Hypocalcemia is a condition where the levels of calcium in the blood are too low, leading to fatigue and weakness. It is often caused by abnormal levels of parathyroid glands. Calcium deficiency can cause various health issues, including tingling in the hands and feet, muscle aches, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and memory loss.
Hypocalcemia symptoms usually go away when treatment is received and blood calcium levels return to normal. However, untreated hypocalcemia can cause complications such as heart failure. Hypocalcemia is a total serum calcium concentration below 8.8 mg/dL (< 2.20 mmol/L) in the presence of normal plasma protein concentrations or a serum ionized calcium.
Patients should be educated about the symptoms of hypocalcemia, such as muscle weakness and paresthesias, so they can seek treatment when needed. Over time, hypocalcemia can affect the brain and cause neurologic or psychologic symptoms, such as confusion, memory loss, delirium, depression, and more.
Several different health conditions can cause hypocalcemia, including severe hypercalcemia, which produces nausea, lethargy, confusion, weakness, abdominal pain, and dyspepsia. Hypocalcemia can also cause bone weakness and frailty if left unchecked, increasing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Severe hypocalcemia with serum calcium can cause hyperreflexia, tetany, laryngospasm, or generalized seizures. Hypocalcemia is an electrolyte imbalance that affects the function of nerves and muscles. Understanding the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of hypocalcemia is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing potential complications.
📹 Diabetes hypos | What does hypoglycaemia Feel Like? | Diabetes UK
The full name for a ‘hypo’ is hypoglycaemia. It happens when your blood glucose levels (otherwise known as blood sugar levels) …
What are the neurological symptoms of hypocalcemia?
Long-term low calcium levels can lead to dry skin, brittle nails, coarse hair, muscle cramps, and neurologic symptoms like confusion, memory loss, delirium, depression, and hallucinations. These symptoms can disappear if calcium levels are restored. Extremely low calcium levels can cause tingling, muscle aches, throat spasms, tetany, seizures, and abnormal heart rhythms. Restoring calcium levels can help alleviate these symptoms.
Can low calcium affect muscles?
Low calcium levels have been linked to an increased risk of muscle cramps, particularly in the back and legs. Additionally, individuals with low calcium levels may experience brittle fingernails, bone-related injuries, irregular heartbeats, and tingling in the arms and legs.
What are the two classic signs for hypocalcemia?
Hypocalcemia is a treatable condition resulting from low calcium levels in the blood. It can be mild or severe, temporary or chronic, and is often caused by abnormal levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) or vitamin D. Calcium is a crucial mineral in the body, stored in bones but also needed in the blood. Symptoms include muscle cramps and dry, scaly skin. It can be caused by various health conditions and can be temporary or chronic.
Does hypocalcemia cause weakness?
Hypocalcemia is a condition that requires an interdisciplinary team to diagnose and manage due to its diverse causes and systemic effects. This team should include an endocrinologist and an internist, and close follow-up is necessary to ensure the patient is not on any medications that can worsen electrolyte disorders. A dietary consult can be beneficial for patients with renal failure and hypocalcemia to improve calcium intake. Patients should be educated about hypocalcemia symptoms, such as muscle weakness and paresthesias, so they can seek treatment when needed.
Open communication among team members is vital to prevent the morbidity associated with hypocalcemia. Environmental factors that affect thyroid hormone and calcitonin levels can also affect hypocalcemia. Overall, a comprehensive healthcare team approach is essential for effective diagnosis and management of hypocalcemia.
Can low calcium affect your eyes?
A deficiency of calcium, a long-term condition, can result in a number of adverse effects, including dental issues, cataracts, alterations to the brain, and osteoporosis, which is characterised by brittle bones. Although the condition is relatively mild, without proper treatment, it can become life-threatening.
Can hypocalcemia cause neuropathy?
A 40-year-old male with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, presenting with tetany, proximal weakness, hypocalcaemia, and diminished tendon reflexes, was diagnosed with sensory-motor neuropathy. Electrophysiological studies revealed axonal neuropathy with normal distal latencies-velocites, except for the median nerve. Serial nerve conduction studies were performed for two years while the patient received calcium and vitamin D supplementation. A progressive improvement in neuropathy was observed.
