The proposed study, which will extend over a three month period, will involve 500 participants. "The main qualifying factor will be that the participant must have had arthritis diagnosed in their hands," he explained. Although the extensiveness of the arthritis is not a factor that will disqualify a volunteer, Dr. Leahey maintains a personal theory that the oil may have its greatest impact on early stages of arthritis pain. "I don't know if any topical aid would be beneficial for chronic or burnout arthritis, where the cartilage has been virtually destroyed. I suspect the oil reduces inflammation around and within joints, and assists in allowing a greater freedom of movement," he reasoned.
     "This study will not only provide for a subjective determination of the effect of the oil." said Dr. Leahey, "but it will also include direct measurements. By using a dynamometer, we can confirm changes in the participant's gripping strength. Also, by direct examination of the hands, it is very easy  to test the sensitivity and number of tender and swollen joints," he revealed.
   Volunteers that are accepted and have been off arthritis medicine for one month will receive an initial examination measuring the gripping strength in the hands. The subject may be asked at the beginning of the study to assign a number corresponding to the pain level being experienced in their joints on a scale of 1 to 5. After the hands are examined, the subject will be instructed on how to properly apply the oil onto the hands, tentatively 3 times a day for 3 months. The subject's hands will be reexamined and evaluated at the end of each 30 day interval.
   "When I was initially approached by patients advising me that they were experiencing relief from emu oil, I did a literature search on the topic of emu oil and medical applications. I quickly learned that there is a big void in this area and that there were no published articles in scientific or medical journals," Dr. Leahey revealed.
   Personal observation of the effectiveness of the emu oil on his own patients was the motivating factor behind Dr. Leahey's proposal for a clinical study. 'The dramatic results I have observed convinced me that this oil can make an impact on those suffering from arthritis," he stated. 'The advent of this oil has simply changed my practice," he asserted.
   Currently, the proposal and budget are being written up for the project. Dr. Leahey is hopeful that the project may begin as early  as late July or early August. He noted that local physicians will be made aware of the study and will be asked to assist  in securing volunteers for the study. Also, local newspapers and other media surrounding Ardmore will carry advertisements soliciting volunteers.
   "The research is imperative," stated Dr. Leahey. The initial results and potential are so exciting. In the last few weeks, I've begun recommending the use of emu oil as part of a regular treatment program for patients," he revealed. "I've observed some very surprising results. The oil is very economical compared to regular arthritis medicines, and appears to have fewer side effects," he continued. "It's very encouraging to find something that may help relieve the suffering associated with arthritis, and it's very exciting to be a part of a project that may impact the quality of life for so many people."

