Yoga for stress relief

Release the tension

Lee Kennedy

The tensions of daily life have an enormous impact on our emotions. In yogic science, the secretions of the hormonal system are believed to influence the mind and the nervous system. Strong emotions are linked to hormonal imbalances which leave us vulnerable to infection and conditions like insomnia, mental fatigue, irritability and stress.
While all can be triggered to a transient crisis and usually pass with the stress that causes them, they can also be chronic and associated with medical or psychiatric conditions or long-term medication.
Stress can often manifest itself in short bursts of impatience or overreaction to everyday events that one would normally take in one’s stride. Stress itself can be caused by a variety of factors – major life changes, such as separation or bereavement, and by sleep deprivation, work-related anxieties or allergies. Mental fatigue is characterised by forgetfulness, irritability, boredom, confusion, lack of concentration and depression, all of which can cause lack of sleep.
The potential seriousness of these conditions is often underestimated, and they can have grave implications for our health. The following yoga asana works on the endocrine glands and central nervous system to pacify the nerves, reduce the respiratory rate and calm a stressed body and mind. This inverted stretch also brings fresh blood to the heart as well as the lungs, increasing the entire body’s overall energy levels. It also stretches and strengthens the muscles of the shoulders, arms, hamstrings and calves.

Downward Facing Dog pose
> Begin on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips (about hip width apart) and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.
> Spread your fingers wide apart palms, with your index fingers parallel, and curl your toes under.
> Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. Firstly, keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis.
> Lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.
> With an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels towards the floor.
> Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone.
> Keep your head between your upper arms. If you feel you need it, use a block or folded blanket to support your head.
> Bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest.

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) should not be practiced if you have diarrhoea, arthritis or a fever. If you have a stiff spine, high blood pressure or prone to recurrent headaches or varicose veins always practice with your head supported on a block.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture, simply stated, is a health science which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body.

Acupuncture has its roots deeply planted in China. In fact, authorities agree the science is between 5,000 and 7,000 years old. Its use spread throughout ancient Egypt, the Middle East, the Roman Empire and later into Western Europe as merchants and missionaries to China told of the amazing discoveries the people of the Orient had developed. Acupuncture did not become known on a national level in the US until 1971 when diplomatic relations between China and America were relaxed.

At first glimpse, Acupuncture appears strange, as its primary notoriety is the utilization of needles placed in the skin at various locations to relieve pain or affect a body part.

Early Chinese physicians discovered there is an energy network traversing just below the surface of the skin which communicates from the exterior to the internal organs and structures over 1,000 "Acupoints" on the body. This energy works in harmony with the body's circulatory, nervous, muscular, digestive, genitourinary and all other systems of the body. When this vital energy becomes blocked or weakened, an effect in a body system or anatomic location becomes evident. Stimulation of one or a combination of key "Acupoints" on the body may restore harmony to the affected area.

Historians have stated, "More people have benefited from Acupuncture over the course of 50 centuries than the combined total of all other healing sciences, both ancient and modern."

source: dr.towery.com

Study: Running Shoes Could Cause Joint Strain

Running shoes, decked out with the latest cushioning, motion control and arch support technologies, may not be as beneficial to your feet and joints as you might think.

A new study finds that running shoes, at least the kind currently on the market, may actually put more of a strain on your joints than if you were to run barefoot or even to walk in high-heeled shoes, and the increased pressure could lead to knee, hip and ankle damage. The scientists don’t recommend ditching your high-tech sneaks, however, as going barefoot on man-made surfaces could also prove harmful,

While exercise is no doubt beneficial for overall health, running and walking put stresses on your joints that may predispose you to getting osteoarthritis in those areas, said Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan, who conducted the study while at the University of Virginia, where she was a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in your joints, which can lead to bone rubbing on bone, causing pain, Kerrigan explained. Walkers and runners should try to minimize forces on their joints to prevent this damage, she said.

In pervious work, Kerrigan and colleagues had shown that women's high-heeled shoes cause an increase in pressure on the knee joint, specifically in areas where osteoarthritis typically develops, compared with walking barefoot. Since cushioning in running shoes can also create a slightly elevated heel, Kerrigan decided to investigate whether or not these shoes also increase these potentially damaging forces.

Running on a "bathroom scale"

The study enrolled 37 women and 31 men who ran recreationally, at least 15 miles (24 km) per week. The subjects were then studied in a "gait laboratory," running either barefoot or with a typical running shoe. The subjects had markers on their knees, hips and ankle joints, and as they ran, cameras picked up these markers, allowing the researchers to see how the joints moved.

The subjects ran on a treadmill that contained a forceplate, a device Kerrigan describes as a "glorified bathroom scale." With each step, the forceplate provided measurements of the magnitude of their bodyweight forces on the joints, and the direction of those forces.

They specifically looked at torque, twisting force, which in this case mainly came from the participants’ bodyweight, For example, if you stand on one leg, your bodyweight would put more pressure on the inside part of your knee than on the outside part, causing a torque at the knee, Kerrigan explained.

The researchers found an increase in this torque for the knees, hips and ankles when the participants were wearing running shoes as compared with when they were running barefoot.

Specifically, they saw a 38 percent increase in torque in areas of the knee where osteoarthritis develops, Kerrigan said. Such a large increase was surprising, she said, because it was greater than the increase in knee torque she had observed for women wearing high heels, which was only 20 percent to 26 percent.

Kerrigan noted the study only provides an estimate of the joint forces, and not the exact forces, because the methods used do not directly measure the forces inside the knee and other joints. However, there are other studies to support that these types of estimates do match up fairly well with the actual forces inside the joints.

Is barefoot better?

