Some Frequently Asked Questions, first published in SAGA Magazine (4)
Professor George Lewith
Can magnetic bracelets help ease arthritis pain? If so, how do they work?
There have been some clinical trials evaluating magnetic bracelets for arthritis pain, in particular osteoarthritis of the knee. The studies have been small and of a very preliminary nature, but they do very definitely suggest that the magnets may be of significant benefit in arthritic pain. Why they work is open to great debate.
They are often placed on or near to acupuncture points and enthusiasts would claim that the magnets act in some way to normalise the flow of chi or vital force through the meridians, thereby acting in the same way that acupuncture does to heal damage and help pain. It may also be that the magnets have a very subtle effect on the small electrical “currents of healing” that occur around all active pathology and inflammation in the body. In all honesty, we are not sure exactly how the clinical effect is obtained, but there is a very clear suggestion that magnets can cause benefit in some types of osteoarthritis beyond that which you would expect from a simple placebo.
Magnets tend to be fairly cheap and other than the occasional skin reaction to the plaster that keeps them on the skin, there are no known adverse reactions. If you have osteo arthritic pain, even though the mechanism may not be absolutely clear, it must be worth giving them a try.
I’m wondering if my IBS is caused by particular foods and whether I should have tests to see if I’m allergic to wheat or dairy foods. The tests are expensive so I’d want to be sure they are reliable - what do you think?
Within this seemingly simple question are a whole variety of issues that are really quite complex. There is no doubt that about three quarters of the individuals who avoid specific foods (usually it is a wheat or milk exclusion diet) will find that their IBS improves. There have been studies looking at appropriate food challenge on a double blind basis after a reasonable period of food avoidance, so there is no doubt that food exclusion can work effectively for individuals with IBS.
The layman will often think of this as an allergy, but that’s really too simplistic an explanation. We know that, while these “food reactions” may be important in illnesses such as asthma, irritable bowel, migraine and various chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, they aren’t what one might term “classical allergy”. The blood tests don’t show an allergy to milk or wheat, so these reactions have been called food intolerances or food sensitivities.
While we know how we might be able to identify them through laborious and complex diets, we don’t have a simple and reliable method for evaluating and defining these foods on an individual basis. Furthermore, while we know about the basic biology that underpins acute allergy, we are very unsure about the biological processes involved in food intolerance and sensitivity. This means that we have no “gold standard” investigations against which to compare the many and varied tests that are available. Some of them may really be of great value in the hands of a particular practitioner or laboratory but it is a question really of interpreting them in order to develop an individual and thoughtful understanding of the presenting problems on a case-by-case basis.
It is very probable that at least part of your irritable bowel symptoms may be food related, but I would concentrate much more on getting sensible advice from somebody who understands both conventional and complementary medicine, and who can help you interpret these sometimes rather confusing tests rather than putting all your faith in one particular investigation.
Can you tell me whether a salt pipe can help asthma symptoms? My doctor knows nothing about it but says I can try anything I like so long as I keep using my inhalers.
Salt pipes are new to the market place and have just been patented. It involves you inhaling very small amounts of salt and is based on the fact that 18th century Polish salt mine workers didn’t fall ill with respiratory disease! Unfortunately, such observations don’t represent a clinical trial, but the salt used does contain concentrated mineral extract of halite. Very tiny amounts of halite salt will be inhaled each day and this apparently helps the respiratory system substantially. There have been no adverse reactions reported and in some ways, if the manufacturers are to be believed and only tiny amounts of salt actually get into the lungs, then it should be a very safe thing to use. However salt pipes are unproven and we have excellent (and safe) inhalers available for asthma so keep using your regular inhalers. Salt pipes might diminish the inflammatory response that occurs in the breathing tubes of most asthmatics but right now there is no evidence for them.
Every winter I suffer badly from cold hands and feet, which my GP says, is caused by poor circulation. Are there any supplements that will help?
It depends a little on how old you are, but if you have had cold hands and feet since you were a youngster you may well have Raynaud’s Disease. This means that when it gets cold outside, the blood vessels in your hands and feet over-react by over constricting and this means you just go on getting increasingly colder. If you have got Raynaud’s Disease then sometimes this can be triggered by specific foods, there are some quite good case studies suggesting that the avoidance of either milk or wheat might help. Acupuncture is also described as having quite a positive and powerful regulating effect on the constriction and dilation of the blood vessels, so acupuncture can be used to re-train your blood vessels to react normally, but you often need several treatments. As far as supplements go, Ginkgo Biloba has often been used to help balance and normalise the circulation of blood. It is generally thought to cause improved circulation to the brain for older people, thus helping maintain or indeed improve memory, but it seems to help circulation in the hands and feet as well.
If your poor circulation just coincides with you getting a bit older then it may be associated with some nutritional deficiencies, so it is wise to consider using some B Complex. Vitamin E can also help with the circulatory disorders so its worthwhile trying with a good B complex for 2 or 3 months if there isn’t any other obvious cause for the problem.
I have just been prescribed a statin to reduce my cholesterol and my doctor says I must stop taking my anti-oxidant supplements and avoid grapefruit. Is this absolutely necessary?
The evidence for statins is becoming increasingly powerful; some recent papers suggest that statins may have a significant effect in reducing the likelihood of a heart attack even if your cholesterol is normal, so I would certainly think about your doctor’s advice very seriously. There are a number of possible interactions to statins and certainly taking very regular large amounts of grapefruit juice would be something that you should avoid as this blocks the absorption of the statin. However, the odd glass of grapefruit juice or a grapefruit once a month is not really going to make very much difference.
There is some evidence that statins may interact with very high doses of some of the Vitamin Bs, but no evidence that they will interact generally with anti-oxidants. Sometimes the statins can upset your liver and they should certainly be prescribed with caution in people with liver disease, and occasionally they can cause a muscle inflammation which can be painful and quite distressing, but these side effects are relatively uncommon and overall the statins are very safe and effective medication.
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