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Tag: Health

  • NHS trial to look at Ayurvedic remedy as a replacement for antibiotics for colds and the flu

    Could an Ayurvedic remedy offer an alternative to antibiotics for colds and the flu? This is the question being asked by GPs wary of overprescribing antibiotics, where they are sometimes not needed. A new trial led by the University of Southampton will enable 20 GP surgeries in south east England to offer andrographis, or a…

  • Paintings in Hospitals secures National Lottery support on its 60th anniversary

    Paintings in Hospitals has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £9,800 to explore and share its heritage. The People, Paintings and Positivity project has been made possible by the monies raised by National Lottery players. It will focus on Paintings in Hospitals’ pioneering 60-year history and its impact on the nation’s health and…

  • Swedish massage can help improve sleep

    One in five people experience excessive tiredness at any given time, while one in 10 have chronic fatigue (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018) Fatigue and depleted energy could be addressed with weekly Swedish and Thai massage, suggests a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (MacSween et al, 2017). Researchers from Teesside…

  • People with Alzheimer’s at greater risk from head injuries

    People with Alzheimer’s disease are 30% more likely to experience head injuries and 50% more likely to experience traumatic brain injuries than those who don’t have the disease, a recent study from University of Eastern Finland shows. This is the first study that has assessed the incidence of head and traumatic brain injuries among people…

  • Dr Chatterjee looks at the real causes of depression in new podcast

    GP, Author and TV Presenter, Dr Rangan Chatterjee looks at uncovering the real causes of depression in part one of his latest Feel Better, Live More podcast. Rangan talks to author and journalist, Johann Hari, who says although we have been told a story that drugs are a solution to depression and anxiety, in many…

  • College of Medicine publishes Complementary Medicine Roundup

    The College of Medicine has published its latest Complementary Medicine Roundup. Written by former barrister, Richard Eaton, the February roundup is packed with a wealth of information on the latest developments in complementary therapy, from research and advocacy, to current challenges and areas of progress. The latest roundup begins with a mention of the 2018…

  • Mindful March

    Being more mindful and living in the moment is the main focus of Action for Happiness’ (AFH) Mindful March action calendar. AFH publishes monthly calendars, available in 12 different languages, offering daily suggestions on the theme of the respective month. Mindful March follows Friendly February, where daily actions aimed to bring happiness to others and…

  • NHS England to recruit 1,000 social prescribing link workers

    An army of advisers will be recruited to help patients live fitter, healthier lives and combat anxiety, loneliness and depression under recent plans by NHS England to ramp up social prescribing. Around half of GP appointments are not directly related to medical conditions, according to experts. Growing evidence shows that referrals to community services such…

  • School for thought

    FHT’s Editor and Communications Manager, Karen Young, visits the NHS Natural Health School team in North Yorkshire From left to right: Karen Young, Gwyn Featonby, Beverley Harrison, Sarah Grant, and NHS Natural Health School student, Lorraine Cole One cold morning in January, I travelled from Southampton to Harrogate to meet with Gwyn Featonby, Sarah Grant…

  • Music therapy could help prevent falls in over 65s

    More than three million people are treated for fall related injuries during the winter months, with around 60,000 requiring hospital treatment. Daniel Thomas, Joint Managing Director & neurologic music therapist at Chroma, the UK’s leading national provider of arts services, suggests winter poses a serious risk of falling to the elderly for a number of…

  • Laughter yoga featured on This Morning

    Laughter yoga was recently featured on ITV’s This Morning, as hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield took part in a demonstration led by Louise Claire Gates. Louise introduced them to the therapy, explaining its origins and health benefits, saying that belly laughter can produce similar benefits to running and other exercises. She explained that when…

  • The importance of touch

    GP, Author and TV presenter, Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks about the importance of human touch in his latest Feel Better, Live More podcast. Rangan speaks to leading researcher, Professor Francis McGlone, who explains why touch is essential to the healthy brain development of humans and other mammals, and what the consequences are when we don’t…