Should you ditch your running shoes altogether? While the results might seem to suggest that you should go barefoot — a way of running that has recently become popular thanks to the best-selling book "Born to Run," by Christopher McDougall, in which the author argues that barefoot running is better for you — Kerrigan says that’s not the case.

"I'm concerned, I don't think this study should promote running barefoot," she said. "I think people should run in what they feel most comfortable running in ... and whether that's in a pair of running shoes or in a minimum kind of running shoe, that's just fine."

The problem with running sans shoes is that most of the man-made surfaces we run on are not "compliant" — they don't give, or compress, at the right time to absorb the peak forces on your joints, Kerrigan said.

"We've evolved to run on compliant surfaces, not on asphalt or concrete," she said. "You run on something hard, your body has to work that much harder to help absorb those forces, and that can lead to stresses and strain, wear and tear, really throughout the whole body."

Also, while certain aspects of shoes, such as arch support, may not be the best for your knee joints, they do protect the foot itself, and may help prevent other injuries, such as shin splints, Kerrigan said.

Kerrigan does have what she believes is a better running shoe system in mind that she thinks would help to minimize the harmful joint torques. She is currently developing her patented shoe design through JKM Technologies, LLC, a manufacturing and information technology service company of which Kerrigan is chairman.

The results were published in the Dec. 2009 issue of the PM&R, the journal of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

By Rachael Rettner

What are Growing Pains?

"Don't worry about it," mothers often tell children complaining of leg aches. "It's just growing pains."

Or is it? Growing pains are interesting, for in one way they are real but in another way, they don’t really exist. Growing pains are minor, unspecified aches and pains (often in the arms or legs) reported by young children.

The pains are real, but they are not caused by the child's growing body. The process of growing is so slow that if there was any physical pain associated with aging, it would be stretched out over the course of months. In short, growing isn’t painful (unless you’re Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk!). Of course, we are all growing all the time, so strictly speaking growing pains could strike at any age (arthritis could be considered growing pains for the elderly).

Growing pains are typically not dangerous or harmful, but instead a convenient (if somewhat dismissive) "catch-all" folk diagnosis for the minor sprains, muscle exhaustion, and sore muscles that occasionally plauge active kids.

— Benjamin Radford

5 Painful Facts You Need to Know

By Robert Roy Britt

First off, let's set the record straight: Pain is normal. About 75 million U.S. residents endure chronic or recurrent pain. Migraines plague 25 million of us. One in six suffer arthritis.

The global pain industry peddles more than $50 billion in drugs a year. Yet for chronic pain sufferers, over-the-counter pills are typically little help, while morphine and other narcotics can be addictive sedatives.

An overview study published last month in the Journal of General Internal Medicine looked at multiple studies of pain and found "researchers don't yet know how to determine which [treatment] is best for individual patients." From studies of drugs to surgeries and alternative medicines, "We have found that there are huge gaps in our knowledge base," said Dr. Matthew J. Bair, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

So what is pain and why do so many suffer so long?

Pain is felt when electrical signals are sent from nerve endings to your brain, which in turn can release painkillers called endorphins and generate reactions that range from instant and physical to long-term and emotional. Beyond that, scientific understanding gets painfully fuzzy. Here's what's known:

1. Scientist don't understand pain

When you're in pain, you know it. But if scientists could fully grasp how pain works and why, they might be able to help you more. The American Academy of Pain Medicine defines pain as "an unpleasant sensation and emotional response to that sensation." Some pain is the result of an obvious injury. Other times, it is caused by damaged nerves that are not so easy to pinpoint. "Pain is complex and defies our ability to establish a clear definition," says Kathryn Weiner, director of the American Academy of Pain Management. "Pain is far more than neural transmission and sensory transduction. Pain is a complex mixture of emotions, culture, experience, spirit and sensation."

2. Chronic pain shrinks brains

If you have chronic pain, you know how demoralizing and debilitating it can be, physically and mentally. It can prevent you from doing things and make you irritable for reasons nobody else understands. But that's only half the story. People with chronic backaches have brains as much as 11 percent smaller than those of non-sufferers, scientists reported in 2004. They don't know why. "It is possible it's just the stress of having to live with the condition," said study leader A. Vania Apkarian of Northwestern University. "The neurons become overactive or tired of the activity."

3. Migraines and sex go together

It may not eliminate the phrase "Not tonight, honey ..." but a 2006 study found that migraine sufferers had levels of sexual desire 20 percent higher than those suffering from tension headaches. The finding suggests sexual desire and migraines might be influenced by the same brain chemical, and getting a better handle on the link could lead to better treatments, at least for the pain portion of the equation.

4. Women feel more pain

Any man who has watched a woman having a baby without using drugs would swear that women can tolerate anything. But the truth is, guys, it hurts more than you can imagine. Women have more nerve receptors than men. As an example, women have 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter of facial skin, while men average just 17. And in a 2005 study, women were found to report more pain throughout their lifetimes and, compared to men, they feel pain in more areas of their body and for longer durations.

5. Some animals don't feel our pain

Animal research could offer clues to eventually relieve human suffering. Take the naked mole rat, a hairless and nearly blind subterranean creature. A study this year found it feels neither the pain of acid nor the sting of chili peppers. If researchers can figure out why, they might be on the road to new sorts of painkilling therapies for humans. In 2006, scientists found a pathway for the transmission of chronic pain in rats that they hope will translate into better understanding of human chronic pain. Lobsters feel no pain, even when boiled, scientists said in a 2005 report that is just one more salvo in a long-running debate.

What you can do

Meanwhile, exercise is a useful remedy for many types of chronic pain.

