Category: Medicine and Health

Cats, eyesight and ageing

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

I recently read the report of a study suggesting that cat owners, in contrast to dog owners, have a raised risk of developing glaucoma due to an autoimmune response triggered by their pets. I don’t think this should cause too much alarm, because the study was only a preliminary one and the effect was small. But it was of some concern to me because a few years ago I was diagnosed with high intra-ocular pressure, which can progress to glaucoma.

My immediate reaction to reading it was “I’m not going to give up my cats.” My husband challenged me “Are you saying that you would rather go blind?” Logically the answer should have been obvious, because going blind is among the worst fates I can imagine. Yet I did not know what to say, which made me wonder if I care too much about the cats.

Concern for companion animals can affect many of the decisions which may have to be made in the case of their owners’ declining health or advancing age. After adopting Magic and Leo it was a bit of a shock to realise that I should probably not get any more kittens in case I die before they do, even though I belong to Auckland SPCA’s “Circle” program which provides for this eventuality. I wouldn’t want to move into an apartment without a safe outdoor space for cats to play, or enter a retirement home where cats were not allowed. And though I sometimes wonder about returning to live in England for my declining years, I wouldn’t want to put my cats through the stress of relocation – even though when we once brought two other cats from England to New Zealand they did not seem too upset by the long flight.
Maybe it is misguided to let cat-related considerations carry too much weight when making major life choices. And I can’t predict how I would actually feel if and when one of these situations arises in future. Meanwhile I am happy to be still fit and well, and living in a house with a large garden which is ideal for cats.

Self-healing from “incurable” diseases

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Examples of spontaneous remission, in which a supposedly incurable condition recovers without treatment, can be found across the whole diagnostic spectrum. Having seen a number of cases over the years, both among my patients and clients when I was in practice and in my personal circle, I often wonder why occasional patients recover while most others with similar prognostic features do not. In orthodox medical systems, concerned more with illness than with health, these cases are often lost to follow-up and do not attract the interest they seem to merit. They may even be dismissed on the grounds that the original diagnosis was wrong.

Some reports do get published in medical journals, and mostly relate to cases of advanced cancer which were expected to be fatal. These accounts usually focus on biological factors rather than psychological ones. Books for general readers based on a more holistic study of individual patients include Remarkable Recovery by Caryle Hirshberg and Marc Ian Barasch, and Radical Remission by Kelly Turner, and there are many online descriptions.

Sometimes the unexpected recovery takes place for no apparent reason, but sometimes the patients in question firmly believe it is due to specific factors such as a change in diet, a more fulfilling lifestyle, a spiritual awakening, the power of prayer, or cultivation of the “higher” qualities of forgiveness, gratitude and love. Perhaps what these share in common is a sense of taking control of one’s own health, the firm intention to heal, and a firm belief that healing can happen. Such things are largely beyond the scope of the statistical analysis and controlled studies required in “evidence-based medicine”.

Episodic conditions such as asthma, migraine, epilepsy and autoimmune disorders can wax and wane for no apparent reason. Again, more mainstream research is focused on what triggers a flare-up than on why many sufferers have periods of good health in between, or even recover completely. On a personal note, since I reached my mid-60s my migraines have become much less frequent and severe. One explanation is the biological one that I am finally growing out of them. The prevalence of migraine is known to be lower in older people than younger ones and some sufferers, though sadly not all, experience fewer and less severe attacks in later life. This may be because the brain becomes less sensitive with age, or a result of hormonal changes.

Another explanation is psychological. Going back to cancer, ever since reading Laurence LeShan’s inspiring book Cancer as a turning point I have been interested in the idea that self-healing from this or any other disease can occur through what he called “singing your own song” – finding a purpose and joy in life, what is sometimes called being in a higher vibrational state. This makes intuitive sense to me and looking back over the years, during periods when I have been absorbed in some truly fulfilling project – most recently, a return to my childhood passion for writing fiction (see my Amazon page) – my migraines have been less of a problem. Since LeShan’s book was written, many researchers have studied the mechanisms which might underlie mind-body connections such as this. The complex science is well explained in several recent popular books, for example You are the placebo by Joe Dispenza.

Beliefs and expectations have been shown to play a role in predicting the prognosis of coronary heart disease and the same is probably true for any other condition, so although I realise that my severe migraines could come back at any time, I prefer not to think in those terms. The negative messages so often delivered by well-meaning clinicians, such as “there is no cure for x” and “it’s bound to get worse at some stage”, can destroy hope and are not helpful. Recovery may be unlikely, and can never be promised, but as one of my teachers in the holistic approach used to say “Anything can be healed”.

