HEALTH NOTES: Physio sessions now arriving at platform 1
‘Digital physiotherapy’ is now available to back-pain sufferers – even if they are on a train, at work or abroad. The smartphone app provides 24/7 virtual consultations with experts, downloadable exercise videos and rehabilitation plans created by experts.
All information is developed by health professionals approved by a company called Ascenti, which is the leading provider of physiotherapists to the NHS. Users can also use the app, called PhysioNow, to book private and NHS-funded sessions with trained clinicians.
About two-thirds of Britons are said to suffer back pain at some time in their lives, with musculoskeletal problems accounting for a third of all GP appointments.
A test version of the app launched earlier this year. It has been downloaded by 1,400 patients.
- physionow.ascenti.co.uk
A test version of the app launched earlier this year. It has been downloaded by 1,400 patients
Berry boost for the heart
Strawberries could be key to boosting heart health. A study reveals that eating a portion of the fruit every day for four weeks can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
Scientists at the Illinois Institute of Technology monitored 34 overweight patients in their 50s.
They gave them a daily drink made with freeze-dried strawberries and tracked them for a month. The results revealed a significant decline in blood flow and pressure.
A study reveals that eating a portion of the fruit every day for four weeks can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure (stock image)
A new wonder drug is offering fresh hope for thousands of Britons with the genetic brain disorder Huntington’s disease, which causes paralysis and eventually a slow, painful death.
NHS patients taking part in a clinical trial at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust will benefit from two years of treatment using the new drug, which reduces the levels of a protein released by a mutant gene that causes the illness.
The treatment is expected to be available to NHS patients within five years.
People who have regular dental check-ups are half as likely to suffer cancers of the head, neck or mouth as those who never or rarely go. University of Plymouth researchers pooled results from dozens of studies exploring suspected links between oral health and potentially deadly tumours.
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