MPs and campaigners predict class action after failures to mount full-scale research into warnings left millions of patients at risk

By Nina Lakhani

Secret documents reveal that government-funded experts were warned nearly 30 years ago that tranquillisers that were later prescribed to millions of people could cause brain damage.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) agreed in 1982 that there should be large-scale studies to examine the long-term impact of benzodiazepines after research by a leading psychiatrist showed brain shrinkage in some patients similar to the effects of long-term alcohol abuse.

However, no such work was ever carried out into the effects of drugs such as Valium, Mogadon and Librium – and doctors went on prescribing them to patients for anxiety, stress, insomnia and muscle spasms.

MPs and lawyers described the documents as a scandal, and predicted they could lead the way to a class action costing millions. There are an estimated 1.5 million “involuntary addicts” in the UK, and scores display symptoms consistent with brain damage.

The MRC hosted a meeting of eminent experts and government representatives in 1981 after research by Malcolm Lader, now emeritus professor of the Institute of Psychiatry, showed brain shrinkage occurred in some benzodiazepine patients.

Recommendations to carry out studies to examine long-term problems associated with these drugs, which GPs prescribed more than 20 million times last year, were accepted by the MRC Neurosciences Board in January 1982.

But then the trail goes dead. The documents, which have been seen by The Independent on Sunday and were marked “closed until 2014″, do not make it clear why no work to test Professor Lader’s findings properly was ever funded. The Department of Health has no record of the meeting.

Jim Dobbin, the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction, said: “Many victims have lasting physical, cognitive and psychological problems even after they have withdrawn. We are seeking legal advice because we believe these documents are the bombshell they have been waiting for. The MRC must justify why there was no proper follow-up to Professor Lader’s research, no safety committee, no study, nothing to further explore the results. We are talking about a huge scandal here.”

Catherine Hopkins, the legal director of Action against Medical Accidents, added: “The failure to carry out research into the effect of benzodiazepines has exposed huge numbers of people to the risk of brain damage. This research urgently needs to be carried out, and if the results confirm the suspicions of the 1981 expert group, it could lead to one of the biggest group actions for damages against the Government and the MRC ever seen in the courts.”

Initially advertised as completely harmless, benzodiazepines (“benzos”) were touted as the world’s first wonder drug in the 1960s. Within a decade they became the UK’s most commonly used medication.

Current guidelines for doctors say they should be prescribed for a maximum of four weeks. But some people become “involuntarily addicted” within days, unable to stop without withdrawal symptoms such as burning sensations, distorted vision, headaches and even fatal seizures.

Some patients who have taken the pills for months or years have enduring neurological pain, headaches, cognitive impairment and memory loss. But 30 years after the MRC first considered the idea, there is no medical research to confirm whether this is down to drug-induced brain damage or not.

Professor Lader said yesterday: “The results didn’t surprise us because we already knew long-term alcohol use could cause permanent brain changes. There should have been a really good, large-scale study but I was never given the facilities or resources to do it.

“I asked to set up a unit to research benzos but they turned me down… they could have set-up a special safety committee, but they didn’t even do that. I am not going to speculate why; I was grateful for the support they did give me. There were always competing interests for the same resources, so maybe it wasn’t regarded as important enough.”

He repeated the small study and found similar, inconclusive results, but then gave up. “I was getting on with other research and didn’t want to be labelled as the person who just pushed benzos… I should have been more proactive… I assumed the prescribing would peter out, but GPs are still swinging them around like Smarties.”

The MRC has funded around 20 benzodiazepine studies since 1982, mainly in laboratory animals, but the critical questions posed by Professor Lader in 1981 remain unanswered.

Heather Ashton, emeritus professor of clinical psychopharmacology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, set up the first NHS withdrawal clinic in 1984. In 1995 she submitted a research proposal to the MRC to investigate the link between long-term benzodiazepine use and permanent brain damage, using sophisticated EEG and MRI scans, and cognitive testing in a randomised control trial. Her proposal was rejected.

There are a growing number of claims against individual doctors for negligent prescribing benzodiazepines. Ray Nimmo, prescribed Valium as a muscle relaxant for stomach pain in 1984, received £40,000 in an out-of-court settlement in 2002 after 12 years of addiction.

In the 1980s 17,000 claimants began a class action against the pharmaceutical manufacturers Roche Products and John Wyeth. Procedural delays, technical motions and escalating costs prevented the cases coming to trial.

