The Left Lane
Missing tunes a hoax

Do you want to know a secret? They don't exist and never did, except in the imagination of a teen prankster named Martin Lewis who became a leading Beatles scholar.

Lewis decided to go public with his mischief after confessing to Beatles producer George Martin, who "roared with laughter and said he wished he had a penny for every time someone asked about those songs."

A holistic mix

"Opening Your Heart," "Rules that Help Keep Your Life in Balance," "Explore What the Chinese Call Vital Energy" — all are titles of articles in a new magazine that offers a look at health from a holistic point of view. Called Spirituality & Health, the New York-based magazine explores topics ranging from love, compassion, creativity and soul to healthy relationships, work, environments, belief systems. The magazine hopes to offer a look at what its creators believe is a "spiritual renaissance" as people look for something that makes life more meaningful. Introductory subscriptions are $14.95 for four issues. Call 1-800-876-8202.

Poisoning the pain?

Not only is botulinum toxin A (better known as Botox) being used in facial cosmetic procedures to give a more youthful appearance, it's now finding a use for easing chronic lower-back pain. The latest issue of Neurology, journal of the American Academy of Neurology, notes that injections of Botox, a drug based on the bacteria that causes food poisoning, diminished pain for 31 patients who had been suffering for an average of six years.

Three weeks after the injections, 73 percent of the patients said their pain had been cut in half. After eight weeks, 60 percent still were experiencing only about half the level of pain. No patients reported any side effects. Researchers aren't sure how it works, but surmise it reduced the amount and severity of muscle spasms.

For women in search of reliable birth control but tired of the pill, there may be a new solution on the horizon: the first contraceptive skin patch. Though it's still a year away from FDA approval, according to Time magazine, it may be just as effective as the birth-control pill in preventing pregnancies. The patch is changed once a week. And unlike Depo-Provera injections that last three months, you can reverse the effect of the patch simply by taking it off.