Items of General Interest:

Don’t Forget: Upcoming Elections for President, Sec/Tres. & Board of Directors. Please send your names and/or nomination forms in to Marion or Patty.

Interesting Fact: Are any of you familiar with the sports casting figure of Curt Gowdy. He very recently passed away at age 87. For many years, he was the voice of the Red Sox. After retiring, he developed Trigeminal Neuralgia. The article I read said that he no longer suffered from the condition but it did not say why. The article was published in the latest edition of Esquire magazine. I did not get permission to use any of the article so if you want to read it, you will have to find a copy of the March edition.

Horses Get TN! The following article is actually about horses. The reason I have included it though is because it has been discovered that we as humans are not the only mammal to suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia. Horses also suffer from this disorder. I thought that some of you may find this interesting reading, especially if you own or have owned them. I myself have owned and trained horses for most of my life. After reading the complete article, I now believe that I may have once owned a horse that actually suffered from TN. He had a head shaking problem that developed when he was about 5-6 years old and the ‘shaking’ seemed to be brought on by touching his face in certain areas or taking him out for rides on windy days. Sounds familiar doesn’t it! I wish I would have known about TN way back then as I may have been a lot more understanding of his problem.

By: Christy West, Managing Editor/Website Editor; The Horse; February 2006 Article # 6491.

We often punish horses for exhibiting undesirable stereotypic behaviors, but most of these behaviors are responses to suboptimal environments. Thus, punishing the horse for the behavior only increases the already heightened stress that caused the behavior. This is why so many cases do not respond to these treatments, explained Daniel Mills, BVSc, PhD, CBiol, MIBiol, ILTM, MRCVS, Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom. He discussed various behaviors at the 2005 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention held Dec. 3-7 in Seattle, Wash.

"These efforts at control can reach quite remarkable levels of cruelty, but this almost always reflects the owner’s mis-understanding of the nature of the behavior rather than any ill intent on their part," said Mills. Instead, he recommended changing management strategies to remove the cause(s) of the behavior, or allowing the horse to continue the behavior in a safer manner (such as by providing rubber cribbing boards that don't splinter or damage the horse's teeth), rather than using punishing methods for control.

But to change the management or remove the cause of the behavior, first we must understand what caused the behavior and why. Mills reviewed scores of studies on stereotypic behaviors to shed light on general risk factors for weaving, box-walking, cribbing, wood-chewing, and headshaking.

"Horses with a headshaking problem typically present with recurrent, intermittent, sudden, and apparently involuntary bouts of head tossing that may be so extreme as to throw the horse and rider off balance," said Mills. "The headshaking is frequently accompanied by sneezing or snorting and attempts by the horse to rub its nose on the ground, on a foreleg, or on nearby objects."

The condition can appear at any age, although it usually arises at about five years of age. Diagnosis and treatment are often difficult, as a specific physical cause is rarely found. No fewer than 58 causes have been proposed, including a response to bright sunlight, allergies, trigeminal nerve pain, overzealous bit seats (rounding of the first upper and lower cheek teeth to accommodate a bit), and airway turbulence. Treatments include bitless bridles, nose nets to decrease airway turbulence, homeopathy, and herbal supplements.

"The range of treatments that seem to have a significant effect is notable," he said. "This could also be interpreted to provide further evidence of the importance of trigeminal neuralgia in the condition, because in humans, unpredictable and intermittent remission is a common finding." Improvement concurrent with treatment, whether relief is provided by the treatment or not, is often interpreted as treatment success.

"There are almost no decent controlled studies on headshaking, so we have no confidence in how effective these treatments are," Mills said.

"These problems do need to be taken seriously; they are a major welfare concern," Mills summed up. "They cause lots of pain and frustration.

"Repetitive behaviors are multi-factorial, arising from a combination of environmental and genetic risk factors in a given individual at a given time," he added. "Prevention should aim to reduce these risk factors."

 Dr. Anthony Kaufmann, Medical Advisor to the TNAC has agreed to answer your questions.  If you have a question for Dr. Kaufmann, please send it to the newsletter at newsletter@tnac.org by e-mail, or snail mail to Patty at Box 973, Coaldale, AB, T1M 1M8.

Marion’s Desk

In the past few months, I have been receiving numerous Newsletters back with "Return to Sender", or "Moved". I have tried to find the correct addresses by going to the phone directory and have located a few but not all. If you are a paid up member of the TNAC, and wish to continue receiving your Newsletter by mail, would you please inform me of your correct address. Thank you.

Hope you all enjoyed the Olympic Games. Hats off to all the medal winners, and all the athletes who did their very best for Canada. This is a very short Marion’s Desk, but hope next month will be a better month for me. Marion

Gaye Mackie – Calgary, AB

Gaye Mackie – Calgary, AB

Frances Shlahetka – Calgary, AB

For the Toronto Support Group:Mary Arangio – Markham, ON , in Honor of their Mother Sandra Arangio.

In Memory of: Walter Shute and Erwin Wagner

Vera Cail – Camrose, AB

Best Wishes:

Contact Marion Guzik at 403-327-7668.  or lethbridge@tnac.org  

DINNER EVENT:  Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (Toronto chapter) invites you, and your family and friends to come out and join us for an evening of fun and conversation. Share information and chase away the winter blues!

Date:  Wednesday, March 22/06; Time: 7p.m.

Location:  Frankie Tomatto's all you can eat Italian Bufffet, 7225 Woodbine Ave. 

Directions: From 401 exit 404 North to Steeles/Woodbine exit. From 407 exit Woodbine south, Located 2 lights north of Steeles

Cost: Buffet dinner $14.00 (Seniors over 65 15% discount) Children 3-11 half price. Toddlers 2-under $1.99 (more than 11 in our group add 12% for gratuity automatically) for more information go to Frankie Tomatto's website www.frankietomatto.com/  or phone: 905-940-1900. Website has a map

RSVP: Kathy Somers 905-853-9849, Sandra Arangio 905-284-9215 or e-mail toronto@tnac.org  no later than March 13/06

Sandra and I look forward to meeting and seeing you again. Please come out and enjoy the evening.

Next meeting for the Toronto Support Group is March 19, 2006

2006 MEETINGS:  The Boardroom, G.F. STRONG REHAB CENTRE, 4255 Laurel St. Vancouver (Laurel at West 26^th – one block East of Oak). TIME: 10.30 am – 1.30 pm DATES:  March 25, May 27, July 29, Sept. 30, Nov. 25

Friends, family and supporters are welcome to attend meetings. For more information or to talk with someone who has TN contact:  Ann Hopkins, Volunteer Coordinator, TN Support Group.  Phone: 604 732 1673 or Email:  annhopkins@shaw.ca

  This edition of the TN News is quite short.  Remember that this is your newsletter so please contribute any questions for Dr. Kaufmann, letters to the editor, notes about your TN health, etc.

Here it is almost spring already and we have just received our first big batch of snow and cold. Our winter here has been extremely mild with not much moisture. With this snow now our farmers are finally smiling a little.

I’ll be returning to my summer job within the next couple of weeks and I’ve discovered that I’m not ready yet! This winter went by so fast. I had a whole long list of things I wanted to accomplish during my winter lay off – I think I got only about half the list done though. Maybe next year I’ll start out with a list only half as long and then I can get it all done. Come to think of it, maybe next year I just won’t make a list at all – then whatever I accomplish will be a bonus!

I hope you all have a great spring.

Patty