A little knowledge.....!

I was inspired to write this post as a result of advice given to my friend Lesley.

Lesley has been in a lot of pain over the last six months, which may be caused by rheumatoid arthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica.  She had an appointment with a rheumatologist today, who has authorised several tests including x-rays and blood tests and who will see Lesley again in four weeks´time.  I am confident that he will find out what her specific problem is (he suspects polymyalgia) and help her deal with it in the most appropriate way.

Lesley has been going to a massage therapist for a while and the massage has certainly helped relieve her symptoms short-term, which is good news.  However she has also been trying to lose weight and her massage therapist advised her to go on the Blood Group Diet.  This is what has caused me concern.

The advice for people with Lesley's blood group O is to eat a high-protein meat-based diet.  However I have read elsewhere on the internet (including an article written by a rheumatologist) that patients with polymyalgia rheumatica should be on a low fat/low red meat diet.    This contradicts the advice given to Lesley that she should be following the diet for blood group O.  I'm not saying that you should believe everything that you read on the internet, but who is more likely to know about the correct diet for someone with Lesley's symptoms? A massage therapist - who may or may not have nutritional  knowledge - or a medical specialist?

As a qualified complementary therapist, I was taught never to give advice outside my areas of expertise.  I wouldn't have advised someone like Lesley to follow a particular diet, apart from saying in general terms to avoid processed foods and to eat a healthy, natural, varied diet.  Obviously people with specific medical problems like diabetics and coeliacs need to avoid particular foods, but they should seek advice from suitably qualified people and not, say, a reflexologist whose only qualification is in reflexology.

I am not on a mission to knock fellow complementary therapists or this particular diet, even though my research has revealed that most medical and nutrition experts state that the theory behind it is nonsense.  It's not the only fashionable diet out there that isn't based on sound nutritional guidelines.

My point here is that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  Most diets will help someone lose weight, if only because the individual is more aware of how much food they are eating.  Most diets won't harm a healthy person who follows the diet for a short period of time.    My concern is that so-called professionals may persuade someone to follow an eating regime that is unsuitable, in the misguided belief that they are helping them.  Of even more concern is the fact that sensible, intelligent people like my friend Lesley may be persuaded by an "expert" that their advice is good for them when it may in fact have the opposite effect.

My final point, aimed particularly at women of a "certain age" who have been brought up not to complain but just get on with it, is please go to see your doctor if you have symptoms that don't clear up quickly.  Pain isn't normal, so don't grin and bear it.  Pester your doctor until he or she sends you for whatever tests are necessary to get a diagnosis.  The rheumatologist was impressed by how brave Lesley had been, but amazed that her doctor had let her go for six months in pain without resolving her problems.  We all have the right to good health, or the best health possible for us as individuals, so let's fight for it!

I'm a doctor - trust me!

First of all, I want to make it clear that I don't want to knock the medical profession.  After all, my uncle was a doctor, my cousin is a doctor and many of my friends have been doctors.  However they are very busy people, and they can't possibly know everything there is to know about maintaining good health when their chief priority is dealing with bad health. At times they must be tempted to just scribble out a prescription and buzz the next patient in, especially when they know that the medication works.

I have a friend - let's call him Ian.  Ian has been a diabetic for 20 years and when he was first diagnosed he ventured to ask his doctor about the Low GI Diet.  His doctor dismissed this by saying it was far too complicated, so Ian has been insulin-dependent ever since.  Until recently, when his wife discovered a book about the Low GI Diet that wasn't complicated, and since then Ian's health has improved and he has been able to reduce the insulin.  It is still early days, but Ian is hopeful that this is working - if only he had been given this help 20 years ago!

As we get older, the chances of developing age-related medical conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, joint pains, cancer - and of course diabetes - start to increase. Your doctor is there to help you when such problems arise, however who is there to help prevent such conditions occurring in the first place?  Only one person can do that - you.

My father had high blood pressure and was on medication until the day he died prematurely at the age of 47.  When my doctor told me that my blood pressure was a bit too high, I decided to lower it the natural way rather than relying on medication - after all, at the end of the day it hadn't prevented my father's death.  I use natural supplements, relaxation techniques, regular exercise, a healthy diet and sensible weight control amongst other methods.  Obviously I check my blood pressure on a regular basis, as if it does get too high I will need to go back to my doctor, but I see that as a last resort.

Of course we all need to use our common sense here: if you discover your blood pressure is dangerously high, please see your doctor immediately and don't try to self-medicate! Be wary of self-diagnosis too - in particular don't use the internet to replace your highly qualified doctor.  I am talking mainly of preventing these so-called age-related conditions in the first place, as well as using natural methods to improve your health if problems occur, hopefully allowing your doctor to either reduce or even stop your drugs.

When I worked as a complementary therapist, I always advised my clients to tell their doctor about their treatment and never to reduce their medication without their doctor's consent. After all, I  am not medically qualified and the key word here is "complementary" - I see natural medicine as working alongside conventional medicine rather than replacing it.

However I am a great believer in preventative methods such as regular exercise, a healthy and varied diet, and relaxation techniques.  Surely it is better to prevent, or at least delay, age-related health problems in the first place?  The internet is an excellent source of information, though please don't take everything that you read on a website as gospel (even this one!).  Research widely, and remember that some websites exist mainly to sell their own products, even though their general advice may still be very good.

If in doubt, do talk to your doctor.  You may need to be persistent if you want to use natural remedies, but emphasise that you aren't talking about replacing conventional medicine, just reinforcing it the natural way. He or she may not know everything, and if you have an old-school doctor they may be sceptical about complementary medicine, however doctors are one of the few professionals that most people still trust!