Saving Lives In Slow Motion

Back pain is something most of us have suffered with at some point. In this episode I look at the various reasons behind back pain, how we can rethink it and manage it beyond simple exercise and pain relief including alternative therapies. The stats:  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/low-back-pain Back muscles:  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21632-back-muscle...

In this episode I look at why across much of the world mental health is in crisis. What are the reasons for this? What can we do about it?  TW: mentions suicide. Systems biology in medicine:  https://www.imperial.ac.uk/metabolism-digestion-reproduction/research/systems-medicine/ COVID and mental health:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8758130/# Trauma and mental...

Hydration is something many of us take for granted but in this episode I bust some myths around hydration, cover why it is important to give it some thought and why urine colour is not the best measure of how hydrated we are.  Too much vs too little:  https://www.instagram.com/drayanpanja/p/C16g1vfI3ZP/ BUY THE HEALTH FIX NOW:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Transform-Your-Week...

The thyroid is an important gland and with many functions. Up to 10% of people have a thyroid disorder and in this episode I look at common presentations and how to keep your thyroid healthy. How thyroid hormone is made:  https://www.ezmedlearning.com/blog/thyroid-hormone-synthesis-steps-pathway Hashimoto’s Disease - a common cause of hypothyroidism (underactive):  https://www.mayoc...

It’s the second commonest cancer in men across the world and increasing in incidence. In this episode I look at why it occurs and what we can do prevent it, manage risk and raise awareness. Hormones and their roles in prostate cancer:  https://www.ceu.ox.ac.uk/news/largest-study-to-date-confirms-role-of-two-hormones-in-aggressive-prostate-cancer-risk# Benign prostatic hypertrophy (not cancer)...

The amount of health information and practitioners are constantly growing and we have a choice about where we search for this information and advice. But how do you know who is reliable? How do you decide who to trust? I explore this and more in the episode.  Gen Z and their health:  https://www.healthline.com/health-news/tiktok-main-source-health-information-gen-z#56%25-of-Gen-Z-users-t...

Narrative Medicine is an important art in a consultation involving both talking and listening. In this episode I look at why it is important and how it can help our health outcomes.  AI in consultations:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13169325/GP-AI-listening-auto-generate-patient-notes-confidential-medical-information-wrong-hands.html Neurodivergence:  https://autietra...

Community as a cure? We often think of healthcare being a relationship between a clinician and a patient but amazing things can occur through the power of community and using it as sociological therapy. I look at why groups can be so powerful and how you might run one. Parkrun: home | parkrun UK Weight Watchers: How The WeightWatchers Weight-Loss Program Works Stanley Schachter’s work -...

Autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases are on the rise. In this episode I look at why this is the case, the mechanisms behind autoimmunity and what we can do to prevent and manage it. Innate vs adaptive immunity (including B and T cells):  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279396/# Molecular mimicry in autoimmunity:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896841118305...

Our biomechanics affect us all the time, each and every day and is often ignored when it comes to its impact on health. From hip pain to heartburn, our anatomy and the way we move can have impacts on our health on a daily basis. Leg length discrepancy:  https://www.thebiomechanicsmethod.com/2021/06/01/how-a-leg-length-discrepancy-affects-the-body/ Podiatry and foot biomechanics:  https:/...

In my book The Health Fix I talk about how I ask patients about their typical day and why that is a great question to ask in order to generate a 'Lifestyle Prescription’. Looking at your typical day may not be something you’ve done recently or in any detail but it can give you clues to why you may be contributing to some of your symptoms or how you feel.  Carpal tunnel syndrome and sleep posi...

Big Pharma gets a lot of bad press, yet most of us have needed to take medication for something at some point in our lives.  How do we minimise the risk of our coming to harm from drugs and what can industry do to work more openly with us? Diuretic drugs:  https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-79565-7_4 Ben Goldacre - a review:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article...

The evidence is compelling. Clutter can be harmful to our health in many ways from poor sleep, stress, anxiety and even physical pain. Why is this the case and what can we do about it?  Graham Hill - less stuff, more happiness:  https://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness?subtitle=en Marie Kondo and her work:  https://konmari.com/ Attention and the visu...

I got thinking about this recently whilst on holiday recently where I was having a lot of lie-ins and doing a lot of daydreaming.  Coffee:  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee Chewing and alertness:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449949/ Chewing and effects on the immune system:  https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/ne...

Many of us have role models but do they impact our health? As the Olympics were taking place recently I started to think about this and in this episode I look at some studies and reveal their  interesting findings. Role models (an alternative view):  https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-problem-with-role-models/ Smoking in popular culture:  https://truthinitiative.org/research-re...

This is a topic close to my heart and is important to address for patients and medical staff. Race is a sociological construct and differs from ancestry.  It has a surprising impact in medicine, both in terms of care and outcomes for patients. In addition racism  needs stamping out in the medical profession in all corners. Prostate cancer risk in black men:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih...

Breathing is a basic function we all need in order to survive  but doing it correctly can have benefits to our health and the opposite is true -  breathing in a sub-optimal way can pre-dispose to certain illnesses. Mouth breathing - could it predispose to allergies, asthma and impaired immunity?:  https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/mouth-breathing Nasal breathing benefits:&...

We know that how we live affects how we age, and in this episode, rather than focusing on longevity per se,  I look at the biology of ageing and how we can adopt simple daily habits to positively affect the factors that age us.  I also talk about my Health Loop and your 'typical day’ to help lay out your unique needs for a lifestyle prescription. Links: The fear of ageing:  https://...

In this episode I answer some of the many questions that land in my inbox. I tackle both common and interesting questions from listeners over the last year or so. There’s something  for everyone here and remember to cross reference with other episodes!  Intermittent fasting (review article):  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10005873/ Hypoglycaemia:  https://ww...

Sight is one of our special senses. At least 2.2 billion people have some kind of visual impairment. In this episode I look at common eye presentations, why they occur and how we can prevent them. Trachoma - a leading cause of preventable blindness:  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trachoma Glaucoma:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/symptoms-...

B12 deficiency affects up to 20% of people over the age of 60. It is often left undiagnosed but can present in many ways. In this episode I look at the nuance involved in making the diagnosis and treating it appropriately so that people do not come to harm. NICE guidance:  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng239 B vitamins:  https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-...

Biohacking is essentially optimising your biology to improve your health and longevity. It was popularised in Silicon Valley by the tech community and is now, and is a market that is growing by about 10% a year. But is it worth it and more importantly is it safe? Silicon Valley and biohacking:  https://www.theneweconomy.com/strategy/biohacking-the-controversial-trend-thats-taking-over-si...

This week I look at hormones and how they are crucial to our health. From our adrenal glands to our thyroid through to our sex hormones, they are important to keep in balance much like instruments in an orchestra. Endocrine overview:  https://www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system Steroid pathway diagram:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41435-021-00139-3 Oxytocin:&n...

Yoga has been practised for thousands of years but as many people are cynical about trying it as there are huge fans of it. In this episode I share my own experiences and the benefits yoga can confer to our health.  Links: Barriers to yoga (Nepalese sudy):  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8039334/ Yoga effects on brain health:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/...

Perfectionism has risen in the workplace in recent years. It can be a huge positive in terms of work standards but also predisposes people to stress, anxiety and burnout. In this episode I look at ways to capitalise on its strengths and mitigate any negatives. Not sure if you are one? Take the quiz below. Links:  Take the quiz - are you a perfectionist?:  https://www.livewellwithsharonma...