   Topical applications, too, leave much to be desired. "Most of the topical applications which require no prescription use an ingredient derived from a Mexican pepper. Although the warmth it produces  contributes to relief, the products often irritate and even burn the skin," Kristi observes.
   Another method of delivery for anti-inflammatories, the injectable form, is often used for severe cases. In addition to the irritation caused to the blood vessels, one of the main deterrents for using this method is consumer reaction.
 "Most people do not like the idea of getting shots or giving themselves shots," revealed Kristi. "Patient compliance diminishes considerably if there is an aversion to the method, frequency, or the effects of a medication," she elaborated.
   Summarily, the majority of anti-inflammatories on the market today produce side effects that are often so severe, the consumer must weigh their benefits against their side effects. However, in the case of emu oil, laboratory irritation tests conducted by Emu Ranchers Incorporated in 1991 revealed that even at full strength, emu oil generated irritation levels so low, the results were comparable to that of water In laboratory and clinical tests, as well as marketing studies for new products, pure emu oil and compounds formulated with it have generated surprisingly little irritation. Even current research on the oral consumption of bacteria-free emu oil has yet to reveal adverse side effects from oil use. A pharmaceutical grade of emu oil possessing anti-inflammatory properties with minimal side effects could alleviate the most pressing concerns regarding the use of anti-inflammatories in the medical profession today.
   The documentation of the patent notes that the inventors have found that "emu oil deficient in linolenic acid is highly active and secondly, emu oil contains other compound(s) which alone or when combined with a transport enhancer provide an effective anti-inflammatory composition."
   Further, this "biologically active yellow-coloured component may be included In topical, oral and systemic compositions for the treatment or prophylaxis of musculoskeletal and/or dermatological conditions arising from inflammatory reactions of environmental or systemic origins."
   One of the most interesting observations noted in the experiments occurred when emu oil was exposed to sunlight for several weeks. Upon examination, the oil appeared inactive when tested for anti-inflammatory activity. However, this anti-inflammatory activity was actually restored with the addition of retinyl acetate.
   Other findings elaborated on within  the patent "clearly identify the yellow components in  emu oil immuno-regulant activity, apart from their ability to modulate disease once initiated." The patent displays table after table of experiments conducted with other oils, fats, and compounds used and readily available on the market today.
   Allen Strickland, pharmacist in  Ozark, Alabama, summarized the three aspects of the invention as (1) a pharmaceutical composition that acts to provide  effective transport across the dermis or mucous membranes; (2) a method of treatment; and (3) the process by which  the biologically active yellow-coloured component is extracted from the emu oil.
   According to Strickland, the published documentation in itself will be a valuable sales tool.
   "It's a lot easier attract the interest of a pharmaceutical company when you have this sort of research to support your product," he reflected. "Pharmaceutical companies devote persuasive reason to pursue research on emu oil."
Another notable aspect of the Invention indicates the  ease by which the compositions may be formulated.
   "The compositions of the invention may be readily formulated by those skilled in the art using appropriate vehicles to produce a variety of topical compositions including liniments, aerosols, creams, ointments, gels, lotions and the like" reads the patent.
   Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this documented research from the perspective of the emu rancher is the unmistakable recognition by the US government that emu oil really does contain an active component. Strickland noted that many drug formulations  are based on an active, natural source.
   "Even aspirin, one of the most widely used compounds, is based on salicylic acid which is found in the bark of the willow tree," he explained.
   Edna Hennessee of the Cosmetic Specialty Labs, Inc., notes that ingredients from natural sources provide an excellent base for cosmetics. "In my 53 years in this business, I have found that it is very difficult to duplicate (synthetically) what nature has provided. That emu oil is simply good stuff," she asserts.

A  brief summary of the claims listed in the patent lay claim to:
 
.  A biologically active yellow-coloured component of emu oil
   prepared in a prescribed manner;
.  A composition comprising the aforementioned component and a
   pharmaceutically acceptable carrier;
.  The composition noted above in an injectable form, an oral form,
   and a topical form;
.  method of extraction;
.  compositions with named carriers;
.  compositions with emu oil concentration levels of from 20 to 95%;
.  topical compositions with the yellow-colored component
   comprising 1-99% by volume and method of extracting the
   component;
.  named chemical treatment of the component upon extraction;
.  methods for the prophylaxis and treatment of musculoskeletal or
   dermatological conditions arising from inflammatory reactions of
   environmental or a systemic origins.

Because so many users of emu oil often appear to experience complete alleviation from various conditions, the question arises: How does the oil work? The explanation according to Dr. Leigh Hopkins, consultant pharmacist and Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, lies within what happens with various pathologies and how the oil may help bring those back into correct balance.

In a recent interview, Hopkins offered to share a macro view of a plausible explanation of the discerned benefits of emu oil in relation to various skin conditions. Hopkins emphasized that today's modest explanation of how emu oil works may be modified as additional research is documented.

"It's clear from documented 'before and after' pictures and from what we hear and see – sorting through real activities of the oil verses coincidental chance occurrences – that healing is occurring," says Hopkins. "At the same time, when the oil is used in a typical application on normal or dry skin; for example, there's also an improvement in the quality of the skin itself that occurs fairly quickly. This indicates that there are two processes going on, one of which deals with the epidermis (skins outer layer) which is essentially a dead layer of protein."

