The Therapist Issue 7 May 2003

Another insurance year has been and gone and it is a pleasure to note that the large majority of members have already renewed their cover.

Perhaps they, like ourselves, noticed a recent press report saying that therapists are now 10 times more likely to have a claim made against them than they were a mere three years ago. We have no wish to see claims stack up which would serve only to damage our present excellent claims record which has considerable influence on the premium rates.

MORE PROTECTION

By any current standard a policy renewal premium which has shown a minimal increase and an increase in cover available just has to be good. The premium increase, just £5.00 whichever indemnity limit (£1 or £2 Million) is chosen, is certainly likely to be significantly less than members experience for their home, car or other insurance contracts.

Since last year’s renewal the cover available under the policy has been extended to include a further 16 treatments and/or therapies within the basic lists 1 and 2. 170 items now appear in these lists providing cover for any of them at the standard premium rate.
For practitioners whose training encompasses skills requiring greater knowledge and practical ability there are a further 35 non-medical specialist treatments can be included on payment of a supplement premium. It is a rare therapist who is unable to protect all their treatment skills under the single I.P.T.I. policy

The above benefits have been achieved by maintaining a low number of claims thus earning the confidence of the underwriters by ensuring all members admitted to the scheme have a high standard of professional practitioner training. We have been told that underwriters are now requiring more information and evidence that treatments are effective and safe. This points to a future likely to make the approval of new therapy cover more difficult to obtain.

Correspondence Courses

We acknowledge that a first class training with highly regarded qualifications can be achieved by distance learning, one only has to consider qualifications provided by The Open and other Universities.

Complementary therapy training is popular and there are many correspondence course providers but the quality and value of the training varies greatly, from that which is highly respected to that which is practically worthless. Courses and qualifications are often described as ‘recognised’ but the question ‘recognised by who’ usually remains unanswered.

HIGHLY RESPECTED

As long ago as the late 1960’s an organisation, later to be called the ‘The Open and Distance Learning Quality Council’ was formed to provide an accreditation service to distance learning providers; a service which identifies and guarantees a good training service. But it cannot and does not endorse individual qualifications. Good providers will usually provide reliable advice on training, qualifications and careers but ultimately their purpose is to sell courses and it remains the intending trainee’s responsibility to check the suitability of the training and particularly if that training is acceptable to the appropriate professional associations and their insurers. When selecting any training the warning ‘caveat emptor’, (buyer beware) is particularly relevant.

HIGHLIGHTS ADVICE

The I.P.T.I. policy is to accept, in principal, qualifications provided by ODL QC accredited organisations but applicants will need to demonstrate that they have received appropriate face to face practical therapy tuition. It will also be expected that the training provider’s standards are accepted by the appropriate professional associations.

The ODL QC produce a useful leaflet entitled ‘A Buyers Guide to Distance Learning’ which highlights advice and questions that perhaps need answers when a correspondence course is being considered.

Their address is at 16, Park Crescent, London W1B1AH, Telephone 020 7612 7090; Fax 020 7612 7092. Electronic contact may be made by e-mail at info@odlqc.org.uk and on the web at www.odlqc.org.uk

Client Records

Client records play a vital role in any treatment claim and a short comment here would be appropriate.

When a claim is made relating to a treatment all the relevant case documentation has to be produced and insurers complain that the detail is often sketchy and incomplete. A complete documented case history is vital for the therapist’s protection whether it be to determine a claim or as protection in a prosecution.

Records showing consultation notes, contraindications, treatment decisions, performance and results together with photographs if appropriate and client comment and reactions clearly recorded in chronological sequence will all contribute towards establishing a therapist’s care and competence.

AN UNSHECULED HAPPENING

This task is not easy, particularly when surrounded by the demands of a busy practice but we have seen many an instance of a therapist’s defence suffering through want of some clear records. An accident is often defined as ‘an unscheduled happening’.

A good and complete set of records will go a long way to prevent a practitioner being blamed.

Common Sense Hygiene

Do I detect a swing in the hygiene pendulum? In recent months there appears to have been a spate of press articles proclaiming that “all hygiene is not good hygiene”

Austrian scientists reporting on a study of 2000 children found that those exposed to farm animals were much less likely to develop asthma, hay fever and other allergies.