A small group attempted to continue unrepresented as litigants in person but failed. The manufacturer’s total costs, £35m, were awarded, but not enforced against one of those final litigants, Michael Behan, who now works for Jim Dobbin MP.

Emma Jones, a solicitor at Leigh Day & Co, said: “We’re aware of earlier litigation against the drug companies which did not succeed. It is interesting that these documents may well have been pertinent at that time. It seems rather strange that such information was kept ‘hidden’ for so long.”

An MRC spokeswoman said: “The MRC Neurosciences Board accepted the conclusions of Malcolm Lader’s report on benzodiazepines. Therefore the MRC was open to any research application that met the required scientific standard… and continues to be receptive to funding in this area. The MRC funds only the highest quality science as judged by peer review. We do not fund research which does not meet this quality standard.”

Case study

Valerie Bell, 67 from Surrey, was prescribed lorazepam in 1984 after a panic attack. She weaned herself off in 2007 but still suffers from neurological pains in her head, neck and feet. No brain scan has even been done.

“I was running two florist shops in Essex with my husband; we had a great social life, and life was generally fantastic. On yet another diet, I had a panic attack at a party one night. My doctor said there was a wonderful new drug from the US, so I took it without asking questions. I didn’t feel right straight away. The doctor said it was my illness, increased the dose and added an anti-depressant. This went on for years, new pill after new pill. Some days I couldn’t even get out of bed.

I’ve seen 32 doctors but no one has said it could be the pills; for years I believed these men in white coats and Armani suits. When I decided enough was enough, it took me 15 years to come off: five tapered withdrawals made me loopy, hearing voices, unable even to make tea. No human being should suffer like this. We lost our home and our businesses. The drugs destroyed our lives.”

source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/drugs-linked-to-brain-damage-30-years-ago-2127504.html

Chlamydia testing has become more widely available

There were almost half a million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK last year, figures show.

Experts at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) say young people are most affected.

And one in 10 of 15-24 year olds with an STI became infected again within a year.

Health ministers said they would look at what more could be done to increase young people’s awareness of risks.

The 482,696 new cases represent a 3% rise from the 2008 figures, continuing a “steady upward trend” that the HPA said had been seen over the past decade.

Urban and deprived areas have the highest rates of STIs. Hotspots include Hackney and Lambeth in London, as well as Nottingham, Manchester and Blackpool.

The rise is in part due to more testing, and the use of tests which are more sensitive at picking up signs of an infection – but experts believe unsafe sexual behaviour is also part of the story.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, an STI expert at the HPA, said: “These figures highlight the vulnerability of young women.

“Many studies have shown that young adults are more likely to have unsafe sex. Often they lack the skills and confidence to negotiate safer sex.

“Reinfection is also a worrying issue. Teenagers are repeatedly putting their own, and others’, long-term health at risk.”

There were 217,570 diagnoses of chlamydia in 2009 – a 7% increase on the previous year. Cases of genital herpes went up by 5% to 30,126.

And diagnoses of gonorrhoea have gone up by 6% from 16,451 cases in 2008 to 17,385 last year.

Dr Colm O’Mahony, a consultant physician in sexual health, told BBC Radio 5 live, that the safe sex message was still not getting through to young people.

“In general, most STIs occur in young people because they lack the knowledge and self-esteem to actually avoid getting sexually transmitted infections – and that’s what we’ve been shouting about for years,” he said.

“We really need proper sex and relationship education in schools, and it needs to be a statutory obligation or this relentless increase will just continue unabated.”

The HPA says the bacteria which cause gonorrhoea are becoming more resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics.

Professor Cathy Ison, from the agency’s Centre for Infections, said: “We could see gonorrhoea becoming a very difficult infection to treat within the next five years.

“The infecting bacteria is very versatile. We’re trying to encourage companies to develop effective new antibiotics.”

Sexual health charities described the figures as “alarming” and joined the HPA in urging people to use condoms, and to have a health check if they had had unsafe sex.

Natika Halil, from the FPA, said: “Young men don’t wear condoms and it appears it’s young women who end up with the infection.

“The message from this data to the new government is that they mustn’t be tempted to cut services and campaigns in sexual health, or ignore the urgent need for statutory sex and relationships education in schools.”

Health Minister Paul Burstow said: “Left untreated, STIs can lead to infertility.

