Universal Medicine

The national institute of mental health defines stress as “the brain's response to any demand”. The two main types are acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is the most common form of stress and comes from demands and pressures of recent and anticipated demands and pressures. Too much acute can be exhausting however as it tends to be short term acute stress doesn’t have enough time to do extensive damage. Chronic stress is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time in which an individual perceives they have little or no control over their situation. Chronic stress can form from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become internalised and remain present. It isn’t specifically the stress that is the problem but the build up of cortisol in the brain which can lead to health problems. Our body’s response to stress begins with the amygdala (cluster of cell nuclei inside the temporal lobe that processes emotional data) sends a message...

Research methods are always adapting and we are always discovering new things. Dentistry is constantly adjusting to new research that betters the patient’s experience. Here are some examples of the latest changes. High-tech X-rays Digitized x-rays have replaced traditional radiographs as they are much faster and efficient. Before patients would have to hold film in their mouths for a long period of time whereas now an image is captured by an electrical sensor or phosphor plate being placed in the mouth. There is less radiation as the sensor and plates are more sensitive to x-rays. The image can be scanned to a computer and stored which allows dentists to compare x-ray images from previous appointments. These type of x-rays are useful for finding cavities, seeing the bone below the teeth, check implant placements and see if root canals have been performed correctly.  Use of lasers Lasers are more frequently being used in the detection and removal of cavities. This means t...

Otherwise referred to as Fibro or ‘The Invisible Illness’ in chronic communities, Fibromyalgia is a chronic hypersensitivity disorder characterised by generalized and intense musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by intermittent periods of fatigue and cognitive impairment (i.e. loss of concentration and memory loss) known as ‘fibro fog’. Often initially masked by other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, fibromyalgia is said to impact up to 5 million americans, with an increased presence in women over men( a ratio of respectively 6:1). So, that’s all well and good, but what's the big deal with fibromyalgia? and why should we pay any particular attention? Well, though controversy begins at its unidentified cause, the medical debate reaches its peak once these conclusions impact the ethical behaviour of certain practitioners. So, without further ado, here’s a case study on Fibromyalgia, how it affects the patient to practitioner relationship and why even doctors ...