In an Italian study detailed in the May issue of the journal Cephalalgia, office workers did relaxation and posture exercises every two to three hours. Over an eight-month period, they kept diaries, which were then compared to those of a control group that did not change habits. In the end, the group that exercised reported that headaches and neck and shoulder pain decreased by more than 40 per cent, and their use of painkillers was cut in half.

"Physical activity is actually a natural pain reliever for most people suffering from arthritis," concludes another study published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal in April. "Even minor lifestyle changes like taking a 10-minute walk three times a day can reduce the impact of arthritis on a person's daily activities and help to prevent developing more painful arthritis," said Dr. Patience White, chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation. "Physical activity can actually reduce pain naturally and decrease dependence on pain medications."

Chiropractic and Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine combines the practices of modern science and ancient healing. The emphasis in integrative medicine is the patient, and cooperation between disciplines. Integrative medicine is holistic, and brings out the best of each therapy toward the goal of improving the body, mind and spirit of patients.

As part of the overall field of complementary and alternative medicine, chiropractic is a well-established and well-studied member of a group of natural therapies. Chiropractic treatment, throughout its history, has mixed well with other therapies, some better than others. Below are a few of the therapies that chiropractic patients often encounter, many of them creating a synergistic effect.

Chiropractic and Acupuncture

Chiropractic and acupuncture work exceedingly well together. In fact, some chiropractors go back to school to learn acupuncture, and many others have acupuncturists working out of their offices. Chiropractic works with the skeletal and nervous system. Skeletal problems are often at the root of many physical complaints, yet an adjustment may not hold if uneven muscle tension or soft tissue inflammation are constantly tugging the bones out of alignment. Acupuncture works with soft tissue and overall balance of body function. By relieving pain while relaxing and balancing muscle and nervous function, acupuncture helps chiropractic adjustments to last longer. Together, these therapies can shorten the overall time required to resolve a musculoskeletal complaint.

Chiropractic and Massage

Many chiropractors have massage therapists working in their offices. For complaints involving a combination of skeletal misalignment and muscle injury or chronic tension, massage therapy is an important ingredient in successful chiropractic treatment. As with acupuncture, the combination of hard and soft tissue therapy leads to fast recovery, and fewer visits to resolve a complaint.

Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Naturopathy

Homeopaths and naturopaths often share patients with chiropractors. All three professions share a dedication to natural therapies and emphasize balance and wellness in treatment. Homeopaths may prescribe homeopathic remedies that will complement chiropractic treatment. This allows a chiropractic treatment of low back pain to combine with the appropriate remedy that will, for example, also treat the depression that often accompanies chronic pain. Naturopaths may prescribe herbal and nutritional supplements, along with herbal baths, sophisticated massage techniques and other natural therapies. These therapies, like homeopathic remedies, can extend chiropractic treatment, either helping to increase effectiveness, or to broaden treatment to include a wider range of symptoms.

Chiropractic and Your Doctor

Though chiropractic has come a long way since the 1960's, many physicians are still cautious about recommending its use. From seeking to ban the practice of chiropractic entirely, physicians are now referring more patients than ever to chiropractors. In a National Institutes of Health study in 2006, 87% of physicians reported that patients had requested a referral to a chiropractor. About 65% of physicians in the study had recommended that patients try chiropractic, largely for neck pain, back pain, unresponsive chronic pain, fibromyalgia and musculoskeletal conditions. Those percentages are an improvement on the past, but they also show that 22% of physicians, when asked for a chiropractic referral, declined to make one.

No matter what your doctor thinks about chiropractic, you should always inform your various healthcare providers about one another. Think of your doctor, your chiropractor and others as a team working toward your health, even if they aren't interested in working with each other.

Chiropractic and Physical Therapy

There are large areas of overlap between chiropractic and physical therapy. Some chiropractors work well with physical therapists in integrative health clinics, but there is also historically some bad blood between these two professions. Each treats similar complaints, though physical therapists are better integrated into mainstream medicine than chiropractors. A 1998 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared chiropractic and physical therapy for low back pain, finding that each had similar benefit to the patient.

In general, if you are seeing both a chiropractor and a physical therapist, you should tell these professionals about one another. Both chiropractic and physical therapy can result in sore muscles at times, an effect that would be worsened if the two therapies were performed too close together.

Integrative medicine is the wave of the future in healthcare. Clinics devoted to the concepts of integrative medicine are appearing in most major cities, and it is more common each year to see widely different healthcare professionals working side by side to the patient's benefit. Chiropractic will continue to play a leading role as the concept of integrative medicine develops.

source: www.altmd.com

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Chiropractic for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a mysterious and complex disorder for which there is no cure. Chiropractic treatment has helped many people by reducing fibromyalgia symptoms and improving quality of life.

Fibromyalgia was not recognized by the American Medical Association as a diagnosis until 1987, even though healers have been treating its symptoms since at least the 1600s. Today, because there is no specific test to determine if a person has fibromyalgia, some conventional physicians still deny that the disorder exists. Instead, they attribute symptoms to emotional or psychological causes.

Current research suggests that fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system. People with fibromyalgia appear to have abnormalities in the chemical compounds (neurotransmitters) that transmit nerve impulses. They also have, on average, four times as much nerve growth factor as people without the disorder. This suggests that fibromyalgia is a problem of central nervous system hypersensitivity. Because chiropractic medicine is based on the theory that an individual's health is controlled by the state of his or her central nervous system, chiropractors, who are experts in this area, are especially well suited to help patients reduce their fibromyalgia symptoms.

How Do Chiropractors Diagnose Fibromyalgia?

The average person with fibromyalgia does not get a correct diagnosis for more than five years after seeking conventional medical treatment, and more than half of all people with the disorder seeing a conventional physician receive a misdiagnosis that may lead to unnecessary and invasive treatment, including unneeded surgeries. Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia affect the entire body in a variety of individual ways, many people find relief through a holistic approach, such as provided by a chiropractor.