My own childhood was spent on a mixed farm – crops and stock – and I am sure that it was my regular supply of milk from Daisy – one of a small herd of cows that were not registered TB Free – which led to my having a healthy resistance to tuberculosis.

Other common ailments such as scarlet fever and whooping cough were notable for their infrequence. Being put in the same bed as a measles spotted sibling failed to provoke the disease whilst mumps was delayed until the age of 32 and was a relatively mild attack which threatened none of the serious side effects associated with that particular disease.

DYNAMIC NATURE

Only recently the B.M.J. reported that Italian Naval Cadets who had been exposed to Hepatitis A were less likely to develop allergies. The development of the immune system needs the stimulus of exposure to pathogens and the often severe reactions of people coming from regions where a particular disease is not endemic is an indication of the dynamic nature of disease immunity.

Nepalese gurkhas stationed in Hong Kong were automatically hospitalised if they developed the slightest symptom of measles. Our own Chinese daughter, whilst still less than six months old, suffered an extreme life threatening reaction to the measles virus due to a lack of any inborn immunity.

We are all now inundated with a constant stream of commercial advertising and products; bactricidal sprays washes, creams, swabs, wipes and rinses and innumerable odoriferous chemical sprays to mask, dispel and deodorise the atmosphere of bathrooms, kitchens, toilets, lounges and even curtains and other soft furnishings. It is my personal opinion that being repeatedly subjected to a chemical pollution of the natural atmosphere is as likely as anything to have contributed in no small measure to the upsurge in frequency of asthmatic conditions.

Early in my career as a biologist and science teacher I recall one pupil noted primarily for his regular absence due to contracting one malaise after another.

HYGIENE FREAKS

A fortuitous change of family G.P. led to a home survey revealing a household of what, in these days would be called ‘hygiene freaks’ insistent on two full baths a day, obsessive washing, hygiene regimes, etc. etc. The subsequent hygiene education of this family certainly reduced the infection rate of this particular family and produced a normalisation of their offspring’s school attendance and educational progress.

An interesting postscript to this sequence of events did occur. It transpired that the family’s procedure for ‘walking the dog’ was to shoo it into the back garden 10minutes before bedtime where the lettuce patch became a convenient toilet and was subsequently confirmed as the source of canine tapeworms from which the family was genuinely suffering.

GUARD AGAINST DISEASE

These anecdotes support the view that our immune system needs the stimulation of foreign bodies to be at its most effective. (How else do protective vaccinations work?) Compulsive hygienic practices and avoidance of all pathogenic agents are likely only to reduce the effectiveness of our body’s ability to guard against disease.

ITEC Professionals and GCP Merge

The practitioner organisations ITEC Professionals and The Guild of Complementary Practitioners (G.C.P.) have announced that from 1st. April 2003 their organisations joined forces to be known as the International Guild of Professional Practitioners. I.P.T.I. wish the new organisation well in their work for complementary practitioners.


What did you give your cat for Christmas?

I admit that it is a bit late to ask a question such as this but was yours a lucky pussy to get its own copy of the latest feline Top of the Pops?

It appears that animal psychologists and behavourists at the veterinary University of Vienna have marketed a disc of feline favourites which sold over 10,000 copies in the run up to Christmas.

The disc is the result of feline musical appreciation research. Hundreds of
urban moggies were filmed whilst being exposed to a wide range of musical styles and their behavioural response noted. Perhaps not surprising was the tendency the cats showed to move towards or
away from speakers apparently depending on whether they liked or disliked the music provided.

Experimental results showed preferences for male Voice choirs – step forward Welsh singers –perhaps you should record your own disc for cats – and for the oboe and the double bass. Violin music produced the most negative response among the audience, (I’ll not speculate over the possible effect of the traditional material of the strings of that instrument).

natural body rhythm

Researchers observed that music with a fast beat and deep tones were preferred perhaps mimicking the subject’s natural fast heartbeat and low natural body rhythm. Are we destined to experience the emergence of music therapy for
over-stressed urban felines? I have to admit to still trying to figure out the purpose behind this particular piece of academic research.

In’t club? By gum thou’s at a reet risky time
B'y gum -
It's a reet risky business

The consequences of a lack of adequate personal dental care is something many seem happy to inflict on friends, enemies and the innocent alike.

Dental care during pregnancy is a health concern that is extremely important and is the principal reason that free dental care is available during pregnancy.