 

 

The healing power of animals

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

It’s early summer here in New Zealand, and the kitten season is in full swing. The Auckland SPCA, where I work as a volunteer, is in dire need of both foster homes and ‘forever’ homes for the hundreds of beautiful cats and kittens recently brought into the Animal Village.

My own three cats, and the dog which I walk every week, were all ‘rescue’ cases of one kind or another who had a bad start in life but have flourished since receiving proper care. Like all the companion animals I have known over the years, each one has a uniquely loveable personality. 

This is the second of two posts which include short extracts from my book Persons not Diseases. The first one was called The healing power of music, in which I pointed out that not everyone likes, or can appreciate, music. I know that the same is true with regard to animals, and there can be a dark side to human-animal relationships which causes suffering on both sides. But I do believe that the positive qualities of animals far outweigh any negative ones and that, besides all the joy they can bring, they have remarkable healing powers. 

Here is the book extract:

“Many studies have confirmed the physical and mental health benefits of owning a pet, and the value of animal-assisted therapies such as riding for the disabled and having visiting dogs in hospices and care homes. Some of the benefits are mediated through increased exercise, but others are a direct result of the human-animal bond, which usually represents a form of pure unconditional love free from the complications which so often beset human relationships. Positive interaction with a dog, for example, leads to increased secretion of the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, which has cardioprotective effects. Dog ownership is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, and with a greatly improved prognosis for men who have had a heart attack already, although this may partly reflect the fact that men who choose to keep a dog are fitter to start off with.

“The other side to this is that the death of a pet can be followed by a grief reaction similar to that which follows human bereavement, and in a few cases this can be just as severe, with adverse consequences for mental and physical health.”

To end this post on a happier note: if you are interested in both music and animals you may enjoy the website of Nora the piano cat.

The healing power of music

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Singing the beautiful Advent music with my choir this month reminds me of all the benefits to health and happiness which music can bring. As a child I disliked having to take music lessons, but when I took up choral singing and playing the piano in later life was pleased to find that I could still remember the basic knowledge unwillingly acquired so many years ago. Although my musical skills remain at a very amateur level I have gained great enjoyment and stimulation from practising them.

A few people, maybe 5% of the population, are unable to produce or respond to music (amusia) and may even hate the sound of it (melophobia); well-known historical figures in this category include Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud and Theodore Roosevelt. But for most of us music is one of the pleasures of life, and it also has powerful healing properties.  The following is an extract from my latest book Persons not Diseases:

“Research studies have shown that simply listening to music has many positive effects on health – benefits include the relief of pain from many causes, improved sleep, reduced anxiety, enhanced mental development in children, and more rapid recovery of memory following a stroke. Actively singing or playing an instrument, as opposed to passive listening, brings in many other positive factors and professional music therapy, which involves sophisticated techniques adapted for each client, can have still more powerful effects.

“Music works to promote healing in many different ways. At the physical level, appropriately chosen music can help to regulate various aspects of physiology, and encourage formation of new neural connections in the brain. Different sound frequencies have specific effects. The vibration of a cat’s purr, for example, is conducive to bone and tissue repair. Some biofeedback devices work through sound frequencies individually selected to modify the client’s symptoms. The 528 Hz frequency, found in the 6-note Solfeggio scale, has been called the ‘frequency of love’ and some claim it has special healing power, enabling DNA to absorb ultraviolet light and attune the body’s rhythm to that of the cosmos. It is found in many of the old Gregorian chants, and is featured in various modern videos which can be found on YouTube.

“At the emotional level, music is a channel for the expression of feelings which are beyond words, and can enable deep sadness or anger to be released. Many of us have poignant memories associated with particular pieces and therefore the choice of music, and the meaning attached to it, is always specific to the individual concerned. Music has a spiritual element too, and plays an important part in the services and rituals of most religious traditions. Other benefits of music include the social aspects of singing or playing instruments in a group, and the mental exercise of studying music theory. Music, therefore, carries a wide range of potential rewards and must be rated as among the most valuable of all aids to the healthy integration of body, emotions, mind and spirit.”

Good health for writers

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 2 Comments

Although writing hardly rates as a dangerous occupation, it does carry a number of potential hazards to both physical and mental well-being.

Dangers of sitting: People who sit down for long periods are at increased risk of many disorders including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, deep vein thrombosis and certain cancers.

Lack of exercise: Regular exercise – in moderation – helps to prevent a whole host of diseases including those listed above. However, it does not appear to cancel out the dangers from sitting down too long.