Because fibromyalgia produces different symptoms in different individuals, the chiropractor needs to be a good and discerning listener. It is important that patients choose a chiropractor with whom they feel comfortable and have good communication with.

At the initial session, the chiropractor will take a complete health history and perform a physical assessment. The chiropractor will evaluate the patient's spine alignment, palpate muscles, and use the thumb to put pressure on 18 predetermined tender points. In healthy people, the tender points only hurt when enough pressure is put on them to make the base of the thumbnail turn white. In people with fibromyalgia, the tender points will hurt when much less pressure is applied. The chiropractor may also press certain control sites, such as the forehead, where no pain should be felt.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Fibromyalgia?

Based on the general and tender point evaluation, the chiropractor will make adjustments to the neck and spine. Manipulations are done using the hands and consist of a short, sharp thrust that may cause a popping sound (thus the common saying that a chiropractor "cracks" the back). The goal of these adjustments is to correct misalignment of the spine. Once the spine is correctly aligned, pain symptoms in any parts of the body, not just the spine and neck, should be reduced or disappear. When pain is reduced, other problems, such as disrupted sleep, fatigue, and depression, tend to disappear. The chiropractor may also suggest herbal or homeopathic treatments, or changes in diet, lifestyle, and sleep hygiene to improve your health.

Many health insurance policies cover some or all of the costs of chiropractic visits. Patients should check with their insurer before beginning treatment. Patients usually see their chiropractor more frequently at the beginning of the treatment period in order to relieve pain. This is followed by regular but less frequent appointments to maintain gains made in healing. In chronic disorders such as fibromyalgia, treatment may be long term. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but chiropractic treatment has helped many people by reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, and not a specific disease. This means that people who have fibromyalgia exhibit a specific constellation of symptoms. The disorder is diagnosed by elimination when no other explanation can account for the symptoms. To have fibromyalgia, the individual must have widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body that lasts more or less continuously, for at least three months. The patient must also have pain in at least 11 of 18 tender points. A tender point is a pre-designated spot that is painful when 4 kg of pressure (about 9 lb, or enough to make the nail bed of the finger whiten) is applied.

Individuals with fibromyalgia may also experience other symptoms including:

• Morning stiffness
• Poor sleep or sleep disorders
• Chronic headaches
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Restless leg syndrome
• Menstrual irregularities
• Muscle twitches and/or muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety

Chiropractic Training

There are two types of chiropractors in the United States today. Straight chiropractors treat patients using only spinal manipulations, and they do not use or advocate any other therapies. Mixed chiropractors use spinal manipulations, but also integrate into their practice other alternatives therapies such as massage, nutritional counseling, homeopathic medicine, and herbal remedies. Some mixed chiropractors also work with conventional medical doctors to integrate conventional and alternative therapies. About 85 percent of chiropractors are mixed practitioners. Most chiropractors who treat fibromyalgia are of the mixed type and take a holistic approach to their patient's care.

In the United States, there are 18 chiropractic programs accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education. This body was established in 1974 to standardize educational training for chiropractors and oversee the accreditation process. Admission to an accredited chiropractic program requires a minimum of two years of undergraduate college work with emphasis on the natural sciences. The chiropractic program is four years in length and consists of about 5,000 hours of instruction, of which about 70 percent is hands-on clinical work. Each state has a board that establishes licensing requirements for practicing chiropractors.

source: www.altmd.com

Reader's Choice - Top 5 Cellulite Reduction Procedures

Cellulite is somewhere near the very top of every woman's most hated list. The skin dimpling affects women at all sizes, even the very small. It is caused by inconsistencies in the texture of the fat under the skin and affects women more often than men. There are creams available that claim to help smooth the skin, but most physicians agree that they aren't very helpful and a more aggressive treatment is needed to truly smooth out those cottage cheese thighs.

1 - VelaShape: VelaShape from Syneron uses a combination of Bi-Polar Radio Frequency and Infrared Light - plus tissue mobilization combined with suction to reduce the appearance of cellulite and re-contour the body. Multiple treatments are needed to achieve optimum results but there is no downtime and treatment generally takes about 30 minutes. It is an FDA approved device and has been shown to also provide circumferential reduction.

2 - Accent Laser: The Accent Laser by Alma Lasers uses radiofrequency to treat cellulite and other fatty deposits. It primarily works in three ways. First, it heats underneath the skin causing fat cells to shrink. Secondly, it improves circulation to the area. And finally, it stimulates collagen production which makes the area look smoother.

3 - VelaSmooth: VelaSmooth is also from Syneron and features their elos(tm) technology. Using a combination of Bi-Polar Frequency, Infrared Light, and tissue mobilization, the VelaSmooth device has shown impressive results in the reduction of cellulite. Studies show VelaSmooth results should last close to 6 months if combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

4 - SmoothShapes: SmoothShapes from Eleme Medical offers a painless, non-invasive process through laser and light techniques to improve engorged fat cells and treat cellulite at its source. The technology that Smooth Shapes uses is called Photomology, a trademarked technology that combines laser, light, vacuum, and contoured rollers to attack cellulite directly. The end result? Smoother looking skin that is younger and tighter immediately. Treatments will generally be taken about twice a week for four weeks for a total of eight treatments that last about 20 minutes long each.

5 - Endermologie: Endermologie is a safe and painless procedure designed to reduce the appearance of cellulite and smooth the skin. The Endermologie machine massages the problem areas with a combination of suction and rollers. Circulation can be increased by up to 200 percent, resulting in the stretching of subdermal connective tissue and the natural elimination of body toxins and excess retained water. During the process, a special body suit is worn to keep the rollers from direct contact with the skin.

source: www.americanhealthandbeauty.com

What Is Microdermabrasion?

