“Back pain” is not a diagnosis, it is a label or a description of symptoms that come from one or more of the structures in the back: including vertebrae (the bones of the back), discs – cartilage-like things between the vertebrae (think Dippy ), muscles, ligaments, nerves, tendons, blood vessels. These structures might be damaged … [Read more…]
A diagnosis is a judgement – based on the available evidence and a person’s experience. Nowadays the medical emphasis is on ‘Evidence’ as decided by the body of medical opinion
Over 40 years, medicine has changed, but not as much as it should have. The technology revolution has yet to happen, clinical medicine is hanging on. There have however been some rather curious changes, that is in diagnosis – and without any good reason, certainly not backed up by diagnostic or pathological insights. For example: … [Read more…]
I do not understand what is going on – it does not make sense. The local hospital looks like the Marie Celeste, all routine work has shut down and there is a mad panic for ventilators I have questions 1 – Why are we not issuing masks and gloves to the general population and enforcing … [Read more…]
Today Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed Martial Law in the face of a medical crisis. Martial Law prevents meetings of more than two people, more than a single daily outdoor trip for exercise, shopping except for food and medical supplies, visiting except to provide care for vulnerable individuals, and only essential travel to work. And … [Read more…]
The corona epidemic almost certainly did not start in December, although it may have been concentrated in Wuhan. It more likely that the specific Corona virus, Covid 19 was isolated in December, in the laboratory in Wuhan in the midst of an epidemic of an atypical flu-like illness. The Chinese had likely noticed a large … [Read more…]
Today I had a conversation with a colleague who is a Consultant in International Health Care Delivery. We spoke about medicine, women and the world today. We talked about psychosocial medicine, where medicine fails, and where it succeeds. Medicine has become a series of protocols and guidelines, distracting away from the patient. The ancients knew … [Read more…]
There is a fundamental confusion around what a person’s sexuality means even without going down the alphabet of LGTBQ – because none of the old language or established terminology seems to apply. However there are three aspects that have to be addressed before you start to apply the fancy lettering of social justice to help … [Read more…]
A leaked document and a national catastrophe have erupted in Shrewsbury. Over 600 cases between 1979 and 2017 are being investigated. At least 42 babies died, 50 left permanently damaged and 3 mothers died as a result of poor midwifery care. The Natural Child Birth Trust governs midwifery with an uncompromising belief in ‘natural childbirth’. … [Read more…]