Our Director, Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel, has recently co-authored a review paper with Dr Jonathan Krell, consultant medical oncologist at Imperial College London and HCA, on ‘Integrative Oncology Approaches to Supporting Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment of Solid Tumours’. In this blog Dr Nina summarises the paper, including some key actions people treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors can take to support their treatment and wellbeing. Research paper overview The goal of this review was to examine the role and practical applications of integrative oncology strategies in supporting immune c ..read more

What a year this has been - from launching a new free integrative oncology app and travelling to 4 continents to writing a book and completing two postgraduate qualifications! It has been both challenging and exciting in many ways, and I am deeply grateful for the support of my family, Synthesis Clinic colleagues, friends and community, whom I am immensely fortunate to have in my life. I also want to extend special thanks to my amazing administrative staff, including Jody Middleton (our integrative cancer care clinic coordinator) and Emma Higginson (my non-clinical PA and Chief Dr Nina M ..read more

Scar Work is a new emerging therapy that is not only breaking down adhesions but changing the way that we do rehab (rehablitation). It evolved from the Rolfing technique, a light facial tissue, body work treatment designed by Dr Ida Rolf in the 70’s. It has since progressed, through the work of Sharon Wheeler into the new accredited Scar Work and is beginning to build a body of research to support its benefits. Scar Work is a light treatment done without oils or moisturiser. It is responsive to what the therapist finds and aims to hydrate and help the healing, appearance, and functionality of ..read more

Blog by Anna Coles, Level 4 personal trainer and GP referral exercise specialist I have consistently collaborated with midlife women to address the often-debilitating conditions that present themselves during the ageing process. I suspect, in terms of my own experience, that I have been perimenopausal for at least 10 years. Experiencing this first-hand places me in a position to have an understanding of how it actually feels to live with these symptoms and equally the salient results of managing them through movement and activity. Through regular tweaks to my own exercise patterns and nutriti ..read more

What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine (hormone-related) condition affecting approximately  2 in 10 women of reproductive age. Less than a third of PCOS sufferers are overweight. If you have PCOS, it is likely you will be affected by Oligomenorrhoea (fewer periods)/ anovulation (cycles where ovulation has not occurred) Hormone imbalance leading to hirsutism (hair in places such as the lip, back, umbilicus and nipples); there may also be problems with insulin resistance, raised inflammatory markers and blood lipids Difficulty conceiving if you are having ..read more

Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel, Integrative Medicine Doctor Hi, I’m Dr Nina, an Integrative Medicine doctor with a special interest in Precision Health. I believe that our current healthcare system with its best intentions and its hard-working men and women is unfortunately poorly equipped to deal with the overwhelming tide of chronic disease and we need to find a better way. To understand why I feel the way I do, I will give you a bit of background. I was born in Europe and was lucky enough to have an upbringing that had nature at its core. I spent most of my summers running around a beautiful pine fo ..read more