Category: Medicine
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Dry needling trigger points
Pain treatment sometimes involves teasing apart trigger points. Everyone has knots in their muscles that are irritatingly painful. Sometimes these pains appear a ways away from the actual issue – referred pain. While such myofascial pain can be treated by exercise, or massage, a less known treatment is dry needling – insertion of a needle…
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How CATs help machine learning diagnose disease
CT scans and machine learning! Machine learning (ML) is everywhere, from your Netflix recommendations to a self-driving car. Also in medicine, ML can be used for many applications, including diagnosis of different diseases – here’s an earlier example that was featured about the brain tumors. Recently medical imaging has seen several algorithms outperforming, or performing…
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LGBTQI in the time of Corona
Recognizing vulnerable communities in pandemics These times of lockdown due to COVID19 are tough for us all. There are some communities however, where there are specific fears and issues that affect them specifically. To look at the science of SARS-CoV2 and how it affects the LGBTQI community, specifically those who are HIV positive, I hosted…
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A model for cystic fibrosis
A 3D model for CF could save lives. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) affects around 10,500 people in the UK. The genetic mutation that causes CF leads to the build-up of thick mucus in the airways of the lung. This mucus cannot be cleared without physiotherapy, and people with CF are vulnerable to respiratory infections that are…
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Brain tumors and AI
Artificial intelligence squares off with human intelligence. Artificial intelligence or AI is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think and act like humans. A typical AI needs a base of knowledge to assess its environment and takes action to achieve success (1). Interestingly, it has paved its way into many areas…
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Oh My Corona
A resource of sane, up-to-date websites on COVID19 It is hard to escape the Corona phenomenon in the media these days, as a deluge of news, blog posts (like this one), memes and jokes hit us left right and center. Along with this of course is the barrage of supposed miracle cures and dooms-day scenarios,…
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Sugar and Cancer: Are they connected?
What is the connection between sugar and cancer? Does sugar cause cancer? If one has cancer, does sugar contribute to its growth? This has been a debatable question for a very long time, but unfortunately there are no simple answers to it. The question has merit, but at the same time it is fueled largely…
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The Burden of Generations
The sins of the father revisited? I had the privilege recently of taking part in a family constellation exercise. The supposed objective of this is to uncover trauma or events experienced by previous generations, that have caused discordance in the family dynamic, which are then inherited by the present individual resulting in problems or difficulties.…
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How big data can help us understand mental illness
Big data could lead to personalized medicine. Although mental health is currently one of the top global health priorities, there has been no major progress in treating psychiatric disorders since the 60s. The available therapies are ineffective, and prophylaxis is practically non-existent. To find a way out of this deadlock, psychiatry needs to consider different…
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Saving babies in Gambia
Being a pediatrician in Gambia is a challenge. In a country like Gambia, where hospital infrastructure can be a challenge, medical professionals still work tirelessly to help those in need, especially the most vulnerable, the neonates. One such heroine is Dr. Uduak Okomo, a pediatrician and infectious disease epidemiologist. Uduak is affiliated with MRC unit…