The day I broke my back
Back pain can be debilitating. I know. I’ve been there. I remember waking up one morning with horrific pain shooting through my back. The sort of explosive pain that stops you breathing and feels like a full body explosion. I lay there for hours until I realised I needed to get help. I slowly rolled […]
Continue ReadingNeuroplasticity and Anxiety
Neuroplasticity has been talked about as the greatest medical breakthrough in the last few hundred years. The idea that our brain can change its structure and function through mental experience was considered heresy only a few decades ago. Now we know that the brain is CONSTANTLY changing and adapting to experience. So not only were […]
Continue ReadingRituals of Relaxation
You would think that relaxing is the easiest thing to do in the world. When someone is good at it, they just seem to be able to stop what they are doing, and their body does the rest. However for some, relaxation is more elusive. If it is a challenge, it can be some of […]
Continue ReadingStress is contagious
My last post looked at environmental triggers. An article I read this week about stress being ‘contagious’ highlights this concept nicely. If someone is stressed, those around them can become stressed by watching them. The brain is constantly checking ‘Am I OK?’. If your peers are giving off the signs of not being OK, then for […]
Continue ReadingCFS & Inflammation
A recent study out of Japan has found some interesting findings around inflammation and CFS patients. Brain scans picked up inflammation in several areas of the brain in some CFS patients. This points to a possible ‘bio-marker’ test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The search for a bio-marker would be an important breakthrough for diagnosis however […]
Continue ReadingIs the Underpants Bomber’s Terror attack responsible for CFS?
That’s sure to get your attention. The answer is no BUT ………..for anyone suffering from a condition of heightened sensitivity (CFS, multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic pain, PTSD) please read on. The circumstances around this terror attack highlight an important principle. On Christmas Day 2009, a Nigerian man named Abdulmutallab boarded Northwest Airline Flight 253 from […]
Continue ReadingStress and Illness
Chronic Dwelling = Chronic Inflammation A recent study out of the UK showed that when people were asked to think about a negative event the levels of C-reactive protein, which is a marker of tissue inflammation, rose. The levels stayed elevated for an hour but could also be normalized by changing focus. This is an […]
Continue ReadingComputer Games – Just a bit of harmless fun?
I just know I’m going to sound like a bit of a ‘Grandad’ here but of late I’ve been thinking about the impact of computer games on health. A lot of the work that I do revolves around retraining the body’s dysfunctional stress response. The flight or fight response is brilliant for getting us primed […]
Continue ReadingNature and healthy Children
A lot of my work is involved in the impact chronic physiological stress plays on our health. I have worked a lot with children and over the years and I have become fascinated by the positive impact that being in nature has on our physiology and health. Most would agree that they feel less stressed […]
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