), post viral fatigue, and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) are the same syndromes, and related to hypermobility (especially Ehlers Danlos syndrome), neurodivergence and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since the COVID pandemic, there has been an increase in the [...]
Running is a good way to improve cardiovascular fitness and strength with very little cost involved. No gym membership is required, just a good pair of running shoes and a space to run in. It is perceived by the general public that running can cause increased damage to osteoarthritic knees, causes more pain and requires [...]