Hopkins explains that the epidermis serves as the protective function of the skin and is analogous to fingernails, toenails or hair – all being nonviable cells.

"While you may be able to hydrate the skin – plump up the epidermis and make it softer and smoother – that's incidental to the healing benefit that's also being seen with the oil," adds Hopkins. "The healing has to be occurring within the dermis (skins lower levels), and in the cells that are viable, that is, cells that can divide. Those are the cells from which healing has to come. And those cells, depending on the nature of the wound, may have to differentiate into other types of cells. So, the healing process occurs from the dermis and emu oil has an impact on healing at the dermal level."

Because activity is occurring at both the epidermis and the dermis levels, Hopkins comments that there could be two entirely different mechanisms – two explanations and probably multiple different explanations for the activity at either site. Putting it simply, there is no single explanation as to the function of emu oil as it relates to the restoration of various conditions.

"It's that broad group of activities that make the emu oil appear to be 'snake oil'," says Hopkins. "If we take a series of skin conditions that respond in different ways to emu oil, such as dry skin, various burns, ulcers, wounds, eczema, psoriasis, etc, each of those conditions in the hands of conventional medicine has it's own unique therapeutic approach. That the oil works where we use a number of different types of drugs is what makes it hard for the conventional medical community to accept that the oil can be operating across a broad range of disease conditions by way of some common action within the dermis layer of the skin."

Hopkins relates that one problem the emu oil industry faces is coming up with the explanation as to why the oil helps alleviate various pathologies. He remarks that the industry has to explain fundamental mechanisms under which the oil is working.

"And those more fundamental mechanisms are really basic nutritional mechanisms – fats that are in emu oil," says Hopkins. "And the ratios of fats in emu oil are critical  to the normalization of the healing process. I don't want to single out a single fat, that's probably incorrect, it's more the composition of fats in emu oil (linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitloeic) or a ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats or some other relationship within all these fats rather than a specific fat that's in the oil. If it were such that it was a specific fat, there are a lot of ways to get those fats from other  oils. But the ratio of those fats are likely to be important to the benefits that we see with the oil."

Examining the Healing Process on A Cellular Level
Dr. Hopkins, whose undergraduate work was in biochemistry, relates that there may be numerous explanations for emu oils specific influences on body cells themselves and on receptors within the cells. He also mentions that emu oil does more than just promote healing.

Says Hopkins, "It's clear that the oil does work and this would have to be labeled in a macro and fundamental level of healing. And we don't want to necessarily think of emu oil as stimulating healing – it can be retarding or blocking an excess activity as well as stimulating under performing activity. Any and all those depend on the underlying explanation for a specific disease."

Hopkins says that this may be the case with emu oil with psoriasis or other skin maladies. "In certain conditions, taking psoriasis (a condition that responds in a variable fashion to emu oil) for example, in which there are specific cells that are out of control – those cells need to be tamed, if you will."

According to Hopkins a better way to describe what emu oil does for the body would be that "…emu oil helps to normalize basic cellular function, and enable the body to progress with what should be normal healing."

 "We know from our experiences that the oil does work and  it does normalize various conditions," continues Hopkins.  "And I emphasize normalization. With emu oil we can typically increase decrease whatever is going on because often the problem is because something is not performing well enough, or another system is over performing. For example, and excessive inflammatory condition is an over performance of system that is designed to produce an inflammatory response because that's part of the body's normal response to some invasion of organisms or other foreign substances. The concept of normalization involves progressing past that inflammatory phase and moving into the next phase of the response – to whatever has been presented to the body. And sometimes things get hung up in those different phases and you have to give them a little boost – get them moving."

Hopkins relates that at the root of almost every chronic and acute skin condition is a cell line or hormonal response that is exaggerated, which needs to be kicked into it's next phase of healing. He adds that these are complex phases of healing that go on and are incompletely understood.

The fact that emu oil helps normalize basic cellular function in so many skin ailments is outstanding. Emu oil has been successfully employed on various types of burns as well as on abrasions and also gaping wounds.