The susceptibility of woman to dental ill health at this time has long been recognised and is expressed in the old saying that a woman loses a tooth for every child she bears. Smoking has been established as a cause of low birth weight and delayed development of infants now gum disease has been linked to harmful pre-natal risks.

The University of North Carolina has had an ongoing trial for the past five years involving 357 women. The deterioration of teeth during pregnancy is due to a slackening of connective tissues in the gums making them more susceptible to infection. Periodontitis is a more advanced form of Gingivitis which attacks the socket bone and fibres holding the teeth. Poor oral health during pregnancy has also been linked to an increased risk of developing the potentially fatal pre-eclampsia which can cause dangerously high blood pressure.

In the trials it was found that those women who had gingivitis at the start of their pregnancy were more liable to go into labour at under 37 weeks or even earlier at under 34 weeks bringing with it the risks that can accompany premature labour.

Within the U.K. 95 % of the adult population suffer from gum disease at some time during their lives. The main cause of periodontitis is the failure to clean the teeth and to remove the causative bacteria. If the socket bones are attacked it is possible to stop further deterioration but not to repair existing damage. The moral of the story is clear – Non-diligent dental hygiene is detrimental to which can possibly be added take care - Pregnancy promotes periodontitis.

Sleep, tiredness and accidents

It has been claimed that tiredness may be responsible for twice as many road accidents as driving whilst intoxicated.

Canadian research claims a measurable decrease in efficiency on the day following a night of partial loss of sleep.

CLOCKS ARE PUT BACK

The same research also found a small decrease in accidents at the time clocks are put back giving – for those willing to take the opportunity – an extra hour’s rest in bed

With this in mind perhaps we all should be that little bit more careful when we drive around the time when the clocks go forward.

DRAMATIC INCREASE

An article contrary to the above appeared in the Daily Express on 26th. October 2002 – the day the clocks went back last year.

The article predicted a “dramatic” increase in road accidents. Figures were quoted for road deaths for the whole of November 2001 numbering 332 – that was 29 or 9.5% more than in October 2001.

This is a significant increase but it is not the sole result of the clocks being put back by one hour on one day. What cannot be disputed is the fact that by putting the clocks back by one hour does bring nightfall into the evening rush hour and this is so every day of the week.

It is perhaps no coincidence that the Transport Research Laboratory find that the majority of accidents occur between 4.0 and 6.30 p.m., ie. during the period of failing light.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special Feature

Insurance premium increases - part two
By John Cragg

In the first part of this article I dealt with several legislative changes which have been introduced in recent years which have all been responsible for significantly increasing both payments made to claimants and also the insurance company’s administrative costs.

All increases faced by insurers have to be paid for - which essentially means insurance premiums must increase. Policyholders seem to have difficulty in understanding why there is the apparent need for large increases across the full range of insurance.

In the last issue I highlighted seven recent changes in law each impacting on premiums. In this final part I will explain a further nine factors which, during recent times, have all contributed to the increased cost of providing insurance and hence to the rising premiums which everyone is currently experiencing.

1. The World Trade Centre attack - September 11th. 2001

This single event led to a focus on insurance and an awareness of our vulnerability. Insurers have to ensure that their financial reserves are more than adequate to meet whatever claims they might sustain. They use a proportion of the premium income to re-insure their risks which, in effect, spreads their risk liability should they sustain a series of large claims.

INSURANCE CAPACITY

The events of September 11th produced claims losses without precedent and it remains possible that some insurers may themselves fail as a result. If this happens it could result in a large reduction in insurance capacity. Re-insurance contracts will need to be renegotiated individually with, inevitably, higher premiums and additional restrictions in the cover provided. It is anticipated that premium increase for re-insurance will average between 25% and 100%. These additional costs will inevitably need to be passed on to the individual policy holders’ in higher premiums.

2. Increased catastrophic losses to property

In recent years there has been an increase in heavy insurance losses due to flooding. (As I write vast areas in Eastern Europe are being torn apart in Eastern Europe.) Large areas in the U.K. have suffered flooding, sometimes repeated flooding.

Flood defence work is unlikely to produce significant protection for several years. In some of the most vulnerable areas protection work is not even due to commence until the year 2010. Financial provision in the expectation of more catastrophic losses has now to be built into the premium rates. An alternative can only be for insurance companies to cease carrying flood risks which would make it more difficult and more costly to obtain cover.

