M. H. Dahir – a Pharmaceutical Association Chairman, says in his article ‘The Dangers of Indomethacin’: "If a bacterium is responsible, it is extremely important for doctor to know which specific bug is causing trouble so that he can treat it with right drug. Using a broad-spectrum antibiotic is a cop-out. It is lazy way to do medicine, since it allows doctor to cut out time necessary to do a proper laboratory work-up and diagnosis."

What to do if you get adverse reactions... If, after starting a course of antibiotic treatment, you start to get unusual symptoms, such as fever, nausea, a sudden rash, intense itching, stiffness, severe abdominal pain, or swelling, stop taking antibiotic, and consult your doctor immediately.

The very worst side-effects happen when you are allergic to an antibiotic. Your doctor should be able to provide a non-related antibiotic that won’t produce same adverse reaction.

You can also look for alternative therapies. For example, statistics show that sugar-related product D-Mannose (available from www.sweet-cures.com) is more effective than most antibiotics for majority of urinary tract infections, and it works against antibiotic resistant strains of E.coli – cause of most recurrent cystitis infections. It is also claimed to be totally harmless, even for babies.

And list goes on:

· For throat infections, traditional remedies such as gargling with alcohol are often as effective as any antibiotic.

· Manuka honey from New Zealand, available from most health food stores, is known to kill Helicobacter pylori bug that causes duodenal or stomach ulcers.

· Galangal has been used since times of St. Hildegard of Bingen for catarrh, and it doesn’t give you a dry mouth or other diuretic side-effects like Sudafed.

· Salt water is as good a decongestant as most commercially available nasal sprays.

· Cider vinegar and a diet change can deal with arthritis more efficiently than most drugs, and instead of side-effects, you get healthy.

· For depression, St John’s Wort is non-addictive, unlike Prozac, and there are fewer side-effects.

· Asthmatic or wheezy? Getting a cold? Mix some black cumin seeds with honey and garlic. Used since times of Pharaohs, this is cheaper and more effective than any medical preparation, and won’t cause brain tumours, unlike some of ‘medical’ decongestants available.

The fact is that most of time, no matter what ailment you are suffering from, you can do better than taking standard prescription. And think of money you’ll save health service, and all time you’ll save your doctor.

Oops, sorry to inform you that your operation was unnecessary… Some people are locked into idea that ‘the doctor knows best’, but although this may sometimes be true, medical training often ignores huge legacy of knowledge from folk medicine and from other cultures, which were in use long before fairly recent ‘science’ of medicine came into being. How many surgeons would tell you to take a pint of olive oil and juice of three lemons (slowly or you’ll vomit it back up) to get rid of gallstones? Or would they rather do a bladderectomy?

In same way, most trips to hospital or doctor can be dispensed with.

It is up to ourselves to take charge of our own health. Some solid research can make us experts in our own conditions and allow us to take charge of our own treatment.

---------- More info: John Bremner email: john@bladder--infection.com www.bladder--infection.com +44 (0) 1904-340916

Some simple tips to relieve your back pain:

- Breathe: We all “know” how to breathe, right? Although this maybe true, “understanding” breathing is both science and art. Simply put, more air you take in softer your body’s tissues become. Need proof, try dancing while holding your breath.

- Practice feeling each individual vertebra one at a time. While sitting upright and “square” on a chair, slowly bend your torso and head forward while you exhale. When you have relaxed your head as far down in your lap as you can, begin inhaling and let your breath raise your torso upright one vertebra at a time. With a little practice you will be able to feel each one of them and its condition.

- Stretch forward and back; side to side. During your busy day there are many opportunities to just move your back. Do it sensually! See if you can feel individual muscles and vertebrae and how they interact. Get to know body that supports you and your lifestyle. Get intimate with it!

- Learn to rock: each vertebra in a slow, gentle “figure eight” pattern an inch or two in either direction. See if you can visualize fluids in spine and every cell sloshing back and forth with motion. This little trick will help your body release natural endorphins that will ease pain and help healing process.

- Stand correctly, use gravity, its free! Most of us have been trained to stand “up-tight” rather than “up-right”. The difference is, first is tense and off balance. The second puts you, your body and world in harmony. Stand up and gently roll your body’s weight up on front part of your feet. Then gently come back down so 70% of your body’s weight is on front pads of your feet and rest is evenly distributed from your toes to your heels. If your calves start to ache after a while, congratulations! You are now standing up-right.

- Stand on muscle, not bone: Most of us stand “up-tight” with our knees locked and our weight placed firmly on bones in our legs. For those of you that ski, skateboard or surf, how long would your legs last if you did this while engaged in your sport? Practice leaning a bit forward and using muscles in your legs to support you mass instead. Not only will you get stronger, healthier muscles you will preserve cartilage between your bones for another day.

- Get a massage: Intuitive or traditional makes no difference. Use masseur’s hands as “flashlights” to explore and uncover muscles and tissue that are tense and stressed. Then exhale and practice loosening them up.

- Write a list of what you should, must, need and have to do: Whether on computer or a sheet of paper, document all obligations in your life. Lifting these burdens out from your head and on to a piece of paper will go a long way to lessening strain on your back.

- Check list for validity: See how many of points on your list are actually true. How many are myths, how many are outdated, how many just don’t really matter, etc. See how this “spring cleaning” lightens your load.

- Learn more about your body: It’s only one you have! Most of us go through life avoiding feeling what is really going on in our body and paying a huge price. If you do this by:

o consciously paying attention you are at head of pack.

o heeding your body's advice you go a step further.

o learning more about its functions you go to head of class!

Not only will you get a gold star, but what if you live longer and healthier as a result!

- Reflect: Make some quiet time without TV, radio, Internet, papers etc and go over what is happening in your life and how it is affecting your health and well-being. Consider it an investment in your life and health.

- Dance: There is no better way of insuring a strong healthy back than having a bit of fun on dance floor! Don’t forget to breathe a lot.

- Smile: Have fun. Notice how when life gets too serious we tend to stop breathing freely. This could be an important clue.