By Anitra Brown

Microdermabrasion is mechanical exfoliation that removes the uppermost layer of dead skin cells from the face, chest and hands. For best results, it is recommended you get a series of treatments and use in conjunction with anti-aging skin care products.

The price for a single microdermabrasion treatment usually ranges from $100 - $150. With a series, you might get one free. Microdermabrasion takes about 20-30 minutes and there's no down-time for the skin to recover. That's why it's also sometimes called a "lunchtime peel."

Benefits of Microdermabrasion

* Microdermabrasion leaves skin with a fresher, more glowing look.

* Microdermabrasion diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, and coarse textured skin.

* Microdermabrasion makes it easy for high-tech skin care products to actually penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and help build collagen, which gives skin its youthful appearance.

Other Names for Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is also known as particle resurfacing, power peel, derma-peel or Parisian peel.

How Microdermabrasion Works

Microdermabrasion uses a powerful device to spray microcrystals of aluminum dioxide (corundum powder) across the skin’s surface. The aluminum dioxide is a very fine, very hard, sand-like material that blasts away the uppermost layer of dead skin cells on the skin's epidermis.

Microdermabrasion can be uncomfortable around the sensitive tissue of the mouth and nose, but should not be painful. After the treatment, the technician vacuums away the traces of the corundum powder.

Cautions on Microdermabrasion

*Check on the training of the person who is going to give you the microdermabrasion treatment. Results depend in part on their expertise.

*Make sure all traces of the aluminum dioxide is removed from your skin.

*Apply sunscreen and stay out of the sun after your treatment. Along with the dead skin cells, you have removed some of your protection.

*Microdermabrasion is not recommended for sensitive skin, skin that easily reddens (called couperous), or skin with acne breakouts.

*Aging skin is already thin. Overdoing microdermabrasion treatments can make it even thinner.



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ADHD Helped With Chiropractic

In the peer-reviewed research publication, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), comes a case study of a child with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), who was helped with chiropractic.

The case was of a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 2. The child’s pediatrician prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for the next 3 years. The combination of drugs was unsuccessful in helping the child.

At age 5 the child was brought to a chiropractor to see if chiropractic care would help. The history taken at that time noted that during the child’s birth, there were complications during his delivery process. The results of this trauma and complications resulted in a 4-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The child’s mother reported no other incidence of trauma.

The chiropractic examination and x-rays showed noticeable spinal distortion including a reversal of the normal neck curve indicative of subluxations. Chiropractic care was begun and the child’s progress was monitored.

According to his mother, positive changes in her son's general behavior were noticed around the twelfth visit. By the 27th visit the patient had experienced considerable improvement.

The child was brought by the mother to the medical doctor for a follow up visit and questioned the usage of the Ritalin. The medical doctor reviewed and examined the child and based on that assessment and his clinical experience, the MD felt that the young boy was no longer exhibiting symptoms associated with ADHD. He then took the boy off the medications that he had been taking for 3 years.

The conclusion of the author of the JMPT case study noted, “The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication.”

source: Chiropracticresearch.org

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Abnormal Sleeping Patterns Helped With Chiropractic - A Case Study

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP) documented the effects of chiropractic care on a nine month old infant girl with a history of disturbed sleep. The JCCP is the official publication of the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics of the International Chiropractors Association.

The study article starts off by noting that the average 9 month old should sleep approximately 14 hours per day. In this case study a nine month old infant girl was presented for chiropractic care with a history of severely disrupted sleep and fussiness. Additionally, the infant was refusing to breastfeed on one side and exhibited, what was called a generally unsettled behavior. It was also noted that the child would not turn her head to the left. These problems had been occurring since birth.

The examination confirmed a reduced range of neck motion to the left and significant muscle tension in the left and upper neck. Upon touching the neck the child exhibited signs of being in pain by crying and moving away. It was determined that subluxations were present, and an appropriate course of adjustments was initiated.

The results in this case were very impressive. The study noted that on the afternoon after the infants first adjustment the baby girl fell asleep for 5 hours. This was followed by nighttime sleep of 2 periods of 6 hours each. Over the next three weeks of care the daytime sleep got shorter, but the nighttime sleep remained between 6 and 8 hours.

In addition to the dramatic sleep improvement, the child also improved her range of neck motion and was able to turn her head to the left in response to sound on the left side. Additionally the infant began to feed freely and comfortably.

In their conclusion, the authors of the case study noted that the dramatic improvements after just one adjustment indicated that the vertebral subluxation found in this case was at least in part responsible for the disrupted sleep pattern.

source: www.chiropracticresearch.org

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Alternative Explanation for Why People Get Fat

by: Dr. Joseph Mercola

It has been over seven years since Gary Taubes wrote the landmark article What if it’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?. This piece was one of the first to hit the mainstream presses (The New York Times) and speak the truth: that fat is not an evil villain that must be banished from the food supply.

In countries around the world, waistlines are expanding so rapidly that health experts recently coined a term for the epidemic: globesity. One in three of the world’s adults is overweight and one in 10 is obese.

Much of this can be blamed on the simple theory that if you take in more calories than your burn, you will gain weight. But the issue is much more complex than that.

There are several more or less obvious reasons for the dramatic rise in obesity since the 1970s, including:

• Increased consumption of highly processed food, especially fructose

• Increased portion sizes of restaurant food and grocery products

• Increased driving and computer use (sedentary activities)

• Increased modernization

• Certain medications

• Endocrine disorders and genetics

• Changing social perceptions of what is "normal" weight

There are also some not so obvious reasons why people are gaining weight at alarming rates. It may be that far more important than the number of calories you consume in a day may be the type of calories you consume.