The occurrence of peripheral neuropathy in hypocalcaemic states and its reversibility after normalization of calcium homeostasis support the role of critical Ca2+ ion concentration in the normal functioning of peripheral axons. This case report highlights the importance of calcium homeostasis in the normal functioning of peripheral axons.
Does calcium make you weaker?
Hypocalcemia can lead to muscle pain, stiffness, and spasms, as calcium is essential for muscle function and bone strength. Deficit in calcium can result in cognitive issues such as brain fog, dizziness, and confusion. Additionally, deficiency in calcium can cause numbness and tingling in the fingers, as it plays a vital role in the central nervous system. Preliminary evidence suggests that calcium intake may affect mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain adequate calcium intake to prevent these symptoms.
How long does it take to recover from calcium deficiency?
Postsurgical hypoparathyroidism (PH) is a common side effect of bilateral thyroid resections, with data on the time course of recovery currently unavailable. A retrospective analysis of 1097 thyroid resections performed from 2015 to 2016 revealed that the median recovery time was 8 weeks, with six patients requiring calcium supplementation 12 months. Recovery of PH within 4 and 12 weeks was characterized by high PTH levels on the first postoperative day. Visualization of all parathyroid glands was an independent predictor of recovery within 12 months and 24 weeks.
Permanent PH is rare in the setting of specialized high-volume endocrine surgery, but every second patient will require more than 2 months of continued medical surveillance. Early recovery was associated with only moderately decreased postsurgical PTH-levels, while successful late recovery appeared to be associated with the number of parathyroid glands visualized during surgery. Patients with severe, persisting PH often suffer incapacitating symptoms and face reduced quality of life and life expectancy.
In conclusion, postsurgical hypoparathyroidism is a common complication following total thyroidectomy, requiring increased medical attention, repeated biochemical assessment, and additional medication.
Can low calcium cause brain fog?
Hypoparathyroidism is a rare condition where the parathyroid glands produce too little parathyroid hormone (PTH), causing a decrease in calcium levels and an increase in phosphorus levels in the blood. This imbalance can lead to symptoms such as brain fog, tingling sensations, muscle pains, and muscle cramps. Brain fog is a short-term symptom of hypoparathyroidism, affecting focus and concentration, memory loss, and affecting patients’ quality of life.
It can hit in waves, causing difficulty in thinking clearly, organizing thoughts, and holding conversations. Some individuals may also struggle with word choice and language, leading to slow and confused speech.
Can hypocalcemia cause eye problems?
Hypocalcemia is a derangement in serum calcium levels caused by various disorders, with thyroid gland surgery being the most common cause. Symptoms can include increased neuromuscular excitation, reduced vision, cataract, or calcification of basal ganglia. A 26-year-old Ethiopian female patient experienced a painless reduction in vision due to hypocalcemia five years prior. The low serum calcium level was due to damage to the parathyroid gland during a total thyroidectomy for toxic goiter.
She was on supplemental calcium gluconate twice daily and had bilateral symmetrical posterior sub capsular cataract. A systemic examination revealed a horizontal surgical scar on the anterior neck and positive Chvostek sign. Thyrotoxicosis is a hyperthyroidism state with symptoms due to a raised level of circulating thyroid hormones. There are four clinical types: diffuse toxic goiter, toxic nodular goiter, toxic nodule, and hyperthyroidism due to rarer causes.
What are the psychiatric symptoms of hypocalcemia?
Hypocalcemia, a condition causing neuromuscular irritability, seizures, and psychiatric symptoms like emotional instability, anxiety, and depression, can be asymptomatic or life-threatening. A unique case of hypocalcemia-induced acute psychosis is presented, highlighting the importance of understanding the reversible nature of hypocalcemia and its potential impact on patients with hypoparathyroidism and metabolic psychosis. This case highlights the importance of understanding the potential side effects of hypocalcemia.
📹 What Causes Tremors Besides Parkinson’s Disease? – Dr. Berg on Body Tremors
In this video, Dr. Berg talks about what causes tremors. One cause is neuronal irritability which is affected by low blood sugars …
I have a tremor in my right hand and all the information I’ve found points to Parkinson’s Disease. This information is fantastic! Finally there is an alternate diagnosis to this disease. This article has given me hope because I have several of the conditions you listed. Thank you for this information, I will follow up on this line of thinking. Thank you for this article, it has helped me enormously.
