2011 September 7 | Written by John Shortreid

My dad's procedure occurred on August 29, 2011 and the procedure itself was far less invasive than I had imagined it to be. The procedure found blocked and partially blocked veins in his system. There was some blockage in the groin area on the left side, in a vein behind the heart and kidneys, and reduced blood flow in the jugular vein. All of these were corrected in the medical procedure.

RESULTS

Dr. Hewett, CCSVI / Interventional Radiologist is coming back to Vancouver September 12, 2011. He will be available for individual sessions with MS patients who are pre and post CCSVI treatment. Dr. Hewett is a Canadian doctor practicing his "craft" with Dr. Michael Arata at Synergy Clinic in Costa Mesa, California.

If you have any type of diagnostic tests and looking for some answers, he would be the one to see. There is no charge for this consultation.

Dr. Hewett will be visiting both: Victoria and Vancouver.

Please email Jenna Machala at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to schedule your session.

Hockey has always been a rough and physical sport, but during the recent years there has been an increase in reported cases of players suffering head concussions. The dangers of head injuries in the game of hockey are very real and are putting the lives of players at great risk.

Helmets - Can They Prevent Concussions?

Over the years, helmet design has improved tremendously and dramatically helped reduce head injuries in impact sports such as hockey and football.

However, according to sports science experts, creating a helmet that totally eliminates concussions may be impossible. With a hard outer shell and soft materials inside, modern helmets can soften the impact of a linear blow to the head, but can do very little when it comes to preventing concussions caused by the head rotating from the impact.

What Must Coaches and Trainers Do When Players Experience Concussion?

According to studies and scientists, Multiple Sclerosis can be prevented through daily doses of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is caused by lack of exposure to sun light.

An Australian research study on Multi-Sclerosis has suggested that increased exposure to the sun and higher dosage of Vitamin D may help in protecting the risk of this disease.

Multiple sclerosis or MS as defined by WebMD.com (2011) as a disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord which results in loss of muscle control, blindness, equilibrium and numbness. MS also damages the nerves of the brain and the spinal cord through one’s own immune system.

Forum on Health is currently promoting two fundraisers. Both are great causes through which you can help others. In the Human Rights Claim, BC CCSVI MS patients are fighting for their right to testing and treatment. Read More

The second fundraiser is for Martin, an MS patient who found himself in a particularly difficult situation and is seeking financial help that would go towards his testing and treatment. Read More

Please extend your help in whatever amount you can to show the spirit of human solidarity with others.

How useful are the Internet forum and networking websites including Facebook or Forum on Health for our health education?

I suppose, interacting with family and friends has always played a role when it comes to learning about sicknesses and remedies. As children, we learn from our parents and the closest family.

I still remember some of the great advice from my grandma. Oh, I just wish I wrote it all down. Later in life we also listen to our friends, colleagues and probably our entire social circle. Before the explosion of the Internet we were limited to personal interactions like talking to someone face-to-face, by phone, and mail – yes, that paper thing we used to put in an envelope and hope people get it days or weeks later. Interestingly enough, some of our younger readers might have not even experienced the time before the Internet.