Lack of sunlight: Exposure to sunlight – in moderation – helps to ensure adequate an adequate level of Vitamin D which, again, is important for the prevention of many diseases.

Musculoskeletal disorders: Spending too much time typing on the keyboard can lead to RSI (repetitive strain injury). Symptoms include pain, swelling, numbness and tingling in the hands and arms. Excessive computer use can also worsen the symptoms of other musculoskeletal conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis of the hands, back pain and neck pain. While ergonomically designed chairs and desks can help to some extent, the best approach to prevention is to take frequent breaks from working at your desk, and if symptoms have already developed it is advisable to have a complete rest. Orthodox treatment would usually be with physical therapy and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. Various complementary and alternative therapies can help, for example a case of RSI which responded well to homoeopathy is described in my book Persons not Diseases.

Eye problems: There is no evidence that computer work causes permanent damage to the eyes, however it can lead to the temporary problem of ‘computer vision syndrome’.  Symptoms can include blurred or double vision, redness and irritation of the eyes, and headaches. Preventive measures include reducing glare from sun or artificial lighting on the computer screen, adjusting the brightness and font size to comfortable levels, maintaining the optimal distance between your eyes and the screen, blinking frequently, perhaps wearing special glasses for computing – and, again, taking frequent breaks.

Substance misuse: Some, though by no means all, writers have addictive tendencies and are prone to drink too much alcohol or coffee, to over-eat, to smoke heavily, or to misuse stimulants and other drugs especially when feeling stressed or blocked. Writing alone at home, unconstrained by the rules of a conventional workplace, can make it all too easy to over-indulge.

Mood disorders: Compared to the general population writers have high rates of bipolar disorder. This condition has an association with creative talent, which is a positive feature. But serious episodes of either depression or mania/hypomania can ruin the lives of sufferers and those around them and sometimes even lead to suicide, so it requires professional care.

Dangers of social isolation: Most writers prefer to work in solitude, but being alone too much is another risk factor for both physical and mental ill-health.

Many of the problems listed above can be prevented by following the deceptively simple, but often neglected, guidelines for healthy living – eating a good diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, learning to manage stress, maintaining supportive relationships –  and by having a good ‘work-life balance’ so that you do a variety of things each day besides writing.

Persons not Diseases: the ebook

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 1 Comment

My new ebook Persons not Diseases was published on Smashwords yesterday. It’s a short practical guide to the ‘holistic healing approach’ written for patients, clinicians, and anyone else with an interest in natural healthcare.

It began as an update of my earlier book Focus on Healing and covers a similar range of topics, but soon took on a life of its own, with new case histories, and inclusion of some references to research in the field.

There is now plenty of evidence that changes in lifestyle and mindset, self-help practices such as meditation, and use of complementary therapies can assist with coping and recovery from almost any illness. Yet these simple natural approaches are often ignored or dismissed in orthodox medical settings. I am hoping that, if they are willing to look at this book, some of those sceptical clinicians whose hackles rise when they hear the word ‘holistic’ might change their views.

Some people still prefer to read from printed copies rather than electronic devices, and I plan to publish a print version of Persons not Diseases in the next few weeks. Meanwhile here again is the Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/343192.

Too much medical measurement?

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Following a couple of recent high blood pressure readings I had a 24-hour monitor test which was reported as normal – a great relief. I don’t know whether my various small lifestyle changes had made a difference, or whether the previous reading was the result of ‘white coat hypertension’ at the clinic, or of an inaccurate machine at home. I’ll keep an eye on the situation – and continue the improvements in diet and exercise, and with following the mantra NO NEED TO RUSH.

I am uncomfortably aware that many other people are taking long-term, even life-long, hypotensive medication on the basis of just one single high reading without having the 24-hour test – either because this wasn’t suggested to them, or because they couldn’t afford to pay for it.

Many medical screening tests besides blood pressure checks are advocated today. Occasionally, they detect an early case of serious disease which can be successfully treated. This life-saving benefit for a few people has to be balanced against the downside for many others – a widespread increase in health-related anxiety among the ‘worried well’ and the practice of treating risk factors and borderline abnormalities in the same way as established diseases, although in the majority of cases they might never have progressed to cause symptoms. Sometimes the treatments, or even the tests themselves, cause harm. In my own circle, for example, one woman recently developed renal failure attributed to ‘preventative’ medication prescribed on dubious grounds, and another suffered a bowel perforation during a ‘routine’ colonoscopy which had revealed no abnormality.