I have thought I had hyperglycemia for over 50 years. All the symptoms that you mentioned. My hands were shaking my nerves on ends just because a delivery man was coming with groceries. I have been sent to psychiatric heath for 40 plus years. Finally quit. Thanks for giving me a direction I can live with.
I’ve had essential tremors my entire life. Now I’m in the best shape of my life at 52. In the last year, I’ve lost 55 pounds on a keto carnivore diet. What you say in this article about epinephrine feels right to me. However, lie blood sugar doesn’t. I have the tremors even when fasting for three days. Ideas?
This Neuronal irritability also is triggerd by sensitivity to High dosis of Electromacnetic fields…with exactly the same sympthoms and more. The researches also point out that people livig in the proximmity of UMTS and other Masts often have high bloodpresssure and LOW too, and problems with a good bloodflow. Just saying this because manymany sympthoms nowadays havea lot to do with not only food polution and malnutrition but also with a high EM polution/overdose. Excuse my English grammar hope it is understandable enough 🙂
I’ve been hypoglycemic for the better part of the last 15 years and have had all of these symptoms listed with the exception of tachycardia. Everytime I do a blood sugar test for my doctor, nothing shows up and yet when I eat sometimes shortly after it’s like someone shot me with a tranquilizer dart. Your website is truly amazing even if it pisses off a few know-it-alls with big egos.
I was diagnosed with familial tremor but researched on internet several years ago and found that I had many symptoms of magnesium deficiency which includes tremors although that symptom is not always on the list of common symptoms. Still take supplements and if miss, it will come back. The tremors I was experiencing progressed to twitching (sudden jerking of some random body part). I have to take a good bit of magnesium. I don’t know that this could be a possible reason for person in article because doesn’t seem like it would just effect one side and neither does hypoglycemic reaction either really. Anyway, I read comments and maybe it could help someone else.
This as awesome. My Husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s and the only Parkinson’s symptom he has is a resting tremor in one hand. 20 years ago he broke his shoulder on the same side in multiple places and has recently lost a lot of weight when the trimmer started. However, all the symptoms on this article he has so thank you for always stepping outside of the box
Hi Dr Berg, I’ve had bilateral hand tremors ever since I can remember (now 44yo) my dad, one sister, one niece and my son have too. GP labelled it familial tremor but never gave any cause other than it is hereditary. I was a critical care nurse and took a beta blocker to control it so I could draw bloods and give injections as my tremor worsened when I had to do anything requiring fine motor function. My sister and niece who are also nurses did the same. I always presumed there was an underlying genetic deficiency. Lois from Australia.
I was diagnosed at 22 with essential tremors. I’ve been on many drugs over the years, trying to keep my tremors at rest. My neurologist thinks I’m at a point where I need to start thinking about surgery. I’m going to try intermittent fasting and keto. Hopefully, I’ll see some improvement, to at least maybe postpone having invasive surgery! I just ordered Dr. Berg’s Sea Kelp with iodine, hoping it’ll help with keto and IF.🤞
Just woke up with the most severe head pain behind left eye & feeling of fire inside my body checked blood sugar which was 4.2 also extreme lower abdominal pain across belly button. Watched this article & I believe you have helped me get answers to my nocturnal anxiety issues which is what I have been suffering with since 2010. Thank you so much. Anne Marie.
