News & Dates
Fort Worth Zoo treats animals with acupuncture A Texas Zoo with more than 500 types of creature has started to treat some ailments with acupuncture. Dr. Tara Reilly, a vet with qualifications in acupuncture has treated a king snake with eye problems by inserting needles into nearby nerves, helping to heal and retain vision which might have been lost during surgery. Dr. Reilly explained, “Most people call it an alternative therapy but I like to think of it as an integrative or complementary therapy. All it is, is you’re accessing the nervous system and you’re accessing the blood flow and the blood system in the body in a very non-invasive route. She added, “I’ve actually had many patients including a burrowing owl who have fallen asleep during their acupuncture
treatment so it actually feels very good to them,” Reilly said. Other patients have included an arthritic Komodo dragon named Dante. “He probably got another six years out of life that he otherwise wouldn’t have had where he was enjoying life, happy, and diminishing pain and helping all the inflammation that comes along with arthritis,” Dr. Reilly said.
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Court cases highlight the growing problem of male sexual assault by unqualified therapists Two recent court cases make it apparent that sexual predators who set themselves up as massage therapists are both undermining the industry and causing distress and emotional trauma to those they have sexually assaulted. In Edinburgh, a sports therapist named Matthew Priest has admitted sexually assaulting 15 male clients. Mr. Priest had previously been given a five year sexual offences prevention order in 2018 for sexually assaulting six male clients in a makeshift clinic in his living room in the city, but publicity about the case led other victims to contact the police. Most had believed that the massage therapist had touched their genitals by accident. Mr. Priest charged £45 per hour-long appointment. Mr. Priest will be sentenced in February. In the second case, in Plymouth, Christopher Fallon, aged 71, was found guilty of four counts of rape, ten of sexual assault and four of
causing a person to engage in sexual activity. All of the counts cover between at least four and 12 incidents of similar abuse and concern a vulnerable, disabled man who received massages two or three times a week. The prosecution alleged that Mr. Fallon coerced the client into engaging in sexual activity because otherwise client would be charged £300 for each massage. It is thought that the victim may have been assaulted up to 150 times over four years, including being raped with a vibrator. Again, Mr. Fallon will be sentenced in February.
Stress protection molecule activates the same receptors as marijuana
The dangers of chemical disinfectants
A team from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre has discovered that a molecule produced by the brain activates the same receptors as marijuana and protects against stress by reducing anxiety-causing connections between two brain regions. This could help explain why some people use marijuana when they’re anxious or under stress, or lead to treatments which stimulate production of the molecule known as 2-AG to
While everyone recognises the importance of a clean practice room, new research from INSERM, the French epidemiology and public health organisation suggests that respiratory risks are raised in healthcare settings and particularly amongst women exposed to chemical disinfectants. Although investigators have previously focused on asthma, the irritant properties of many chemicals contained in disinfectants support the study of a broader range of respiratory effects, such
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regulate anxiety and depressive symptoms in people with stressrelated anxiety disorders. Ref: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.024
as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study looked at data from over 73,000 female registered nurses enrolled in the US Nurses’ Health Study II, followed for approximately six years (2009 to 2015). Those who used chemical disinfectants at least once a week had a 38% increased risk of developing COPD. Potential safer alternatives include emerging nonchemical technologies for disinfection (eg, steam, UV light) or green cleaning. Ref:10.1001/ jamanetworkopen.2019.13563
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