Regarding the use of emu oil on deep wounds Hopkins says, "It's very impressive when you see after a certain amount of time that you can have an essentially completely healed system – everything has been replaced, the muscle, the tendon, the nerves, the blood vessels, the skin – repaired and grown back. The very impressive ability of the oil is that it seems to encourage those systems to work in concert as they're designed to do. When you're deficient in certain components, that system then doesn't heal normally, quickly, etc, and the oil simply helps to orchestrate the healing process.

Professional Village has done some compounding with emu oil as well. "We have added it to a few of the creams and lotions that require a little bit of an emollient – a skin softener ingredient as well as some of the other anti-inflammatory ingredients that we use," relates Reeder.
     Customer satisfaction is important to the pharmacist. Says Reeder, "To me, emu oil is a very exciting product and I enjoy selling something that works. We all sell things that often times we don't hear back any response at all or it's a negative response. And it's enjoyable to have a natural product such as emu oil that we can  almost be sure in every case that it's going to help, and people are going to like it and are coming back asking for more. I would like to see the oil get a little more publicity."

  Suturing of wounds is always a tough consideration – the decision is whether to put the local anesthetic in, and make two or thee holes, or just go straight ahead and suture with a tiny needle. If you had a relatively sterile entity that could numb it either before the injection with the needle, or with regard to the wound itself, then you might be a lot further ahead.
     Laser therapy typically is done with injection and can be quite painful in some parts of the body, as most of you are aware, especially the palm of the hand or the base of the foot.
     What we need is something that works quickly, that's relatively hypoallergenic, and it also has consistently good absorption. Of course, we need it to be non-toxic and it has to be reasonable in cost. That's why I tested lidocaine, and it's our impression that emu oil is relatively hypoallergenic.
     The traditional over-the-counter preparation in both Canada and the U.S. is EMLA cream, which stands for eutectic mixture of local anesthetics. It has lidocaine in it and  another agent called prilacaine. It doesn't work as well  as I'd like it to. It has a relatively slow action, a minimum of 45 minutes, so that requires pre-planning. If you're going to see somebody in an operating room suite, it literally has to be put on by someone at your suggestion  beforehand, or you have to get the parent to purchase it at home and put it on. Do they put it on the right place? Do they put on in the right amount? How does it proceed from there? Unfortunately now, many pediatric institutions are withdrawing or reducing their use of  the cream because it's been somewhat erratic as to whether  it's actually served a purpose or not. It's often built  up impressions and potential feelings, but sometimes those  have been very disappointed in the actual use thereof.
     The emu oil used in this study was what I call cream -  the complete oil verses the separated oil.
     What did we test? We created two mixtures that looked,  for all intents and purposes to people observing them, the same. Quite honestly, if they would have tasted them, they would have had a considerable difference because  all of the local anesthetics are very bitter. It doesn't  take a rocket scientist to tell when you've got one in your mouth. As any of you know who have ever had a local  anesthetic sprayed in your mouth, for a sore throat or  whatever, almost all of them are very bitter.
     Anyway, our substance was emu cream and spearmint oil.  We use the spearmint oil for two reasons: the relatively positive scent it imparts to most people and; it has the advantage that it may enhance absorption as well. Our  second preparation was emu cream of the same batch, Canadian emu oil and spearmint oil again, with lidocaine.
     Those were then applied to two sites on six people. The two sites were both chosen as the same and that's in the ventral distal forearm, that is on the part of your wrist which hardly ever has any hair on it. You can start intravenouses there. Usually, they're not large veins, but they work really well and they're exquisitely tender – therefore, a good site to test if you were able to use it. The mixture  was applied on both forearms on a two-inch square sites, and then covered with something called Opsite, Tegaderm, or one of the other proprietary units which are a lot like Saran WrapT with a sticky surface around it.
     The function of the cover is two-fold. First of all, you  increase the warmth and moisture in the area and that  might make a difference in penetration. Also, it usually permits an increased concentration crossing across the skin before it's rubbed off or taken away. After twenty minutes, that cover was removed and the residual cream was wiped away. The amount of residual cream left is usually  diminished over that time frame.