“We’re going to look at what more can be done to increase young people’s awareness of risks, to prevent infection and to access screening and treatment.”

source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11072853

Whenever you think of a beautiful face the first thing that comes to your mind is radiant and glowing skin isn’t it? All of us want beautiful skin but forget to follow some simple tips to get healthy skin.

People wonder why they don’t have beautiful skin like their friends. It is easy to believe that beautiful skin is a gift of those costly products which your friend use and which you can’t afford. But you need to get rid of this misconception.

You can not get beautiful skin over night by using some expensive creams. The secret behind glowing skin is a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few tips that will help you to get healthy and radiant skin.

Drink Enough Water:

The first condition for having a beautiful skin is to drink a lot of water. You should drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day to keep your skin hydrated and young. Water helps your body to discharge all toxic elements from your body which keeps your healthy.

Eat Healthy Food:

In order to get beautiful skin it is necessary that you avoid those junk foods even if they are very tasty. You don’t need to ignore chocolates forever. Having a chocolate once in a blue moon is fine but don’t make it a habit. Replace those pizzas and pastries with fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain minerals, anti oxidants and vitamins needed for your skin. If you are alcoholic or addicted to smoking you need to quit these habits for a healthier lifestyle.

Use Natural Face Care Products:

Yes it is true that some face care products are good for your skin but you should select natural skin care products. Don’t be fooled by the glamorous TV ads because the products shown there contain chemicals harmful for your skin. So never go for cheap products. Natural products may be expensive but they are worth of buying.

source: www.gethealthadvice.net/healthy-skin/essential-tips-for-healthy-beautiful-skin.html

Sometimes it may take long years for you to decide what kind of living style or healthy life you really deserve and how much you have gained so far. The comparison is substantially meaningful for leading a comfortable life altogether.

It is not about just maintaining a balanced diet, healthy food system, physical toning or measured by successful performance with every activity. To elongate it, emphasizes on mental peace, sense-synchronization, self-actualizations and mind-body-soul relaxation do matter a lot. Complete self monitoring ability comes with sheer concentration and response to a particular node. Get it on and you can find the real difference within you.

Yes, we are sharing thoughts on a very popular topic “hypnotherapy” that can boil down your existing belief on psychological- therapy benefit. This is exactly a paramedical process that regulates a particular behavior of a person by relaxing his or her conscious stage of mind and body too. Hypnosis lowers blood pressure, heart rate, alters certain types of brain activity and eases you physically, so that you become open and highly responsive to the needful suggestions. It can replace unhealthy behavior to a learned healthier one.

On this age of stress and strain, it is crucial that you become sensibly alert to your own identity, wellness cause and energized with good mental stability. You need to solidify your sense of control along with reducing fear, anxiety and physical discomfort. Do you have any idea other than getting in to hypnotherapy courses for these self treatment facilities? It is certainly not.

If you are meeting a hypnotherapist for this therapy, you may have to wait for 4-10 sessions to see the results. But while evaluating your progress over time for rest of your life, it is suggested to opt for hypnotherapy training from any recognized accredited hypnotherapy association. Make sure the organization has doctors with memberships from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and certified by The American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association.

Definition of happy life differs from one to one. But a person who has complete control on mind-body-soul is the real gainer every time, everywhere.

source: www.gethealthadvice.net/hypnotherapy/it-is-the-time-to-peep-into-the-world-of-your-healthy-life.html

Worried about the first signs of ageing? With age and the combined effects of stress and pollution it is quite difficult to retain healthy and glowing skin. This is why you need to use the Dermalogica Power Rich.

This cream is known for the structural support it offers to both layers of skin, the dermis and the epidermis.

Age and associated factors like your lifestyle and genetics results in certain changes in your skin. The cell renewal process slows down resulting in dull skin, the protein ‘collagen’ and the fibre ‘elastin’ are affected and the facial fat thins. All this leads to loose, sagging skin.

The cream stimulates the synthesis of collagen and also prevents the enzymes that have adverse effects on the natural structural support of the skin. Cell renewal and skin regeneration are also brought about with the continuous use of this cream.

The absence of any hydroxy acids in the Dermalogica Power Rich cream is an added advantage. Continuous use of products which have such components may result in irritation in sensitive skin.

The natural smoothing agents of the cream act as exfoliates and help in cell renewal. The moisture retention capability of the skin is also enhanced. The sun damages are corrected by the use of this cream as well. The result is firm, smooth and glowing skin.