3. Increased frequency of large fire and theft Losses

The record of claims in recent years show large increases in losses due to large fire and theft incidents. Arson appears as a major cause – remember the spate of large school fires that occurred not so long ago?

There have been changes in fire brigade procedures aimed at reducing occurrences of death and injury to firefighters.

Payments for Business Interruption insurance have increased disproportionately due to global trading practices and a greater reliance by businesses on single suppliers.

The theft of new technology, principally sophisticated computer equipment, has led to a substantial increased in claims.

These events have had a major impact on property insurance resulting in a need for a premium rate increase greater than 5%.

4. The emergence of new types of claim

In recent years claims involving stress, violence, abuse, tobacco smoke, sick building syndrome, acoustic shock have all occurred with increasing frequency. These are claims which, by their very nature, are difficult to quantify and deal with.

Claims for stress are particularly frequent – it is said to be the second most reported reason for absence from work, accounting for 20 – 25 % of all absences. Surveys carried out by the Confederation of British Industry say that high numbers of individuals claim stress is a serious problem for them.

LOGICAL CONCLUSION

Stress is not related to any particular company and can arise in any business and behind one claim there is a potential for many other claims if the first claim is successful. The frequency of the type of claim is rising very rapidly – 2001 showed a 40% rise in the number of claims settled compared with the previous year and the payments are also increasing with 19% more paid out than in year 2000.

As I write, today’s paper carries an account of a successful claim made by a patient claiming to have caught a cold whilst visiting his doctor’s surgery. If the courts choose to give credibility to such selfish and unreasonable complaints we may as well resign ourselves to a constant escalation in insurance charges.

Taken to its logical conclusion can we expect at some juncture that Doctors will claim against their patients on the grounds that they are exposing them to multitude of germs, infection and disease? It certainly follows!

In affected cases liability claims in this category has shown an average increase of 20%.

5. Personal injury claims inflation

The cost of settlement of Personal Injury claims is rising at about 9 % p.a. at a time when the Retail Price Index (RPI) is below 3%. For serious injuries the settlement increase rose by 12% (1999 statistics). This means there is a serious discrepancy between insurance income and expenditure and that premiums must increase by more than the current RPI

HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARENESS

The number of claims being made in this category is also rising steeply largely due to the No win-No fee arrangements
(c.f. Part 1) and increased Health and Safety awareness.

Many Employers Liability claims may not be settled for 3 to 4 years and consequently future claims inflation needs to be taken into account.
The recent average settlement of Employers Liability claims has increased at a rate of 5 times the RPI.

6. Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB)

The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) was established in 1946 with the principal aim to compensate victims of negligent uninsured or untraced motorists.
All insurers underwriting motor insurance have to be members of the MIB and to contribute to its costs – currently approximately 7% of each motor policy premium written.

According to the Motor Insurers Information Centre – a subsidiary of the MIB - 1 in 20 vehicles are estimated as not having appropriate Motor Vehicle Insurance representing some 1 million individuals who are content to let others ‘pick up the tab’. As an aside, and, whilst appreciating that it is the driver rather than the vehicle that is insured, is it really beyond the wit of man to devise some scheme that would ensure all drivers (and vehicles) have appropriate insurance? Would it not be possible to to adopt a windscreen sticker scheme operated in some countries to confirm that the vehicle and its owner holds appropriate insurance? The present arrangement for obtaining the costly but usually much less expensive road fund licence by presenting a current insurance certificate (expiring in two weeks!) is open to abuse. Could not some scheme be devised whereby the tax disc expiry be linked to – or not extend beyond – the date of expiry of the insurance certificate that is presented? Just a thought.

The cost of the MIB was £215 million in year 2000, £260 million in year 2001 (20.93% increase)It may exceed £300 million in the current year.

As the costs of maintaining the MIB increase so does the necessity of increasing the funding levy charged to the insurance companies which has to be passed on to the premium paid by honest motorists

7. Financial Services Compensation Scheme (F.S.C.S.)

The FSCS is the successor of the earlier Policy Holders Protection Board which was an organisation established in 1975. The primary aim of the FSCS is to help policy holders in the event of a UK insurer becoming insolvent. The current FSCS – like the MIB - is financed by a levy charged to all insurers on all lines of business.