     We then did two major tests on the individuals. The common  one we used initially was ice. That's because in my practice in the operating room, I found that if you can check with an ice cube where people can tolerate the ice cube, and not tell the difference whether it's warm or cold, even prior to Cesarean section, you can invariably tell when they're going to have sharpness from the incision with the cold hard steel knife. Then, of course, we used pinpricks because most people were kind of intrigued with the idea  that this actually made any difference. Because each individual had the substance A or B on the left or right side, they had some way of observing themselves and determining,  on their own basis, if they thought there was a difference from one side to the other.
     That's the outline of the methods that we did. Then, the  observer who was applying the creams was blinded as to whether it was A or B in each instance, and correspondingly, the observer of the ice and pinpricks was also blinded.
     We got fairly simple results in that there was a reduced  sensation noted in only one of the two arms, one skin site only. Also, fortunately, the one with the reduced sensation had been treated with mixture B, which was the emu cream, the spearmint and the lidocaine combination.
     That's something that might vary – a larger size might  make a difference. You might get a difference, too, if  you went on other areas which may have more thickened skin.
     In the discussion, this has to be done with so-called consistent, proven pain stimulus. The pain and temperature, just for those that aren't as comfortable with the physiology, are virtually tested by the same thing. What I mean is, acute sharp pain, and warm and cold sensations, tend to be affected and carried by the same fibers and the same components of the spinal cord. It's not the same as the burning or dull pain that starts after a few seconds. That is a different type of pain fiber again.
     "When we're talking about the next step, the clinical trials, we'll need to start with adults. Where we want to use it is in children, but typically, you can't have much success with the groups within the hospitals discussing the study unless it's been proven on adults.
     Of course, the million dollar, multi-national question  is "Will emu oils work?" "Which ones will work better?" "Is there a particular feature in emu oil that does work better?" I know that people have tried local anesthetics on their own, and local anesthetics in mineral oil. Whether they've tried it in pure oleic acid, I don't know.
     What's the potential use in animals? I feel certainly there is a good possibility in some of the thinner skinned animals. I think of horses, particularly, and probably dogs where you might be able to apply the cream, and not require near as much sedation or other entities.
     In general, we need more study with design and data acceptable  for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Pure emu oil is employed by the physician mainly on clients suffering from various burns and abrasions. "In addition to abrasions and burns I also use pure emu oil on scars and wounds," says Dean, who has spent the past 30 years in private family practice. "I do a lot of in-office skin surgeries, and anytime the patient walks out of the office they have the oil to use on the wound because emu oil enhances wound healing." The patients are told to apply the emu oil or to remoisten the bandage three times daily, usually until their next appointment.

During allergy season emu oil is employed often by the doctor, who has developed a nasal spray product, one of several emu oil products from his product line The Dean's List. He relates that he's interested in making pure emu oil as well as medicinal emu oil products available to his patients.

One product that he uses perhaps the most often during allergy season is Emusol nasal spray (98% pure emu oil).

"I've probably had well over 500 people use my nasal spray with very good success," says Dean. "The nasal spray has been practically a miracle drug — it does such a fantastic job. These people say they can now breathe. I also use it for kids with bloody noses. It moistens the nasal mucosa and brings it back to its normal function."

Utilizing Emu Oil With Conventional Drugs

In addition to pure emu oil, Dean relates that he also employs emu oil in conjunction with some conventional drugs including antifungal medications.
"I think the oil has an inherent anti-fungal property itself," remarks the physician. "When I mix it or combine it with a known topical antifungal or a known topical anticeritic drug for psoriasis, I see a benefit from using that as compared to using just the topical medications by themselves. I have seen the difference and I use the oil combination quite often. We're seeing the fungus under the nails healing much faster. People are saying, 'I've had this for years and now it's healed.' By using the oil we've corrected the problem much more quickly."