Thank goodness, i swear to god whenever i go through something Dr.Berg makes a article about it . I had magnesium deficiancy symptoms for the last few months and i finaly had magnesium supplement . But the last Friday at school, in the first hour after lunch, i was agitated a little and my hands were lightly shaking, i got worried because i thought to myself ” well i stopped consuming sweets, processed food and caffeine altogether, on top of that i get my magnesium supplement what’s the problem now ” well apparantly i was just low in sugar, it makes sense tho because i cut out my sugar intake significantly and i was slacking on eating my fruits …
I have been having tremors for about 1.5 years…I have internal and external shakes…with internal inside, but what is sort of weird, but most of the tremors are after about 1600…I also have neuropathy pretty bad, I can’t feel my feet and in my hands…how my internal tremors feel…it’s a feeling like when you get outta the pool and you have that weird feeling that your body is shaking…my other kind, looks like a seizure without passing out…my legs are swollen and kind of pushes like a vice on my lower legs… My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson about 6 months ago, but he caught early and taking meds…I have been to a ton of doctors and they don’t have a clue what’s wrong…my legs are getting worse and have a walker, but it’s getting out of hand…I also have my body turning red, all over and not in a specific spot If you have some info on this, I would love for you to comment…thx
About a month ago while I was at work, my right hand started lightly tremoring, almost like you’d see in Parkinson’s. Over the course of thirty minutes or so it spread to my head and left arm. It was also more intense and looked like large, swooping motions mixed with shaking. I couldn’t control it at all. I went to Urgent Care and was told I had low potassium, was given a potassium thing and sent home. I tried to sleep and after a few hours I got up with the worst headache, speech was difficult and I felt super weird. Off to the ER. I started shaking again, and explained the previous stuff. They said everything came back fine and my potassium was absolutely normal. They recommended I see a neurologist. It still happens sometimes, randomly, and to varying degrees. Now that my health insurance has started I’m looking into a check up.
I’m not understanding this. I’m sorry. I have tremors in my right hand also. Yes, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. However, I also have tremors in my neck. Sometimes it shakes bad. I get embarrassed in church and I have to rest my elbow to my chin. Im only 52. This has been going on for about 3 yrs now and getting worse. I’ve been doing keto for the past 3 months. But, there seems to be no change with this. It affects my job tremendously. I work from home, doing online chat support for insurance. My Dr has sent me a referral to a neurologist for further testing for Parkinsons. But, I’ve been putting it off cause it scares me to death.
QUESTION TO DR. BERG: What causes numbness in the fingers, particularly middle and index fingers? A lack of what mineral or vitamin or nutrient? Please advise. I’m an artist and need my hands to do my craft but haven’t lately because of this serious issue. When I type I have to go back many times to correct words since I can’t feel the tip of some of my fingers. I know this is not of this topic but I don’t know where to reach you to ask my questions. Thank you, Lourdes.
Dr Berg I would like to say that you are a good man and a saint for sharing your knowledge you go beyond the media driven society in morals and ethics ..you are help those that can’t find, afford or are afraid of Doctors that push the pharmaceutical profit agenda…and I am trying Ketogenics …Thank you from a subscriber in Canada
Great insights Dr. Berg. So earlier this week i started a kick boxing class, i had a previously injured right wrist, and while punching the bag, i know i did strain my wrist again. It is normal to get the shakes after intense work out, but my right hand still has some shakes, they are less and less and this is day 3 post kick boxing. There is no pain though, just the shakes. What could this be?
Eric, do you have any explanation why steel cut oats might give me an anxiety-like reaction and feeling like I drank 10 cups of coffee? It’s happened several times shortly after eating the oats. It doesn’t happen with other carbs, just steel cut oats for some reason. I eat healthy and consume very little sugar, mainly from bananas and dates and occasionally other fruits and berries. Often I go a day with a banana being the only simple carb I consume.. is that too little?
Dr Eric Berg, the same thing that causes tremors in humans must be true for dogs. Their legs tremble. My black lab was fully tested, she is good, liver, brain, thyroid and top quality food regulated. She came to me with this condition. I have owned this dog for a year and 1/2. She is on a very regimented Steve’s raw food diet with a small amount of kibble. The reason I say all of this, I know you are not a vet, but symptoms are the same, as my grandmother had and my dog. My grandmother had arthritis, her hands shook. Tremors have to be a nutrient deficiency along with using the muscle. I am trying to prevent this in my dog.
Does this mean proper tremors only or the tingling and numbness also? I’ve had severe tingling when I just started keto. Is this also related to neuronal responses or is there some other explanation to that … Anyone else experiencing strong tingling like needles and pins in legs and hands? Please leave a reply below !
I need help im only 25 and pretty much every muscle in my body has a slight tremor. i can hold my hands out perfectly still but when i close my hand into a fist i can feel the muscles in my fingers shaking. Same when i try to pick something up i can feel the muscles in my arm basically vibrating. is this just something as simple as a vitamin deficiency or something more serious?