The recent high profile failure of Independent Insurance and of Chester Street Holdings caused substantial payments to be made from the FSCS funds. Consequently premiums have to be increased to meet present and likely future FSCS levies.

All the above are situations which relate to changes in law or the commercial operation of the insurance industry.
Two more items remain which come under a general heading of ‘Economic Factors’ These are:-

8. A Lower Interest Working Environment

At the present time we are in the midst of a low interest period. This means that the interest income that insurance companies are able to generate from their investments is much reduced. The management need to account for the investment income they will receive between the collection of premiums and the payment of claims.
If the total investment income falls as it has substantially in recent years then clearly the company has to compensate
for this, which it can only effectively do
by increasing its premium income.

9. Falling Equity Values

Insurance regulations require that insurance companies hold a certain level of shareholder funds. If, as in current times, share value falls the asset value of the companies also fall, reducing the funds available for supporting the company’s insurance operations. As I write one well known company is seeking to increase its assets by means of a share issue.

MAINTAIN THEIR CAPACITY

Falling shareholder funds mean that the company has to improve profitability by increasing premium rates and/or reducing their capacity within the insurance market. Reducing capacity means that the company will look closely at the extent and nature of the risks of the business they are prepared to underwrite. They may decide to cease to offer insurance in particular area of insurance or they may decide to combine premium increases with reduced or restricted cover.

The year 2001 saw about a 25% fall in the value of the FTSE100 shares resulting in pressure on all insurers to significantly increase premium rates in order to maintain their capacity within the insurance market.

I hope that this account has helped explain why it is that insurance renewals showing substantial premium increases do so for genuine reasons and not –as is sometimes suggested – the result of insurers, brokers, agents etc. being intent on making a ‘quick buck’!

Acknowledgments The Zurich Insurance Company is the principle source of information given in this in this article.
I wish also to acknowledge the help given by HSBC Insurance Brokers Ltd. to ensure the accuracy of the information.

Therapies for animals

By PAT KI, MIPTI

Massage

Q. Why do your massage clients come for treatment?

A. Main reasons: To alleviate or prevent stiffness and injury. For relaxation. For quality time. To boost their morale and immune system.

My students, graduates and I deal mostly with horses - prey animals and free spirits naturally given to prancing, capering, rolling and grazing for up to 16 hours a day.

Many owners shut them in stables, constrict their movement with saddles and bits, limit their diet and their social contact and then expect feats of supreme athleticism while the horse carries a predator (human). The average domestic equine can endure a life of extreme physical and emotional deprivation.

By using massage techniques and passive stretches we can warm them up before exercise and relax them afterwards thus helping prevent physical trauma, keeping ageing joints supple and making them feel good. This quality time encourages bonding as well as boosting their immune system and encouraging a shiny coat. Our 'clients' often reciprocate by nuzzling or grooming us and owners remark on increased suppleness and general well-being following treatment.

Example 1
Black, a fit gelding came in for a massage after an hour's strenuous dressage and although grumpy when I started he soon softened and let me give him a thorough session. Afterwards? He lay on his side, closed his eyes and snoozed - stiffness prevented.

Example 2
Following his first massage arthritic Horace raced across the field and his owner exclaimed, 'He is moving more freely already!'

Aromatherapy
Your clients probably enjoy the benefits of massage combined with that of fragrance but I split equine aromatherapy into two sections:
(1) Aromatology1: the application of essential oils without massage and
(2) Osmotherapy2: the use of aroma to alter mind state.

When presented with any condition we offer relevant oils to our client either to select or reject . We then make up a blend from their choice and apply once or twice daily until the condition improves. Ideally we re-check their selection each day in case they need a change though some of my therapists have excellent results without doing so - using one blend all week, others check conscientiously before any application. (I recall the old adage 'intention being 90% of the therapy').


The author has stables in Harrogate on the edge of the delightful Yorkshire Dales.

She has had a life long passion for animals, particularly horses, which she rides at every available opportunity.

After many years of primary school and Special Needs teaching Pat has been able to indulge her hobby by becoming a professional masseuse and aromatherapist and, since 1997, a practitioner and training provider for equine therapies and owns two beautiful Dales mares.