And if you’re eating a lot of fructose (and there’s a good chance you are considering it’s the number one source of calories in the United States!), it could be programming your body to become fat.

Fructose is Likely Fueling the Obesity Crisis

Too much fructose will pack on the pounds faster than a buffet of French fries and Krispy Cremes.

It isn’t that fructose itself is bad -- it is the MASSIVE DOSES you’re exposed to that make it dangerous.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you’d consume about 15 grams per day -- a far cry from the 73 grams per day the typical adolescent gets from sweetened drinks alone. In vegetables and fruits, it’s mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all which moderate any negative metabolic effects.

Without getting into the very complex biochemistry of carbohydrate metabolism, it is important to understand some differences about how your body handles glucose versus fructose.

I will be publishing a major article about this in the next couple of months, which will get much more into the details, but for our purpose here, I will just summarize the main points.

Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, has been a pioneer in decoding sugar metabolism. His work has highlighted some major differences in how different sugars are broken down and used:

• After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.

• Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is “burned up” immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is turned into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat.

• The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

• Fructose is the most lipophilic carbohydrate. In other words, fructose converts to activated glycerol (g-3-p), which is directly used to turn FFAs into triglycerides. The more g-3-p you have, the more fat you store. Glucose does not do this.

• When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Consuming fructose is essentially consuming fat!

• The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.

• Glucose suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.

So please do not get caught up in the common mainstream thinking that eating fat is what causes you to get fat. Much more so, it is eating an excess of simple carbs, including fructose, that will lead to a cascade of disastrous metabolic effects in your body.

The bottom line is: fructose leads to increased belly fat, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome -- not to mention the long list of chronic diseases that directly result.

If you want further confirmation, check out this study published in the Journal of Nutrition last year. Researchers found that fructose turned into body fat much more quickly than glucose, and that having it for breakfast changed how the body handled fats at lunch.

Said Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of the study in Science Daily:

"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose … Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down … It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence. It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride [i.e. fat] synthesis.”

Ironically, the very products that most people rely on to lose weight -- low-fat diet foods -- are often those that contain the most fructose! Even “natural” diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.

Sugar Can Also Interfere With Your Fat Cells’ Messages

Contrary to the popular belief that fat cells should be banished, they are an active and intelligent part of your body, producing hormones that impact your brain, liver, immune system and even your ability to reproduce.

What’s more, the hormones your fat cells produce impact how much you eat and how much fat you burn.

One of these hormones is leptin, which sends signals that reduce hunger, increase fat burning and reduce fat storage.

That is, if your cells are communicating properly and can “hear” this message.

If you eat a diet that is high in sugar and grains, the sugar gets metabolized to fat (and is stored as fat in your fat cells), which in turn releases surges in leptin. Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant to it (just as your body can become resistant to insulin).

And when you become leptin-resistant, your body can no longer hear the messages telling it to stop eating and burn fat -- so it remains hungry and stores more fat.

Leptin-resistance also causes an increase in visceral fat, sending you on a vicious cycle of hunger, fat storage and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more.

It’s Time to Cut Out the Fructose

Ideally I recommend that you avoid sugar, in all forms. This is especially important for people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

But if you are just starting out and looking to cut out fructose first, the largest contributor is easily soda, for which HFCS is the primary sweetener. But fructose is not only in sugary drinks. It’s in the vast majority of processed foods, even those you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing, bread and crackers.

So even if you don’t drink soda, if you eat processed foods you’re likely consuming fructose -- and a lot of it.

Even natural sweeteners like agave syrup should be avoided, as it is a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose!

If you’re looking for the occasional sweet treat, I recommend, in this order:

1. The herb stevia

2. Raw, organic honey

3. Organic cane sugar

Small amounts of whole fruit, which do contain fructose, are not a problem. If you’re healthy, you can enjoy fruit in moderation according to your nutritional type.

The 7 foods experts won't eat

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a "banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

How to pay less for organic.

source: Shine

Researchers Find Yoga May Be Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain In Minority Populations

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center found that yoga may be more effective than standard treatment for reducing chronic low back pain in minority populations. This study appears in the November issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Low back pain is common in the United States, resulting in substantial disability and cost to society. Individuals from low-income, minority backgrounds with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may be more affected due to disparities in access to treatment. Although many CLBP patients seek relief from complementary therapies such as yoga, use of these approaches are less common among minorities and individuals with lower incomes or less education.

BUSM researchers recruited adults with CLBP from two community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods of Boston. They were randomly assigned to either a standardized 12-week series of hatha yoga classes or standard treatment including doctor's visits and medications.

As part of the trial, the researchers asked participants to report their average pain intensity for the previous week, how their function is limited due to back pain, and how much pain medication they are taking. The yoga group participated in 12 weekly 75-minute classes that included postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Classes were taught by a team of registered yoga teachers and were limited to eight participants. Home practice for 30 minutes daily was strongly encouraged. Participants were provided with an audio CD of the class, a handbook describing and depicting the exercises, a yoga mat, strap, and block.

Pain scores for the yoga participants decreased by one-third compared to the control group, which decreased by only 5 percent. Whereas pain medication use in the control group did not change, yoga participants' use of pain medicines decreased by 80 percent. Improvement in function was also greater for yoga participants but was not statistically significant.

"Few studies of complementary therapies have targeted minority populations with low back pain" explained lead author Robert B. Saper, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of family medicine at BUSM and director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Center. "Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said Saper.