Another benefit of emu oil as noted by the doctor's findings is that emu oil lessens pain in patients with bums and in patients with abrasions.

"When we use the pure oil on the wounds, they're not using as much pain medication," comments Dean. "For example, we gave an 8-year-old boy with burns a liquid codeine, and when he returned I asked how much he had left and he said, 'Most of it, because I didn't need it.' Recently I used pure emu oil on post-radiation burn on two ladies. They've related that the burning sensation subsides and they don't need as much of their pain medication. In addition, another patient's wife said her husband didn't complain as much of the pain (typical burning pain associated with that particular ailment) just a few days after applying emu oil."

Emu oil is great for sunburns as well. "It stops the pain therefore we don't need as much pain killers," says Dean. "I see most of your college students with sunburns from tanning beds and that pain is eased remarkably with just the oil."

Reducing Time of Healing

Of great interest is Dean's findings with emu oil in relation to quicker wound healing. He relates, "I have noticed that with a typical third degree burn and with various abrasions where it normally takes six weeks to heal, we're seeing healing much quicker, in almost half the time. Also when we remove skin lesions in the office, these wound incisions heal quicker when emu oil is applied."

Lack of Complications Using Emu Oil

Naturally patients not familiar with emu oil question the doctor as to what type of side effects they might experience with emu oil.

"Since it's a natural product, the answer is, technically none," says Dean. "But although many individuals feel that taking aspirin is safe — some people react to aspirin. I'm sure that there's somebody out there somewhere that may get a reaction from emu oil, but I've not experienced it."

When applying emu oil to fresh burns or wounds the first day, Dean maintains that his patients haven't experienced any negative reaction. "Emu oil is a natural product and we would be less apt to expect any type of an allergic or contact type reaction when using it," he says.

Don't Self-Diagnose — Work With a Physician

While much good has been reported about emu oil, Dean cautions individuals not to take treatment into their own hands, especially when it comes to serious injuries or illnesses.

"It is very, very important that people don't think this is such a miracle that they can go home and start treating third degree bums," advises Dr. Dean. "They need to see their physician have the conventional care before they start using emu oil. Because what can happen is that they may take a second degree burn and drive it to a third degree burn if it is not taken care of properly. And a burn may not heal even when applying pure emu oil because there may be extenuating circumstances involved such as lack of circulation, or it may be a different type burn such as a chemical burn that may require special care, or a burn that has already gotten bacteria into it. And a lot of people don't know when their last tetanus shot was, so if they were to treat their burns at home without the aid of their physician, they may run into serious problems."

If a physician is not familiar with the benefits of emu oil, Dean says that the patient should go ahead and see their physician and bring up the benefits of the oil and suggest that it be used, or ask them to call Dr. Dean himself and let him explain what he's done with it. And then once the ailment is treated and when the patient feels comfortable about applying the oil to the wound, then Dean feels they can go ahead and start applying it.

Just the Beginning

While the Australian aborigines have employed emu fat [emu oil is rendered and refined emu fat] for medicinal and cosmetic purposes for centuries, it wasn't until the late 1980's that emu oil began being researched in seriously for its beneficial properties. Additional public awareness and the findings of physicians like Dean and others, no doubt will spur on additional research.

"Some work is currently being done with emu oil — adding additional compounds to enhance its healing process or the oil enhancing conventional therapy," relates Dean. "So there is a great deal more that we're going to find out about the oil. But it would be much easier and much better if we could get emu oil into a wound care center or university for example for additional experimentation by itself and with conventional drugs. I think what we've done with the oil so far is gotten our toe in the door. Now we need to get more of the medical field involved to confirm what I and others have started to do in a more scientific and technical mariner."