Pat is an active member of several Associations and organisations including The British Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association (BHVMA), The Federation of Holistic Therapies.(FHT), The Guild of Essential Oil Therapy for Animals, (GEOTA), The International Council for Holistic Therapists, (ICHT), The International Federation of Health and Beauty Therapists (IFHBT), and of I.P.T.I.

Editor’s Note : For those unfamiliar with the concept of offering animals a choice – they will usually be quite clear in their preferences - turning away to reject or trying to take the bottle of those oils they favour.

I keep a miniature vodka in my tack box - not to drink in times of stress but to use as a spray base for joints! For skin applications I use aloe vera or aqueous gel base and for hoof, mane and tail a vegetable oil, eg: fractionated coconut, grape seed or carrot. Inhalations can be given in a haybag or diffused into the environment.

Aromatology
Example 1
A police horse sustained a wound to his hip joint while travelling and despite the groom's applications of popular creams and powder the wound spread with increasing hair loss and missing flesh in the centre. Sarah took him on as a case study and offered him a range of 10 oils from which he selected : Carrot Seed, German and Roman Chamomile, Rosemary, Yarrow and Patchouli. These were mixed into aloe vera gel and applied twice daily - after eight days his groom reported 'an amazing improvement' and one month later not only is the spot almost invisible but 'the hair growth on the site is thicker and better than the rest of the coat'.

Example 2
Sharron took on Fudgie, a little Shetland, miserable with a cough and cold. She offered him seven oils - he chose: Bergamot, Lemon. Peppermint and Bergamot (no - they don't all choose Peppermint!). Sharron recommended these in a three minute hot water-and-hay nosebag once or twice daily for at least four days. The coughing had subsided by day two but his owner continued till day five by which time 'there was no sign of coughing and he was as bright as a button'.

Osmotherapy
Example 1.
Squealy’s owner considered his head twitching to be stress-related.
From Catriona's selection Squealy initially opted for Geranium and Ylang Ylang and had these in aqueous gel on her forehead, muzzle and mane edge. After three weeks she preferred Melissa with Geranium and a week on she chose Violet Leaf alone. After a total of five weeks then the owner told Catriona that the head shaking had completely gone.

Example 2.
My Dales mare Olivia suddenly became snappy so I offered her four oils but she only wanted Camphor, Spearmint and Rose. I added these to gel and spread them on her muzzle, poll, maneline and some on stiff areas. On Day Two she rejected Camphor, on Day Three she wanted just Rose alone. By day four she was her-self again.

Kinesiology3
I began using the 14 + basic muscle tests just to discover meridian imbalances in horse and human and to find rebalancing oils, but my students have become so fascinated that we now adapt the simple rubbing, holding and tracing techniques into our massage routines with good effect. To test horses we have a surrogate either touch the horse or hold a ‘witness’ (usually a sample from mane or tail). Some of us use Kinesiology to narrow down the group of appropriate oils before taking them to the stable but this modality has proved invaluable in other ways.

Example 1.
Caroline found that both she and her horse had a bad reaction to a commercial brand of aloe vera and so she was wary of using any. I suggested she use a strong indicator muscle test with a sample of aloe vera from my essential oil suppliers. She did and it tested safe and she has been able to use it without any problems.

Example 2.
Debbie's show jumper was wheezy and underachieving. Following our Kinesiology Module, Debbie used his hair with the strong indicator muscle to test samples of his food and bedding and was surprised to discover that he was allergic to shavings! She changed his bedding to hemp and within days he was happy to be ridden at the gallop up hill with no sign of wheezing!

Thanks to all my students past and present for providing such illustrative case studies.

Footnotes
1. Aromatology Dr.William Arnould- Taylor
2. Biology and Psychology of Fragrance' ed. G.Dodd and S. van Toller
3. Kinesiology studies are included in the Pat Ki Diploma in Equine Therapies accredited by IPTI. It also includes Massage, Aromatherapy, Hydrotherapy and Business . For details of training and for a list of therapists you may visit www.patkitherapy.co.uk or E-mail to patkitherapy@hotmail.com phone 01423 888528

"Risky" food fad diets

Following ‘fad’ diets may carry a significant health risk rather than provide a desired benefit.

Any such diets can be based on an ‘food elimination’ principle by which a particular food type is excluded from the diet and any subsequent effect of the exclusion is assessed on, say, a subjective scale of a) “do I feel better?”, b) “do I feel about the same?” or c) “its done nothing for me!”.