Cheap dermalogica skin care products have become a popular trend in recent years. The formulations comprise natural ingredients like rice extracts, licorice, natural algae, wheat protein, kukui nut, yeast complexes, and many others. It is the use of natural ingredients that makes the products free from any side effects.

Applying the Dermalogica Power Rich cream is easy. All you need to do is cleanse your face and then apply the cream in circular motion. You need to let the cream be absorbed in the skin. This only takes a minute. This needs to be done twice everyday.

The best thing to do is to apply the cream in the morning before you go out and at night before you go to bed. Direct application helps to enhance the effects. With regular application, this cream is sure to leave you with healthy, supple and glowing skin!

The opportunity to save tens of thousands of HIV patients with a simple, cheap, drug treatment is being missed, say researchers.

Giving some newly-diagnosed patients an antibiotic would significantly reduce the death toll in the early stages of the disease, they say.

A major study in The Lancet medical journal found it halved mortality.

The World Health Organization already endorses the treatment, but specialists say many people are not given the drug.

“Tens of thousands of lives can be saved by more universal use of the drug, costing just a few pence a day” (Professor Charles Gilks, Imperial College London)

Much of the focus of the pharmaceutical battle against HIV has been on antiretroviral drugs, which can greatly extend life.

However, many patients are at greatest risk in the first weeks after diagnosis, with a variety of infections ready to take advantage of their weakened immune systems.

Studies have estimated that as many as a quarter of people who enter antiretroviral drug treatment programmes in sub-Saharan Africa will die in the first year.

But the addition of co-trimoxazole, an inexpensive antibiotic, to the long-term treatment plan of those with the worst affected immune systems appears to prevent many of these deaths.

The Lancet study, carried out among 3,179 Ugandan patients, suggested a fall of 59% over the first 12 weeks, and 44% between 12 and 72 weeks.

Call for action

Its authors, from the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit and Imperial College in London, and centres in Uganda and Zimbabwe, say the antibiotic is not available in many places.

They say their findings reinforce the need for swifter action by those responsible for drug treatment programmes.

Professor Charles Gilks, who led the study, said any arguments over the effectiveness of the antibiotics were now “well and truly answered”.

He said: “Tens of thousands of lives can be saved by more universal use of the drug, costing just a few pence a day.”

Co-author Professor Diana Gibb, from the Medical Research Council, said the availability and supply of the drug needed to be “ramped up”, and offered to all new patients for the first 18 months.

“There is a significant benefit now – waiting to be grasped,” she said.

In addition to preventing bacterial infections in HIV patients, the drug had a another welcome benefit – it cut the incidence of malaria by a quarter.

Dr Sarah Walker, also from the MRC, said: “The benefits of using this drug are huge, and it’s so simple and cost-effective to administer.”

However, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, the executive director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, said access to antiretroviral treatment remained an even bigger problem.

“We need to remember that there are still millions of people in Africa who need antiretrovirals and can’t access them.

“In Uganda the Alliance is seeing people turned away from clinics because they don’t have the treatment available.

“As the study confirms, antiretroviral treatment cuts the risk of death by more than 90% – with co-trimoxazole reducing the risk still further.

“We have the knowledge available to save lives but we need to increase efforts to make sure that everyone who needs treatment can actually access it.”

It may be a good idea to take nutritional supplements like antioxidant vitamins, which can help relieve stress, as researchers have found that stress may result in a shorter lifespan.

According to a study published in the journal Evolutionary Anthropology, scientists used ancient human teeth to discover that stress that was brought on earlier on in their life may have led to their early death.

Because teeth can serve as evidence of what kind of events take place throughout human development by studying the chronology of enamel development, researchers were able to notice individuals who experienced stress in the womb or during their early childhood had a shorter lifespan.

Researchers believe it was the stress of living conditions in earlier times may have resulted in individuals’ early demises. However, it should also be noted that deadly diseases were much more prevalent during this period.

“During prehistory, the stresses of infectious disease, poor nutrition and psychological trauma were likely extreme,” said researcher George Armelagos. “The teeth show the impact.”

The human mouth is a breading ground for germs, viruses and bacteria. Our bodies try their best to fight off these unwelcome invaders and most of the time they’re successful.

