Monthly Archives: June 2013

OMS retreat and Second paper from the HOLISM study published: omega 3s associated with markedly better health

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I’m really, really looking forward to getting away from it all ( apart from my MS learning) next week on the retreat for people with MS run by George Jelinek of Overcoming MS. Vegan food, peaceful and beautiful surroundings – just hope they have wiFi!!

Launde Abbey

The reason that I’m there, is  to learn, as OMS have asked me to help them run the one day courses which will be running in the UK, to educate people about the evidence for lifestyle measures that can help people with MS to remain well. I’m looking forward to it! As this is not an either/or choice – there’s a place for both types of medicine – I have never been afraid to stand up and promote this from the rooftops!  Going to take my yoga mat and meditation shawls….

And here’s just some of the research that OMS have been up to recently

Second paper from the HOLISM study published: omega 3s associated with markedly better healthOur research team at OMS is excited about the findings of our latest study from the HOLISM database, published online early at the International Journal of Neuroscience (http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00207454.2013.803104). To refresh memories, this study recruited around two and a half thousand people with MS from Web 2.0 platforms like Facebook, Twitter and MS websites, from 57 countries around the globe. They completed a long survey about their lifestyles and the illness. We have been busy analysing the data ever since; the findings about one part of the lifestyle survey relating to fish and omega 3 consumption have just been published and add enormous weight to the OMS recovery program. Briefly, those consuming fish the most frequently (three or more times a week), and those taking omega 3 supplements, had better health in virtually all measured domains of disease activity, disability, and quality of life. Perhaps the most striking finding however of the research was that while people with MS taking regular fish oil supplements had 44% fewer relapses than those not taking omega 3s, those taking flaxseed oil regularly had 66% fewer relapses! This effect was independent of how frequently they were consuming fish. We have suggested flaxseed oil as the preferred omega 3 supplement in the OMS recovery program since its inception. These data provide strong support for that approach.
The take-home messages from the paper were that, in a real world setting, people with MS taking omega 3 supplements and eating fish regularly have much better health! They have less disability, fewer relapses and better quality of life. People looking to recover from MS everywhere who are incorporating these lifestyle changes into their lives can take great heart from these findings.
The full version of the paper is still not available for download from the journal website, so we have attached a pdf (above right) to enable people to read the full paper.

Get chugging back that Flax seed oil!

Woop woop! My workplace, the Bedford MS Therapy Centre wins Big Society award!

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very proud as one of my heroes, Val, accepts Big Society award for the MS Therapy CentreBig society award

My 2 roles. Just to be really clear

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Recently we had a local newspaper article that started off so well, about the exciting results we’ve been getting with APS Therapy at the MS Therapy Centre in Bedford. Then in the last paragraph, it said that I was now offering to rent APS machines to MS patients, which made it sound as though I was renting them to my own patients, and was an unintentional mistake by the journalist.

local newspaper article on APS Therapy

To be clear, people with MS who live in Bedfordshire or Northamptonshire can come to the MS Therapy Centre and have this therapy for free, and I will be involved, as the MS Nurse there.

In my private business,  I do a variety of therapies, not aimed at people with MS, and I tend to keep the 2 separate.  I have  added renting APS Therapy machines to my business, and this is available for anyone from the general public who has pain. I am advertising this in local papers and on my business facebook page.

At the moment, I am the only UK supplier of APS Therapy machines. However, if & when people with MS want to purchase a machine, I supply them direct from the manufacturer, without taking commission, as long as they can prove that they have MS. People who are not members of the Beds & Northants MS Therapy Centre will still need to pay for their training, treatment plan and follow up time. This is important to know, as in June/July there will be a peice in the MS magazine New Pathways about what we are doing at the MS Therapy Centre, and also about my business.

Hope this makes things really clear