Dean has been employing emu oil in his practices for the past several years and feels confident he's working with a winner. "It seems we have a fantastic product here," says the doctor.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive stress injury reported at an increasing rate in the U.S. work force. Anyone who does repetitive work with their hands and arms is susceptible. Musicians, cooks, writers, typists and others complain of finger stiffness in the morning, a weakened grip and pain and numbness in the hands and wrists.

The syndrome occurs when the tendons in the wrist become inflamed after some type of aggravation such as typing or writing. These tendons pass between the bones and ligaments of the palm of the hand in a constricted area called a tunnel. Treatment includes resting the hands using splints. Oral and injected anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are also common treatments. Surgery may be used to expand the tunnel and reduce the pressure on the nerve that is causing the pain.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that 1% of individuals with this syndrome develop permanent injury. The majority recover completely and can avoid re-injury by changing the way they do repetitive movements, the frequency with which they do the movements, and the amount of time they rest between periods when they perform repetitive movements.

An uncommon but very effective treatment is to take vitamins B6 and B2. Doctors noticed that carpal tunnel syndrome often occurred in women on birth control pills that had high estrogen doses (these products are no longer available). Pregnant women also have an increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome. And finally, diabetics are also at increased risk. All these conditions are associated with an increased need for vitamin B6. The dose of vitamin B6 is 200 to 300 mg per day in divided doses. Vitamin B2 is necessary to convert vitamin B6 into its active form. This treatment should be tried for three months; if there is no symptom relief by then, vitamin B6 may not be for you.

In summary: Emu oil may act in an anti-inflammatory manner to relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome similar to oral anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and Motrin. Vitamins B6 and B2 can be taken for 3 months at a daily dose of 300 mg for each vitamin. These should be taken in 100 mg. doses at each meal. If, after a trial of 3 months there is no benefit from the use of emu oil and the B vitamins, you should seek other therapies since permanent nerve damage may occur in some people.

Of particular interest, given that your Pure Emu Oil has clinically proven itself time and again to relieve inflammation, is a recent study of the emu oil effect. The research, conducted by Yoganathan, et.al, Antagonism of Croton Oil Inflammation by Topical Emu Oil in CD-Mice, applies solid scientific methodology that evaluates, among other things,the cytokine effect that is linked directly to inflammation. As you may be aware, cytokines are proteins produced by cells that trigger many biological responses, such as inflammation, anti-inflammation and tissue breakdown.

I found it gratifying that emu oil has now been objectively linked to the reduction of proinflammatory cytokine levels. This finding conceptually supports my clinical observations.  Since lipid content plays such a major role in health of the skin and subcutaneous fat, reducing the potential for lipid breakdown (a proinflammatory effect of cytokines) may be the reason behind the apparent success of using emu oil, which seems to lessen the rate, extent and/or occurrence of skin inflammation, breakdown and ulceration. Emu oil seems especially important for diabetics or anyone with the potential for skin ulceration. Though I have only prescribed emu oil for topical application, the mechanism of action and potential benefit of emu oil is only beginning to be understood and appreciated.  With future research, I suspect that even ingestion of emu oil will show generalized medicinal benefits for treatment of such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, including diabetes, where proinflammatory cytokines seem to play a role.

Musculoskeletal conditions, especially tendonitis, arthritis and bursitis, have also clinically responded well to the anti-inflammatory effects of emu oil, using both your Pure Emu Oil and your product called What a Relief. I've tried many different other products including salicylic-compounded creams, pepper concoctions and other emu oil compounds (that go from blue to gray and cause a dermatitis with prolonged use). Although other products have helped, to one degree or another, in my experience none have been as consistent as yours in providing relief with reduced pain and swelling.  Other positive factors found with your products are prolonged shelf life and the lack of side effects that other products often create.

On a personal note, I use What a Relief topically for my chronic painful back condition (herniations, stenosis and associated muscle spasms) and for sinus headaches. Also, I use your Pure Emu Oil orally to treat sore throat due to viruses and allergy. If people were more aware of how these products could improve their level of comfort there would be a lot less uncomfortable people in this world. I recommend your products at every opportunity. Keep up the good work.