AIMA Newsletter - May 2022

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In this issue: E vents | Jobs | Latest research | J oin AIMA

MAY 2022
President's Report

Dear <<First Name>>,

It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of Dr Karel Hromek, one of the original pioneers of integrative medicine in Australia, who passed away on 14th April 2022 at age 70. Karl was a beloved member of our community we thank him for his commitment to supporting and expanding integrative medicine in Australia and around the world. To read more about Karl’s contribution click here. We send condolences to his family and friends.

The last few months at AIMA have been filled with busy behind the scenes work. We have some major projects coming to fruition this year so watch this space for exciting announcements later in the year. One project we can talk about is our plan to become a CPD home for doctors’ education in Australia. As Australian doctors will know the MBA is creating a system whereby doctors can choose to do their ongoing medical education through providers who are not necessarily their registration body. This is great news for integrative medicine as doctors will be able to focus more on areas of specific interest in fulfilling their CPD requirement. Becoming a CPD home is a long-term project for AIMA, we’d love to get your feedback on this.

It is also important to mention that the integrative medicine community is working hard on understanding and defining long covid and the focused therapeutic approaches that will be imperative to helping the large cohort of people with long covid. We already have decades of experience treating post viral fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome and thus are ready to take care of these patients with the added benefit of all the knowledge that the medical community have collectively discerned during the pandemic. The upcoming ACNEM symposium on long covid will help to distill what is known and examine emerging therapeutic approaches. You can find out more about the symposium here.

Since the MBA public consultation which aimed to introduce a separate set of guidelines for integrative medicine doctors it has been clear that to create a kinder, fairer system which supports integrative doctors we need representation on the various medical boards around Australia. There are currently the following vacancies:
Queensland

four practitioner members including the position of Chair
four community members

Tasmania

one practitioner member
one community member

I strongly encourage members of our community to apply for these positions. Applications close on the 22nd of May. You can find out more here.

Warmly

Dr Penny Caldicott
AIMA President

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EVENTS

NUTRISEARCH WEBINAR
Dysfunctional Immune Systems – Causes, Clues, and Clinical Applications presented by Dr Samuel Yanuck, DC, FACFN, FIAMA

Complimentary for all Nutrisearch Practitioner account holders
Attendees will have complimentary access to further advanced Immunology training- sign up for more info!

Emerging research continues to point to the immune system as a central pivot point in human biology, around which most disease processes revolve. It’s essential for clinicians to have a robust framework for recognizing these patterns and understanding the causes and clinical manifestations of immune dysfunctions.

This webinar will lay out a research-based, clinically robust framework for understanding these patterns. These chronically ill patients are already in your practice. Now you’ll recognize the patterns of immunological dysfunction underlying their chronic illnesses and know how to address them.

Click here for a short promo clip from Dr. Samuel Yanuck.

Click here to register for the webinar.

If you are not a Nutrisearch account holder, then please contact us at Info@nutrisearch.co.nz

Time to dust ourselves off and get ready for the Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia’s premier event for 2022 – The Herbal Medicine Summit – Plant Medicine for the People.

We’ve curated a program that’s thought provoking, engaging and informative. It’ll be bursting with priceless clinical pearls and wisdom shared with us by some of the most skilled and respected herbalists from Australia and internationally. Click here to find out more.

This is your opportunity to watch engaging presentations and panel discussions across two concurrent streams over 2 days, take part in an herbal infusion and elixir workshop, join a practitioner case sharing session and check-out 20+ exhibitors in the exhibitor showcase.

We are pleased to offer a special NHAA member price to AIMA members.

To join us, please e-mail us at nhaa@nhaa.org.au with your name and contact number and a team member will be in touch with you.

Don't miss out on the Health Coaches Australia and NZ Association (HCANZA) upcoming conference - Breaking Through: Health and wellness coaching in a post-pandemic world. This in-person event is being held at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast on 2-3 June 2022.

Conference Program
HCANZA has secured an impressive line-up of speakers for the Conference, including keynote speakers Dr Michael Arloski and Rosemary Calder. Equal parts education and networking, the carefully curated program has been designed to bring the health and wellness coaching community together to share our collective vision of a thriving, growing industry. For the full conference program, click here.

Registrations

Non-Members $320
HCANZA Professional Members $295
Student Non-Members $175
HCANZA Student Members $150

Click here to register now.

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Lifestyle Medicine 2022
Friday 29 – Sunday 31 July 2022

The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine is thrilled to announce the return of their annual Lifestyle Medicine conference, Lifestyle Medicine 2022! This premium ‘boutique’ conference event will take place at the Pullman International Hotel in Cairns, Australia from 29-31 July, and is designed to bring together medical and health professionals from a range of disciplines to explore the latest translational research and clinical application of Lifestyle Medicine.

With an overarching theme of ‘The evolution of practice’, this year’s event will focus on innovation and translation of evidence in:

Clinical practice
Prevention and policy
The community and workplace.

Join us at Lifestyle Medicine 2022 to gain practical skills in Lifestyle Medicine application, network with like-minded professionals, and help advance the global Lifestyle Medicine movement for change!

Click here to register.

Both in-person and virtual attendance options are available.