This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

source: ScienceDaily

Ergonomists Find Kids Too Are at Risk From Repetitive Strain Injuries

Ergonomists say that, even in teens, poor body posture and incorrect positioning of the keyboard, screen, and mouse are contributing to the risk of contracting neck and back pains and even carpal tunnel syndrome. A survey of 500 children found that long hours spent at the computer can result in repetitive strain symptoms usually seen only in adults.

These days, teenagers use computers for hours every day. But over time, all that logging on may be putting the kind of strains on their bodies that used to only be seen in adults. If your teens are on the computer all the time now, these new techniques may keep them pain-free later in life.

Computers are the name of the game for today's tech-savvy teens. Most of them have been logging on since they were pre-K! Experts say many of these surfers spend too much time on the computer every day, so their bodies are paying the price with symptoms like finger pain and neck cramps.

"Kids who use the computers everyday are twice as likely to have symptoms -- the kind of symptoms that when we see them as adults are warning signs of disability," ergonomist Robin Mary Gillespie, tells DBIS.

She says in a survey of 500 people, ages 12 to 18, the most common complaint of daily computer users was neck and shoulder pain. To avoid pain, the mouse needs to be as close to your body as possible. Put a bridge over the number keypad so the mouse is closer to you.

Also, monitors are often too high for kids, causing neck discomfort from looking up. So, lower the monitor to keep your neck straight, or use a chair where you can adjust the height. Gillespie says laptop users should use an external keyboard and mouse to control the distance between the screen and keyboard.

"The final thing that we look at a lot is the bending of the hands," Gillespie says. "This would be the sort of thing that leads to carpal tunnel syndrome." To avoid this, type with your hands as flat as possible. Don't put up the little feet on the keyboard, and take breaks every 20 minutes.

BACKGROUND: A new study on how kids' body position as they use computers can harm their health is the first to demonstrate a direct connection between computer over-use and pain in the upper body. Office workers have been instructed on proper posture for computer use since the late 1980s, but kids are now beginning to develop similar problems: eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck stiffness.

WHAT IS ERGONOMICS: This is a branch of science that strives to design the job to fit the worker, rather than the other way around. In the modern office, it most commonly relates to the physical stresses placed on joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones, even hearing and eyesight, along with other environmental factors that can adversely affect comfort and health. Ergonomics deals with the interaction of technology and work environments with the human body, and involves anatomy, physiology and psychology in the design of chairs, desks, computer accessories, the design of car controls and instruments -- in short, any kind of product that could help relieve potential repetitive strain from a given job or task.

POTENTIAL FOR INJURY: The most common repetitive strain injury (also known as cumulative trauma disorder) is carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects the hand and wrist. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or related repetitive strain include tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers; and loss of strength or coordination in the hands. Tendonitis and many back injuries can also result from repetitive motions.

CONSUMER TIPS: Adults and children need to follow the same basic tips to avoid repetitive stress injuries:

• Raise or lower chairs to avoid typing with your wrists at an odd angle. (For children, it might be wise to buy special kid-sized furniture, mice and keyboards, designed for smaller bodies and hands.)
• Place your keyboard at a level slightly lower than normal desk height.
• Use a footrest to avoid dangling your legs.
• While typing, wrists should not be bent up, down or to the side. The knuckle, wrist and top of the forearm should form a straight line.
• Elbows should form a 90-degree angle while hanging at the sides from the shoulders, and the shoulders should remain relaxed in a lowered position while typing.
• Do not use wrist supports or rests while you are typing, only when pausing to rest.
• Adjust computer monitors to avoid glare.
• Take frequent breaks from repetitive tasks to give your body a rest.
• Use a light touch when typing or holding the mouse.

source: ScienceDaily

Miss Whiplash With Locking Headrest, Study Suggests

Whiplash neck injuries among drivers and their passengers who have been shunted from behind are a major cause of long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, death. A report in International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing describes a new type of vehicle headrest that can both improve safety and comfort.

The new headrest being developed by Italian engineers can be easily positioned so that it is always at the optimum passenger head distance to avoid whiplash injuries during a rear vehicle collision. However, the headrest almost instantaneously locks in position during a crash and provides the best protection for driver and passengers.

Federico Giorgetta, Massimiliano Gobbi, and Giampiero Mastinu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at the Technical University in Milan worked with Renato Ravicino of Italian headrest manufacturer Gestind MB S.p.A., based in Bruzolo, to develop the new system.

Gobbi and colleagues explain their motivation: "Whiplash injuries constitute a growing health problem and economic burden in westernised and motorised nations," and suggest that, "Without significant efforts in crash prevention and improvements in vehicle safety design, especially with more effective seat back and head restraint systems, the ever increasing traffic density will show a rise in this negative trend."

Part of the problem is the drivers and their passengers are unaware of the personal harm a whiplash injury can do and usually fail to adjust their headrest to the optimum height. Moreover, common headrests are often difficult to adjust and are pressed downwards by the head in a collision and so do nothing to save the person from injury. A headrest that can be adjusted without fuss to the optimum safety and comfort level is needed, the team says. The team has studied the biomechanics of whiplash injury, so named because of the way the head moves when involved in a rear-end collision.

They explain that whiplash is an issue of rapid "acceleration-deceleration" with energy transferred to the neck in rear-end or side-impact collisions. A whiplash can cause bone and soft-tissue injuries that may or may not be treated effectively. Such injuries are preventable with better headrest design the team believes.

