Positive Health Online

The other night on Newsnight I viewed a most innovative treatment by a Chinese doctor for degenerative neurological conditions including spinal cord injury, paralysis, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Parkinson's Disease.

Neurosurgeon Huang Hongyun at Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing has been treating patients with spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's Disease with olfactory ensheathing cell (OECs) – foetal stem cells from the olfactory bulb. He cultures the stem cells in a special growth media and then injects them directly into the spine or brain, above and below where the injury is.[1]

The clinical results which I saw in the film were nothing short of miraculous. One day following this procedure, an elderly gentleman from Belgium who previously couldn't even hold his head up or walk, got up from his chair and walked across the room. Another American man, paralysed from a car crash, was able to straighten his legs soon after undergoing this procedure, although this was early days.

What so impressed me was the forthright honesty of this doctor in stating that two of the most cherished long-standing tenets of biology and medicine have been proven wrong: 1) That brain cells, once dead, can't regrow; and 2) That spinal cord injuries can't be reversed.

As is usually the case, the international medical community has mixed opinions regarding the technique, ranging from refusal to even consider the merits until it has been subjected to rigorous clinical trials, to assertions that the doctor is exploiting desperate patients for financial gain. However, reading between the lines, I would imagine that the long queues from international medical tourists to this American trained Chinese doctor's hospital are stimulating hot research around the world to catch up.

The cornerstone of science, healthcare and medicine which guarantees our survival, is the ability of pioneers to push back frontiers, to disprove old cherished chestnuts and help suffering patients recover from their illnesses.

Take, for example, Jennie Trisnan's feature I Cured My Cancer (see page 20), which chronicles her journey through virtually every type of therapy – nutritional, herbal, emotional, energy medicine, detoxification and spiritual – to arrive at a vibrant state of health some nine years later. She retrained in Homeopathy, Reflexology and EFT and now helps guide other cancer patients in their own journey to wellness.

Detoxification – Deep Cleanse for a Radiant Shine by Mandy Eugeniou (see page 32) discusses possibly the best techniques for preventing illness and staying in optimum health. Although the term 'detox' has recently acquired a somewhat jaded and pejorative odour from its overuse by the sensationalist media, detoxification is itself an integral component of our metabolism. Detoxification is simply removing toxins from our bodies. As every student of biochemistry can attest, having memorised endless enzyme pathways, there are many detoxification pathways with important enzymes throughout our bodies, most notably in the liver. With our overabundant lifestyles, we indulge and ingest too much sugar, fat, alcohol, not to mention environmental poisons in our food, water, soil and the air we breathe. Just as well that we pull back every so often to clean ourselves and clear our systems.

Nothing remarkable is required, other than pure water, fresh juices and high quality fruits, vegetables, energy-rich superfoods and healthy grains. Perhaps most important is the requirement to restrain from alcohol, salt, tea and coffee, chemicals and too many sweets.

Mary O'Dowd's Case Study: Recovery from Chronic Fatigue (see page 44) recounts her long and eventually successful journey to wellness from her long-standing illness of chronic fatigue which had totally taken over her life, caused digestive problems and migraines and sapped her energy. Mary's multi-faceted therapeutic journey involved having corrective dental work, detoxifying, enhancing her immune system and working creatively to keep a positive attitude.

For those of us in good health, we ought to take the opportunity over the festive season to relax, detox and give thanks for our good fortune. For those suffering and in distress, perhaps this is the time to renew hope and determination to find the way to good health.

References and Further Information

1. H Huang et al., Influence of patients' age on functional recovery after transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells into injured spinal cord injury. Chinese Medical Journal. 116: 1488-1491. 2004.

Dr. Huang Hongyun, Department of Neurosurgery, Chaoyang Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China. Tel: 86-10-85231762 or 86-13910116608; Fax: 86-10-65005359; hongyun@mailcity.com