5 Tips for People with Arthritis of the Hands

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by Ann Swanson, M.S. in Yoga Therapy, E-RYT500, LMT Study of Hands by Albrecht Durer Our hands play such a big role in how we live our life’s purpose. Think of all that you have made or built with your hands. Think of all the hands you have shaken or held in your life. Think of all your hands have done for you just today. To be limited in life by your hands can be devastating. I have even met many people who feel as though they can’t even attempt to do yoga because of their hands. But as a yoga therapist who specializes in arthritis and chronic pain, my motto at Yoga for Arthritis, an evidence-based program and teacher training is, “Get up and live your joy!” For those with arthritis of the hands, this means using yoga to give some loving care to their hands. Your hands and wrists are some of the most common sites for joint pain from arthritis or related conditions. This makes sense when you consider what typically causes osteoarthritis: repetitive motion. Consider all the repetitive m...

Iluvien Update 5 European Approval on the Horizon

Finally, some good news for Alimera (and pSivida). A few days ago, the company announced that it had received a positive outcome to the Decentralized Procedure (DCP) for Iluvien in Europe. Iluvien is now expected to be the first sustained release pharmaceutical in the European Union for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). The regulatory process will now enter the national phase of the DCP in which the Reference Member State (RMS), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom (MHRA), and each Concerned Member States (CMS) grants its national license. The CMS include Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. While it appears that this drug for DME is not going to be moving forward in the US (see Update 4: FDA Turns Down Alimera’s NDA for Approval of Iluvien Again ), approval for marketing in Europe appears on track. It has been estimated that the European market may be the same size as the US market. Just for reference, Iluvien is li...

Finding a therapist for Pure O OCD 5 Things to Watch Out For

I was in psychodynamic therapy for 6 years with a therapist who said I had OCD, but who didn't have a plan to treat my OCD beyond having me avoid my triggers. Previous to that I had several other therapists who didn't really have a clue about my OCD. Here are some things to watch out for--hopefully this will help you find help more effectively and not have to go through the delay I experienced in finally getting Exposure and Response Prevention(ERP) therapy. Affirmations. If a therapist tells you to repeat affirmations about being a good person, good father, good teacher, good Christian, good whatever, in order to counteract scary, violent, disturbing thoughts, this just feeds the fire, prompting ever more desperation in trying to prove it to yourself that you are not a monster or a danger to others. This is different from having a compassionate therapist who asserts your value as a human being and encourages you to take your life back from the OCD and any other negative deeply...
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