However, the least you can do is give your body a helping hand to keep your mouth clean and healthy…

Only fools fail to floss
The importance of flossing cannot be overstated. Without flossing you will leave over a third of your teeth uncleaned. That’s a great big area for bacteria to grow and decay to develop. But despite this millions of women in the UK don’t include it as part of their oral hygiene regime.

Chew that gum
Chewing sugar free gum in moderation increases levels of saliva in the mouth which is the body’s natural defence against germs and bacteria.

Dentists are your friend
Your dentist is absolutely crucial to maintaining a healthy mouth. Not only will he keep you teeth in tip-top condition but he can also help detect diseases of the mouth at a very early stage.

Tools
If your toothbrush is beginning to look a little rough around the edges it will be already reducing the effectiveness of your brushing. Failing to replace your toothbrush regularly is an open invitation to plaque and decay.

Eat
The food you eat is vital to the health of every part of your body and the mouth is no exception. For strong teeth you should ensure your calcium intake is above the recommended daily level. Eating raw foods such as celery and carrots is also hugely beneficial as it increases salivation which, as previously mentioned, is one of your mouth’s main weapons in the fight against germs and bacteria.

More than 1 in 3 Americans have at least one type of cardiovascular disease—including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, or stroke.

And yet many of them believe that their heart health is “ideal.” In fact, 4 in 10 Americans surveyed say their heart health is ideal even though they ignore their risk factors for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

More than half of those who reported having ideal heart health admit that a health professional has told them in the past that they have a risk factor for heart disease or that they should change their lifestyle in order to improve their health. Whether you believe your heart is in great shape or not, here are the AHA’s seven steps to take early in life to ward off cardiovascular disease.

Don’t smoke

Having never smoked or having quit more than a year ago is one of the factors that put people in the “ideal” category for heart health, according to the AHA. Smokers are at higher risk for developing health problems such as atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty material in the arteries, which can result in heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Smoking itself is considered to be the most important preventable cause of premature death in this country, the AHA reports.

If you live with another smoker and want to quit, try to persuade him or her to quit, too, advises Clyde Yancy, president of the AHA and medical director at the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. “The thing that is most important is having a concerned significant other who is providing support,” Yancy says. Smokers are usually more successful in quitting if they live with a nonsmoker or “with someone who is also quitting or wants to quit.”

Lower your body mass index

To protect your heart, aim for a body mass index lower than 25, the AHA says. The United States is “under assault” by the problem of obesity, Yancy says, and being overweight or obese is the “first step toward adult-onset diabetes.” That is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

The key is “energy in versus energy out,” Yancy says. “It is an overall program, [including] selection of food items, portion size, and burning calories.” But don’t be overly concerned if you find a BMI of less than 25 to be a goal too difficult to reach. “Any weight loss is a benefit,” Yancy says.

Exercise several times a week

A routine that includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week—brisk walking, ballroom dancing, or gardening, for example—or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity, such as jogging, aerobic dancing, or jumping rope, is one of the targets for achieving ideal heart health, according to the AHA.

Still, it’s not always easy to start an exercise regimen if you’ve been sedentary for a long time. A good general rule of thumb: “If you’re doing nothing, do something, and if you’re doing something, do more,” Yancy says. Then, gradually lengthen your exercise routine until you meet the recommended targets.

Maintain a healthy diet

To control weight and blood pressure, add variety to your diet by including fruits and vegetables that are low in calories but high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Also, eat unrefined whole-grain foods, which help you feel full faster and improve your cholesterol level. Eating fish at least two times per week may help decrease your risk of death from heart disease by supplying you with omega-3 fatty acids. Select lean meat and skinless poultry, and when it comes to dairy products, buy fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat items.

Control your cholesterol

Having a total cholesterol level of less than 200 milligrams per deciliter is the goal for ideal heart health. While you’ve most likely heard talk about “good” and “bad” types of cholesterol, “what research shows is that one number matters most to the most people, and that’s the total cholesterol,” Yancy says. A blood test at your doctor’s office can let you know where you stand.

About 75 percent of blood cholesterol comes from your liver and other cells; 25 percent comes from food you eat. Emphasize foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat. A good target? Limit your intake to 300 milligrams of cholesterol daily, the AHA advises.

If you’ve just been diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medication to help control it, or he may suggest that you make lifestyle changes first—such as changing your diet and exercising—to see if that brings your cholesterol level down without medication.