My fiance ocassionally suffers with whole body shakes, they can start at any time of day or night and can last from 10 minutes up to an hour. We have consulted doctors who have sent him for various scans and tests, seen consultants, but nobody appears to know exactly why this is happening. Have you any suggestions on what could be causing these uncontrollable body shakes?
Spent a lot of my youth nervous, anxious, depressed… a few disturbances later in life, all of which (looking back) turned out to be little miracles of God. Life is good… but I am left with what my doctor calls “essential tremors.” Handwriting has deteriorated and—when I don’t keep forcing my brain to relax—my head shakes from side to side. Doesn’t really feel nutrition-based but more emotional/neurological. Any thoughts on this?
Thank you for this article very much.! My son is 23 and for last couple of years we have been worried about tremors he has. He’s been to GP but no diagnosis.. he has anxiety sometimes and he thinks that tremors are more visible when he drinks coffee. However after perusal your article I’ll start researching this topic! Thank you!!!
I get finger tremors when twisting things, but not when doing stuff like typing. My body shakes to the core when mid-situp or doing resistance weight training. I also get random ‘jumps/jolts’ that are singular and happen when I do something like washing dishes (e.g. I stabbed my left left with a fork). I’ve seen doctors and such. I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/Neurocardiogenic Syncope per tilt table testing. I’ve had all sorts of stuff checked on me, lots of scans, blood work, brain scans, etc. They also checked for MS. Any suggestions? Twisting a bottle cap makes my fingers in each hand tremble.
Very good information. But your presentation is only 2:07 long. Would have been really neat if you could have spent another minute or two and given us your filtered and evaluated opinions on hypoglycemia. A lot of that info is probably not appropriate for this application and you would have had a much better chance to evaluate the different possibilities. But thank you for the start.
I was driving and noticed it … my right hand pinky finger index finger and thumb were twitching. Coincidentally…. and not joking here … I saw a Krispy Kreme donut 🍩 store and pulled in and had two donuts …. Then I noticed surprisingly the shakes were gone. I think it might be sugar/glucose (hypoglycemia) related.
I have tremors and doctors ruled out Parkinson. Yesterday I was carrying a heavy bowl of soup and walked 50 feet and my hands started shaking, nearly dropped the plate, I wear a Garmin hear rate sensor and saw my heart rate increased to 153 bpm (my resting heart rate is 68 bpm) Question: did the tremor cause the high heart rate or vice versa?
Hi! I know this is old, so dunno if anyone here has same issue. I have still much small tremos in the left hand and Im eating Abilify 5mg… About 2 years now. My left hand shaked so much ever worse on 15 and 10 mg in 4 years, had mentioned, but doctors did not care. So I chosen to take 5mg myself (did not listen to them) and the hand is not shaking so much. Im doing fine. So any medicine may affect too I think. I dont want to eat that anymore so what can I do? They just gave me meds without any diagnose 😢
I have all pf those symptoms, including severe tremors in the whole right side of my body. I do not have Parkinson’s Desease, and no hypoglycemia. My MR scans (with contrast fluid) shows white dots on my brain, indicating Multiple Sclerosis, but my lumbar puncture samples, sent to the lab said “Not MS” with a 95% certainty. I have no indications of neuronal autoantibodies in the lumbar sample either. My tremors started with just my head, wen downwards fast, but were initially only once or twice a day for short periods of time. It got much worse very quickly, as my muscles started to cramp extremely, and I had nerve pain, all the way from my head, down to my toes, and in the right arm. Now I have tremors 100% of the day, but I am taking Gabapentin and Propranolol, which helps with the nerve pain, and changes my tremors to look more like I’m dancing to music. But Neurologists can not tell me anything about what it might be. So if anyone recognize any of this, please let me know. I really don’t want to live like this…
I wake up every single night with whole body tremors. If I don’t get pure coconut water into me within 3 or 4 minutes I will be trembling so hard that I can’t hold a cup of water without spilling it and the back of my tongue starts to cramp up. 3/4 cup coconut water settles things down and then I sit up leaning on headboard to get back to sleep. Sure wish I knew how to really fix this. 3 trips by ambulance and had so many tests and they say I am a clean bill of health. Dr Berg, can you make a article to give more information? I am taking b1, nutritional yeast as well, D3/K2, mabgeniusm byglycinate, Vit c, b6. Sometimes a multi-B liquid. I also get such a headache and can feel my blood pressure and heart pulsing in my ear. I have to breath evenly in and out to get back to sleep once the trembling stops in half hour or so.