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS

A survey of 205 G.P’s. by Medix UK plc. on behalf of the Grain Information Service found that during the previous 12 months 40% of the doctors questioned in the survey reported noticing a significant rise among their women patients who had undertaken self-diagnosis of (supposed) food intolerance and allergies. Half these doctors expressed concern that the practice of undertaking such diets with little of no professional advice was potentially dangerous.

But where might reliable advice come from?

Professionally trained nutritional consultants can provide a source of reliable help and properly controlled elimination dietary treatment can be an effective tool bringing results and benefits to the patient.

Concern is that the sheer volume of information, advice and suggestions that is now available to the general public is bewildering and the quality and extent of training among many offering advice is often questionable.

Advice is offered in many popular magazines, and by many health, fitness and personal trainers. It is only two years ago that a 37 year old American died after taking food supplements recommended by her trainer. You may protest that this is not elimination dietary advice but the cause - inadequate training and lack of professional knowledge - is the same.

It is some years ago now but I recall having to decline to insure a basically trained massage therapist who insisted that she could and would treat rather than refer medical conditions among her clients.

Nutrition and dietetics are highly complex academic areas of study and a fully qualified nutritional consultant will have undergone training to a degree standard which will have included some medical training.

There are many other training courses offering good basic training but is this training appropriate and adequate to equip a therapist to give what may well be fundamental bio-chemical advice. Inevitably there will be instances when the therapist will have to face the vital question, “is this work within the scope of my knowledge, training and experience?”. The desire to help may overcome any ethical doubts the therapist may have.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

Other training (?) is available some lasting perhaps only a week or perhaps a correspondence course with little or no direct expert tutorial tuition and no independent assessment of the knowledge and skills the course has imparted.

Exercise and fitness training.
A Consumers Association Survey found that 7 out of 10 aerobics classes in gyms and health clubs were badly taught. Class sizes were large and often overcrowded, some instructors had received no training (and had no insurance). Participants were often given no fitness assessment prior to commencing an exercise regime nor were they given any instruction on the safe and proper use of gymnasium equipment. In many instances the fitness instructors had received no first aid training.

The Register of Exercise Professionals.
The register was launched in 2001 jointly by the Fitness Industry Association (F.I.A.) and the Sports and Recreation Industry Training Organisation (SPRITO) With the aim to register trainers whose training and experience meet demanding standards. Currently SPRITO recognise only a very few of the literally hundreds of exercise qualifications that are available. SPRITO may be contacted on 020 7388 7755.

Insurance payment soothes a Masseuse’s distress

Fortunately this report comes from Sydney, Australia where insurance also seems to be playing a increasing role in the everyday lives of ordinary people.

A Masseuse’s depression was lifted by an award equivalent to £10,000 which, it was claimed, had been caused by her employer expecting that she should treat emotionally disturbed clients without providing any training as a counsellor in order that she could cope with the difficult situations that inevitably arose.

Smoking rots the brain

This heading may appear alarmist and possibly OTT. However research reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry says that smokers are up to five times more likely to suffer deterioration of brain function than those who do not smoke. Non-smoking pensioners have a better chance of avoiding dementia and Alzheimers disease

The brains of smokers under 65 were shown to be three and a half times more likely to have deteriorated over a period of a year than those who do not smoke. Over the age of 65 the likelihood of brain deterioration among smokers increases disproportionately.

It is common knowledge that smoking will cause the contraction of arterioles. It is also a fact that the brain uses about one quarter of the oxygen taken in by the body. Acknowledging these facts it is logical to assume that contraction of the blood vessels would reduce the flow of oxygen to the brain thus impairing its function.


Getting to the heart of the matter or ‘Waisting’ away

In the right circumstances all knowledge can be helpful –
A professor of Bio-Medical Sciences at Nottingham University has concluded that for men, having a waist measurement of more than 40 inches is a more accurate predictor of potential heart disease than any other measure of fatness.

Fat distributed around the middle of the body puts more strain on the heart than does fat located elsewhere particularly that forming a layer all over.

Could this too be the reason for the lower risk of heart disease experienced by the female sex in whom nature tends place their fat in a more pleasing and esthetic distribution.

Even men, whose views on personal health issues tend to be more dismissive are likely to know their trouser size.