Many experts, quoting statistics from studies on large populations, claim that the benefits of screening tests and preventative interventions outweigh their risks. Others disagree. Political and financial factors are often involved as well as strictly medical ones. For example, the recent books Pharmageddon by David Healy and Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre reveal the techniques through which drug companies covertly encourage doctors to prescribe. And although most healthcare professionals are sincerely motivated to put the good of their patients ahead of personal gain, they may be unconsciously influenced by the fact that careers can be advanced and money can be made by promoting screening programs or by broadening the definitions of pathology.

Over the years, I have been diagnosed with several different borderline conditions myself. I had treatment for some of them, and others I chose to ignore, but whether these were the ‘right’ decisions I may never know.

Blood pressure

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Friends who know that I’m not a ‘morning person’ would have been surprised to see me out walking in the park before breakfast today. All part of my enhanced ‘healthy living’ regime prompted by the shock of a raised blood pressure reading last week.

I thought my lifestyle was pretty good already, but from now on there will be more aerobic exercise; less coffee, wine, salty and fatty foods; more vegetables, herbs, fruit and the occasional dark chocolate ginger; olive leaf extract; and more regular meditation sessions. Psychological factors are not so easy to change, even with the help of Bach flower remedies such as Elm, Rock Water, Vervain and Impatiens to promote a more relaxed attitude to life. I hope to avoid having to take medication, especially since a recent review in the British Medical Journal has questioned its value for cases of mild hypertension.

There is a widespread misconception that people who practice good physical self-care, positive thinking and spiritual development should never have anything wrong with them – especially if they work in the healthcare field. But all bodies are vulnerable to sickness of one kind or another and will eventually wear out completely. It is also true that those with some personal experience of sickness or disability often make the most effective healers.

Persons not diseases

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

People choose to explore natural therapies for many different reasons. One of the main ones given by the clients I see in my work as a Bach flower practitioner is the wish to be valued as a ‘whole person’ whose psychology and life circumstances are unique. Even if their orthodox medical treatment has been successful on a physical level, they often feel that they have been have labelled as ‘just another case’ of the condition in question, being managed according to a set protocol, and that staff lacked either the time or the interest to look beyond their diseased part.

It would be a great mistake to reject the ‘disease-centred’ model which prevails in modern medicine, for this has yielded huge advances in knowledge about the causes, prevention and treatment of specific disorders. And it is good to see mainstream healthcare considering lifestyle factors such as nutrition, exercise and stress management, which may reduce the need for drugs and surgery. But this is not enough for people who want to explore the personal context of their illness in more depth, which is why they may turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the ‘holistic healing’ approach.

One of the basic principles of this approach is the focus on persons rather than diseases. The Bach flower system, as originally formulated, exemplifies this – Dr Edward Bach advocated ignoring the medical diagnosis when selecting remedies, and focusing purely on the sufferer’s current state of mind. Involving the patient, or client, as a partner in this process is empowering and therapeutic in itself.

But, as CAM becomes more widely accepted and integrated with orthodox medicine, there is a risk of the person-centred approach being replaced by the ‘one size fits all’ method of giving the same mixture to everyone with a particular condition. This may reflect a wish to appear more ‘scientific’, or be done to save the time and trouble of making an individual assessment of each case. A couple of examples, again involving the Bach flower system, will illustrate the trend.

In a UK chemist’s shop I saw an ‘Emotional Eating Kit’ made up of three remedies: Crab Apple (for body image problems), Cherry Plum (for loss of emotional control) and Chestnut Bud (for those who continually repeat the same mistakes). One or more of these remedies might certainly be appropriate for someone with an eating disorder, but so might several others: Vine (for over-control), Rock Water (for perfectionism and self-denial) and Pine (for self-blame) come to mind, but any of the 38 flowers could be indicated for different individuals.

A search for Bach flower remedies in the medical literature shows that a number of academic researchers have tried to evaluate the system by prescribing a standard mixture of remedies for the condition under study. That they mostly find no advantage over placebo is hardly surprising, because they have not respected an essential feature of this therapy, namely individualized treatment in which clients themselves have choice and control.

Focus on Healing: the ebook

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Focus on Healing: Holistic Self-Help for Medical Illness is now available in ebook format on Smashwords. Please click here for details.

The printed version, published a couple of years ago, was well received in New Zealand, but due to high postage costs not many copies were sold overseas. I’m hoping it will now reach a wider audience. Yesterday I was pleased to receive this comment from a reader in the UK:

I think it is quite an outstanding book … really helpful. I particularly like the case histories. It is balanced; it does not tear down either orthodox or so called “complementary” therapies and it encourages the patient to take responsibility without being heavy handed about this.

Again, here is the link.