Research shows women who smoke or have smoked regularly are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Scientists in Sweden examined data from 34,101 women between the ages of 54 and 89. Of these, 219 had RA. RA is joint damage caused by the immune system. Unlike osteoarthritis, it is caused by the body read more »

Acupuncture is gaining acceptance in the U.S. as a treatment for mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). When Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast of America last year, help came for those affected in the form of Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB), a non-profit organisation formed to help people deal read more »

Many people are now exploring acupuncture as an option when trying for a baby to help boost fertility and regulate the menstrual cycle. Acupuncture in an ancient practise used within traditional Chinese medicine that is becoming more and more widely used. The purpose of acupuncture is to keep your energy (or Qi) flowing evenly throughout read more »

A more intense type of acupuncture, known as de qi acupuncture, has been proven more effective at treating Bell’s palsy than regular acupuncture. Acupuncture is the process of stimulating specific points of the body using various methods – the most common of which is with thin, sterile needles. The therapy is commonly split into two read more »

There are currently seven million people reliant on painkillers just to face the working day, but using over-the-counter drugs too much is dangerous. Nuffield Health recently conducted a study suggesting that one in five people in the UK are taking painkillers on a regular basis, just so they can face going to work. Those taking read more »

Laser acupuncture is a new form of acupuncture which uses enough light energy to stimulate meridian points without breaking the skin or leaving marks. Now, scientists think it could help reduce symptoms of depression. It’s hoped that laser acupuncture, as a less invasive form of the therapy, will prove more popular in the West than read more »

Beating anxiety can be hard, but these easy to adopt habits should help to reduce symptoms. Not being able to sleep, a racing heart and that sinking feeling in the pit of you stomach are all symptoms of anxiety. Introducing a few easy habits every day will go a long way to reducing these feelings read more »

US researchers have suggested that living in sunnier climates may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have carried out a study on more than 200,000 women looking into the link between sunlight and the chances of developing the disease. It has been speculated that vitamin D (produced by read more »

New research shows Olympic athletes live an average of 2.8 years longer than we mortals, but experts insist longevity is within everyone’s reach.  Findings published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) indicated that people who took part in non-contact sports like rowing, cycling and tennis lived significantly longer than other people. Now two public health read more »

A new study suggests acupuncture may help reduce the fatigue, anxiety and depression commonly experienced by female breast cancer patients,. Researchers at the University of Manchester, U.S, recruited 325 women who had moderate to severe cancer-related fatigue. All the women had undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer at some point in the last five years, and read more »