They have developed full-scale tests and a scaled test-rig for research and development of the new headrest prototype. The new headrest has an automatic locking system that is activated only in a collision, locking the headrest within milliseconds. At other times, the headrest is unrestrained and can be adjusted without difficult manoeuvres involving the depression of various locking buttons.

source: ScienceDaily

Aerobic Exercise No Big Stretch For Older Adults But Helps Elasticity Of Arteries

ScienceDaily (Dec. 30, 2009) — Just three months of physical activity reaps heart health benefits for older adults with type 2 diabetes by improving the elasticity in their arteries -- reducing risk of heart disease and stroke, Dr. Kenneth Madden told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Dr. Madden studied adults between the ages of 65 to 83 with controlled Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol to see how increased activity might affect stiffness of the arteries.

"The theory is that aerobic activity makes your arteries less stiff and makes artery walls more elastic," says Dr. Madden, a geriatric specialist at the University of British Columbia.

An improvement was seen in the elasticity of the arteries of the group that performed the activity compared to those who didn't exercise. "There was an impressive drop in arterial stiffness after just three months of exercise. In that time we saw a 15 to 20 per cent reduction."

The subjects were divided into two groups to either receive three months of vigorous physical activity (one hour, three times per week) or to get no aerobic exercise at all. Subjects were classified as sedentary at the beginning of the study but gradually increased their fitness levels until they were working at 70 per cent of their maximum heart rate, using treadmills and cycling machines. They were supervised by a certified exercise trainer.

Dr. Beth Abramson, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, stresses the importance of lifestyle factors on heart health, especially with our aging population. "Almost everyone can benefit from active living," she says. "The Foundation recommends that, like adults of any age, older adults -- with the consent of their physicians − need 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week."

Dr. Madden says that the exercise requirements may be viewed as controversial because of the age of the participants but the exercise level was safe and well tolerated. "There seems to be a knee-jerk reluctance to getting these older adults to exercise yet we used a vigorous level of activity and didn't have any trouble keeping participants in our study. They enjoyed the activity," Dr. Madden says. "People always underestimate what older adults can do."

Dr. Madden notes that realistically, seniors need someone to help them get started. "We need to learn how to do it effectively and how to do it safely," he says. "It could mean visiting your family doctor to find out about provincially funded programs, or joining programs for seniors that are offered at many local community centres."

Dr. Abramson recommends that seniors choose activities they enjoy, such as walking, gardening, golfing, dancing, or joining a yoga or tai chi class. If weather is a barrier, she suggests climbing stairs at home, joining a mall-walking group, or strolling the halls of their apartment building or retirement residence.

In his next project, Dr. Madden wants to find out if there is a less expensive but equally effective way to reduce the stiffness of arteries in older adults. "Our first step was to prove that it was at all possible for older adults to have reduced narrowing in their arteries due to exercise," he says. "Now we want to find out just how rigorous the levels of activity need to be to demonstrate the same results. The next step is to try studying a home-based walking program using pedometers. This is something easy for doctors to prescribe and cheap and easy for participants."

The HeartWalk Workout, a special activity program developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to help people with cardiovascular problems get regular, healthy physical activity is available online at heartandstroke.ca. It helps people slowly build up exercise tolerance until they can walk at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Chiropractic Care - its types

by Dr. Greg C. Molis

Chiropractic treatment is not just restricted to improving back and the neck pain. Chiropractic care has many different forms. This treatment is concerned with the general well being of the whole body. As a result you can visit a chiropractor as often as you like to keep up your health.

Chiropractic care deals with subluxations (misalignments of vertebrae causing nerve irritation) anywhere along the spinal column, not just in the lower back. Sometimes the vertebrae of the spine become misaligned or lose their range of motion for one reason or another. This misalignment puts pressure on nerves leading to and from the brain. A chiropractor helps put them back in place by using gentle and highly skilled adjustments.

While some chiropractors generally referred to as ~mixers~, also like to indulge in other forms of treatment such as physiotherapy, diet and nutrition while treating their patients. There are those ~straight~ ones who can be considered to be purists and deal only in chiropractic treatment concentrating on location and removal of subluxations. They believe in the ideology that once the subluxation heals, so will the rest of the body. Thus, gradually bringing about, complete rejuvenation of the individual.

You will have to undergo a full medical examination by the chiropractor initially and then a complete analysis of your condition. After which the chiropractor will take in the full case history, information about any other disease that you have and then only will he decide on your line of treatment. Chiropractic care has three basic forms:

Chiropractic Care- Relief
This chiropractic care method is followed to give immediate relief when the patient is in lot of pain and discomfort. The number and frequency of visits may depend on the extent of damage that needs to be corrected.

Corrective Chiropractic Care
As compared to Relief Chiropractic Care the Corrective Chiropractic Care is more of a long term treatment in which the results appear only after a period of time. This kind of treatment is mainly taken for those patients who are suffering from spinal problems that have taken place over a long time. Very often, the patient going for long time without medical attention.

Maintenance Chiropractic Care
This kind of chiropractic care is needed for patients with permanent spinal weakness and need constant check ups. Other patients who have had relief from earlier ailments, but see the chiropractor for regular check ups to ensure their future health and comfort. Usually this kind of treatment requires a visit every 2 to 6 weeks.

Chiropractic care involves the whole health of the body. Treatments involve using the internal healing systems in the body to relieve the spinal problems that can interfere with the nerves and cells. Therefore, receiving chiropractic treatments is a way of ensuring that every part of body is functioning as it should.

Chiropractic care is the most recommended form of alternative medicine. It is based on the belief that certain conditions are caused by impairment of your nervous system due to problems in your joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. While chiropractors do not use drugs or surgery, they sometimes do refer patients for medical care when they believe it is necessary.

Chiropractic care is safe and natural helping the body to draw upon its own restorative capabilities to heal. It teaches patients how to take control of their own health and avoid chronic pain. It also can help prevent problems before they start or get worse.