Lower your blood pressure

One in 3 adults has high blood pressure, but about 21 percent don’t know they have it, according to the AHA. Considered the most significant risk factor for heart disease, hypertension—if left uncontrolled—can be deadly. It can result in heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or kidney failure. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80.

Doctors can prescribe medications to help control blood pressure, but drug-free approaches—such as a nutritious diet, regular exercise, stress management, decreasing alcohol use, staying away from tobacco smoke, and keeping your body at a healthy weight—may help, too.

Aim for a fasting blood glucose level less than 100 mg/dL

Adults who have diabetes are two to four times as likely to end up with heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes, according to the AHA. And even properly controlled diabetes still carries risk; simply having the disease heightens the chance of heart disease and stroke.

Still, it’s important to control blood sugar in order to slow the onset of long-term problems, and keeping blood sugar in check can even decrease the need for medications. Diabetics should keep up with regular checkups and make sure that other risk factors—such as high blood pressure—are controlled as well.

Eight out of ten adults in America have—or will soon experience—back pain brought on by the wear and tear of living.

It seems simple to pop a pill for the pain, by why not avoid the side effects by trying natural possibilities first? You can turn to natural healing practices and herbs to alleviate back pain.

According to Chinese medicine, the skeletal structure, bones, and lower back are part of the kidney network. Kidney energy tends to diminish as we age, more rapidly with unhealthy diet, excessive strain, and youthful indiscretions such as drug and alcohol use.

Weakness in the kidney network results in symptoms of lower back pain, as well as general weakness, fatigue, and other signs of premature aging.

Replenishing kidney energy is a slow and difficult process; that is why it is essential to preserve kidney energy. Fortunately, through qigong exercises, herbs, proper diet and lifestyle, you can slow down its depletion and even regenerate certain aspects of kidney energy, and in the process, ease some of your back pain. Try these tips!

1. Eucommia for your aching back

Eucommia is a traditional ingredient in herbal formulas for back and joint pain and helps to strengthen your bones, tendons, and ligaments. Western studies with rats have discovered that both the leaves and the bark of eucommia contain a compound that encourages the development of collagen, an important part of connective tissues like skin, tendons, and ligaments. A typical dosage is 350 mg twice a day. You can also try the traditional Chinese Arthritis/Joint formula, which includes eucommia and other herbs that support a strong back.

2. Press here for relief

Lower back pain is one of the most common problems that we treat at the Tao of Wellness. We use acupuncture and bodywork to reduce pain, which has proven quite effective. Like acupuncture, acupressure is the art of acupuncture without needles, where you use your own fingers to stimulate a specific acupoint. The combination of the following two acupoints is good for strengthening the kidneys and alleviating back pain:

• Find the acupoint: Forceful Torrent (Ki-3), which is in the depression between the inner anklebone and the Achilles tendon of the right foot. Apply steady pressure with your right thumb until you feel soreness. Hold for 3 minutes. Repeat on the left foot.

Find the acupoint: Supporting the Core. It’s in the middle of the popliteal crease behind the knee of the right leg. Apply pressure with your right middle finger until you feel soreness. Hold for 3 minutes. Repeat on your left leg.

You can also massage the parts or your back that are in pain. Tonic oil, which consists of oils of camphor, peppermint, eucalyptus, fennel, and wintergreen, can be massaged into your back for relief from minor aches and pains.

3. Tasty treats for back pain

Make a delicious anti-inflammatory cocktail by mixing equal parts of unsweetened black cherry juice with dark grape juice and drink 3 to 6 glasses a day until the pain has eased. Also, feature more pineapple in your diet. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps with back pain, as well as muscle and joint pain.

4. Exercise can ease your back

Most back pain is caused by the wear and tear of living, which over time weakens our skeletal structure, in the form of bone loss or a displaced disk. Research conclusively shows that exercise early in life builds bone mass and strengthens the skeletal structure, helping to prevent injury down the road. The good news is that if you are advancing in age, regular exercise can slow the progress of degenerative bone disorders.

Generally for a healthy back, I recommend a combination of exercises: a 30-minute daily walk, moderate weight training to strengthen muscles and bones, and tai chi or qigong to build endurance and flexibility. A good form to choose is Dao-In qigong, which is gentle on the body and great for loosening up the back. During acute back pain, exercise may be difficult or too painful. Until you are mobile, bed rest is the best.

I hope you have found some natural ways to alleviate your back pain! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!