Wow, has it really taken this long for them to move past warnings on Vicodin and Percocet and actually do something about the devastating effects these combination drugs have on the liver? The NY Times reports on the recent federal advisory panels ban on Vicodin and Percocet. I guess the 500 or so functions the liver must perform all day long were not monitored in clinical trials when narcotics (a class of opiod based analgesics) + acetaminophen were introduced. The acetaminophen is the danger here - it will destroy the liver. And about 400 people die a year from Vicodin and Percocet.

From Medscape via the Journal for Nurse Practitioners:

More than 200 million persons take acetaminophen each year. Of these, about 200 persons a year die of fulminant hepatic failure from acetaminophen overdosage. The median acute dose causing liver failure is 24 g (48 extra-strength tablets).

The concern here is for people who are in chronic pain and won’t have any options if there is a ban. Now I can’t speak on behalf of an individual in pain - but there are so many ways to reduce pain symptoms through acupuncture, Structural Integration, massage, movement and exercise (the body will produce its own opiod substances when actually moved off the couch and put into a sweat). So skip the Tylenol, Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone and look for safe, effective therapies that can improve your life while reducing your symptons. It’s a win-win for you and your liver.

I wanted to repost this testimonial from a client. I was only able to work on her for 1 session because she was visiting her daughter in the city for a weekend, who I had taken through the 10 series. Anyway, she had had surgery on her right wrist to relieve her carpal tunnel syndrome and was scheduled to have another surgery on her left wrist. This is where I intervened. I relieved the compression in her hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck and balanced her pelvis throughout the hour long session. Surprisingly, she really enjoyed the pressure and had no discomfort. She felt great immediately. Her testimonial went something like this, “1 carpal tunnel surgery - $6000, 20% better. 1 SI session - $200 (edited for inflation), 95% better. 1 year later, 0 SI sessions, still 95% better.” Wow. I couldn’t believe it. And for now, no need for anymore surgery. These results happen but it’s hard to promise this great effect, but the power of Structural Integration if very real.

The Bodies exhibit is a must see if you want to get the best glimpse possible of what a sarkel (deceased) human body looks like. Although they have simplified a lot to cater to the masses it still is a must see for anyone interested in what is going on inside themselves. According to the release there are “22 whole-body specimens and 260 additional organ and partial-body specimens.” Having seen this exhibit in LA and now NY, the anatomy revealed is enlightening. The scientists use a plastination technique to turn a human body to a polymer/rubber matrix preserving the general anatomy of the body. Tickets are $22.00 for adults and the exhibit is at the Fulton Street Market, New York City.