I started having tremors in 2022 after having 3 shots of covid 19 vaccines. Two other acquaintances of mine are also suffering from tremors after the covid 19 vaccine shots. I think it’s no coincidence at all. However the Doctors I encountered refuse to connect the tremors with the vaccines. They always consider Parkinson’s, thyroid or diabetes but ignore the side effects of covid vaccines. I have been referred to a Neurologist. I’m wondering what the Specialist would conclude?
My left thumb starting shaking a few weeks ago. It only happens if I am holding onto something, like a cell phone, book, plate, etc. When I put my hand out, there is no tremor/shaking of the thumb. For years I have had involuntary movement of my toes. I did see a neurologist about that and he said I did not have Parkinson’s, but something called dystopia?
At the same time, the other main cause of neuro irritability is disc or vertebrae weight landing on a nerve as it passes through, all due to osteo porosity. Besides causing us to become shorter, loss of calcium brings weight to bear on a nerve. If It happens to a heart nerve, you will show heart symptoms. If a motor nerve, you will have either tremor, numbness, pain, or loss of mobility where ever that nerve controls.
I been seen for muscular dystrophy nothing because I get shakes or tremers in my legs one Dr told me it could be restless leg but I’m pretty sure it is not because I get none of symptoms so to say they truly don’t know what it is I do know that it is vary annoying it’s in my legs Ian a 59 year old type 2 diabetic and really need to know what this is….
Hello, I am 34 years old and I suffer from tremor in the hands and legs, and it appears when I hold a cup of water or a cup of tea, which causes me embarrassment in front of people and when a problem occurs in front of me, my body and hands tremble and on occasions also my hands tremble Is there a cure for my problem TSH tests were performed and the result was normal I had an EEG and found a disease called essential tremor, essential tremor. Please help
IN CASE SOMEONE LOOKING FOR ANSWER I would like to share my experience in hope that some one might benefit and could live a happy normal life: My wife had Tremors and there were no Parkinson disease. She had these symptoms: Headaches, Migraines, Confusion, Tremors in whole body when she tries to Rest/Sleep(She had no symptoms when doing normal day job ex: cooking, cleaning etc) Treatment (i would suggest to get your blood tested first): After blood test we saw that she had Iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D defficiency. once we used the supplements she sleeps like a baby.
Currently trying out the keto diet. My hands keep getting tremors and my lips. It is getting very concerning. I ate higher carb today because of it. Its now stopped, but does anyone know if this is dangerous. Should I keep doing keto even if this is happening? It got so bad earlier today that my fingers looked like they were playing the piano by themselves. My lip kept shaking for hours too. Any help? Im 28 and I’ve never had this problem before. Also I’m taking multivitamins and it is not helping.
Eric Berg Sir plz continue on this topic as i feel tremors in my head and hands as well. According to your article, low blood sugar causes tremors. So does that mean I should start eating carbohydrates. On your advice I have cut out carbs from my diet.. My request would be to pls continue on this series of article as brain is generally the most ignored part of our body but still the most vital. Thank you. Love from India.
I started to experience severe anxiety & panic attacks, that come with full body tremors sometimes. My legs will shake so badly that I can’t walk straight! Anxiety will always trigger the full body tremors. I just don’t understand why all of sudden 5 months ago I was normal, then out of the blue this starts happening. I was told my Vitamin D level was low a few weeks ago. Wonder if that’s got anything to do with it?
Dr. Berg I love your article’s. Can you please do a article on having tumors or cyst on the ovaries and anemia and how to shrink or remove them with foods or supplements? Can you also do a article about why one hand and arm experiences numbness, weakness and cold but no pain or tremors? Thank you in advance
Could Metformin aka Glucophage exacerbate the Neuronal Irritability as it lowers blood sugars ? If someone has these tremors and some of the other symptoms on the list, as my mother does, is it likely that the damage is done ? or can a healing of the tremors be brought about ? Other than a Keto diet, is there anything that can be done or taken specifically to overcome the Neuronal Irritability, or at least assist the healing process ?