Creative Arts & Humor for Healing (May 2010)

* * *  HEALING THROUGH THE CREATIVE ARTS  * * *

Guido Daniele's amazing Hand Painting Art.

Guido Daniele was borninSoverato (CZ - Italy) and now lives and works in Milan. From 1964until1968 he attended Brera artistic High School and he graduated fromBreraSchool of Arts (major in sculpturing) in 1972. In 1972 hestartedworking as hyper-realistic illustrator, in co-operation withmajorediting and advertising companies, using and testing differentpaintingtechniques. In 1990 he added a new artistic experience to hispreviousones: using the "body painting" technique he creates and paintsmodelsbodies for different situations such as advertising picturesandcommercials, fashion events and exhibitions.

View the Manimals

IJHC – WHR Observations
Stretching the imagination and smiling are highly recommended healing activities.

* * * HUMOR IS HEALING * * *

On the limitations of Evidence Based Medicine

Abstract

Objectives To determine whether parachutes are effective in preventing major trauma related to gravitational challenge.
Design Systematic review of randomised controlled trials.
Data sources: Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases; appropriate internet sites and citation lists.
Study selection: Studies showing the effects of using a parachute during free fall.
Main outcome measure Death or major trauma, defined as an injury severity score > 15.
Results We were unable to identify any randomised controlled trials of parachute intervention.
Conclusions As with many interventions intended to prevent ill health, the effectiveness of parachutes has not been subjected to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials. Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of interventions evaluated by using only observational data. We think that everyone might benefit if the most radical protagonists of evidence based medicine organised and participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover trial of the parachute.
Source: Smith, Gordon C S and Pell, Jill P. Hazardous journey: Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials, British Medical J 2003, 327, 1459-1461 
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7429/1459 - FIG1

IJHC – WHR Observations
This article points out the absurdity of relying totally on research evidence for making decisions in life – including decisions regarding health care.