SEEKING WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA
FOR RESEARCH PROJECT

The FIDGIT Study is the PhD project of Auckland clinician and researcher Sharon Erdrich. The study is an investigation into relationships between fibromyalgia, digestive problems, and the microbiome of the gastrointestinal trace with the aim to provide answers that can guide future work.

IF YOU HAVE FIBROMYALGIA and
• Are female, adult
• Not pregnant
• Not diabetic
• Have no chronic inflammatory condition
• Are willing to undergo testing
• Can visit the study centre in Auckland

Please get involved!

Go to TheFIDGITStudy.com to find out more or please contact the lead investigator: Sharon Erdrich on 64 9 846 5566 or email sharon.erdrich@sydney.edu.au. You can also donate here.

WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA?
It’s a mysterious, chronic pain condition affecting about 1 in 25 women. As well as ongoing pain, fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, sleep disturbances and other problems that are common. Poorly understood and difficult to treat, we aim to find out more about what links these symptoms, which may inform better treatments. This study, in AUCKLAND, involves some tests and questionnaires. There are no medicines or treatments. Some test results will be made available. Find out more here.

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JOBS & LISTINGS

Seeking Digital Marketing Specialist - Nutrisearch, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Nutrisearch are on the hunt for a content/social/digital marketing specialist to manage and maintain their newly launched online ordering platform and website, along with growing Nutrisearch’s online presence and supporting the rollout of our Marketing Strategy.

Click here to find out more and apply.

Mounties Group – Invitation to Health is seeking full-time and part-time integrative medicine trained General Practitioners and non-integrative General Practitioners to join our new practice in Freshwater, New South Wales, Australia. Supported by Nurses, Naturopaths, Health Coaches and other collaborative therapies, we will offer general practice services for commonly occurring health issues and preventative medicine, and integrative & lifestyle health approaches for complex problems. Position yourself in a practice with a supportive team approach to high-quality, integrated, patient-centred care.
You will be located in the beautiful suburb of Freshwater across the road from the beach in a modern custom-designed haven.
What we offer;

Flexible working hours
Modern, patient calming consulting rooms
Collaborative therapies
Energetic and inspiring team
Exposure to all aspects of an integrative medical practice
Opportunity to develop new skills and shape the future of integrative medicine in Australia
Mentoring by experienced Integrative Medicine practitioners if desired
Onsite nursing services
Pathology services
Onsite parking for practitioners and patients
Excellent remuneration
Private billing practice
Weekly clinical meetings
Gym and pool access

Key Requirements;
GP's must hold;

Full VR registration with AHPRA
Medicare Provider Number or be eligible for a provider number
Professional Indemnity Insurance
A desire to work collaboratively and prioritise ongoing learning

For more information, please contact Kirsty Story at kstory@invitationtohealth.com.au or on 02 4322 0700.

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RESEARCH SNIPPETS

Eating Eggs Is Not Associated with Cardiovascular Disease

There has been considerable controversy on the relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease risk over the years. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis set about to explore the association.

The authors searched five databases, including the Cochrane Library, and identified 23 observational studies of almost 1.4 million patients with an average follow-up of 12.3 years.

The analysis suggests that higher consumption of eggs (more than 1 egg/day) was not associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but was associated with a significant reduction in risk of coronary artery disease.

To view the meta-analysis, click here.

Do Personality Traits Predict Cognitive Decline?

Our personalities shape our behaviour and thought patterns, influencing our physical and mental health. But do some personality traits influence the progression toward or away from cognitive decline?

A new study from the American Psychological Association, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds extraverts and individuals who are disciplined are less likely to experience cognitive decline later in life, whereas those with neuroticism have an increased risk for cognitive dysfunction.

The findings provide a novel understanding of how personality traits can speed up or slow the transitions between cognitive statuses and death.

To read the full article in Medscape by Batya Swift Yasgur click here and to view the study, click here.

JOIN AIMA TODAY!

Not an AIMA member? Join now and help us to push integrative medicine forward!

Memberships enable us to build a strong integrative medicine community that is united, recognised, supported, and informed. We rely on memberships to survive and to support our goals, which are to:

bring integrative medicine into the mainstream
foster true collaborations between doctors and practitioners
build a lively and engaged integrative medicine community
support and advocate for integrative practitioners and integrative medicine through the power of a collective voice.

AIMA Membership provides a raft of benefits including:

Free subscription to our Monthly AIMA e-Newsletter
Discounted tickets to informative, fun, and inspiring AIMA Events
Certificate of Membership (on request)
One year subscription to Advances in Integrative Medicine (AIMED) - our international peer-reviewed, evidence-based research and review journal
Having your say to help shape the future of integrative medicine
Access to education and professional development
Benefitting from the power of a collective voice advocating the goals of integrative medicine
Networking and support

JOIN NOW AND HELP INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE THRIVE!

JOIN AIMA

Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is intended to provide accurate and helpful health information for the general public. The information should not be considered complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions and/or their treatment. It should not be used in place of a call or visit to a medical, health or other competent professional, who should be consulted before adopting any of the suggestions in this newsletter or drawing inferences from it. Please note that the views expressed within are the presenters own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.