HealthProfs Blogs
How Your Socks Fight the Flu
One of the worst parts about the flu is spending all night tossing and turning as you try to fall asleep. But before you take another swig of Nyquil, it might be worth trying a different, more natural option. According to Suzanne Lawton, MD., one quick and easy way to help you sleep better is the warming socks technique. Here's the three-step process:
1. Soak a pair of thin, cotton socks in cold water, and put them on
2. Put on a pair of thick wool socks over them
3. Wrap yourself in a ton of blankets and go to sleep
By the time you wake up in the morning, your socks will be dry and you would have had a good night's sleep. The heat your body generates to warm up your feet also clears up congestion and stimulates the immune system. For optimal results, repeat the technique three nights in a row.
In Other News:
The Power of Tea
Certain types of tea can provide certain health benefits. Researchers from Kingston University found that white tea contains antioxidants that help prevent cancer and heart disease. Also, researchers from the Tianjin Key Laboratory in China have found that black tea has glucose-inhibiting properties that help control diabetes.
Milk Allergies? Drink Milk
Research from Johns Hopkins has found that some children can treat their severe allergy to milk by drinking small doses of milk on a daily basis. Continuous exposure to milk slowly and gradually trains the child's immune system to fight off the proteins that cause the bad reactions.
Flu Season Freebie
On Tuesday September 22, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals will offer a webinar on "Cold and Flu Safety" to their members--and to the public a week later. ABMP rightly deemed the information too important not to share. Email expectmore@abmp.com to be notified when these free guidelines for protecting both client and therapist health are available. "There's no reason any consumer should shy away from getting massage this year," says education director Anne Williams.
In other news:
Look Ma!
A "No Hands" massage goes deep into needy muscles, but is less taxing on therapists, who use their forearms and body weight to provide leverage. Added bonus: it feels like a hug.
Going to the Dogs
Want to become an animal masseur? Consult this list of training programs in the U.S. (and one in Canada).
Help for Hormones
Sure, any kind of needle typically evokes images of unimaginable pain, but acupuncture aims to do the opposite. While the Chinese practice has a healthy international following, critics are still reluctant to acknowledge its efficacy. However, current research is becoming more open-minded toward this ancient tradition. A recent Swedish study suggests that acupuncture may help relieve polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder with symptoms that include irregular periods and infertility. It found, along with exercise, that acupuncture helped regulate menstruation and decrease testosterone levels. Maybe now, you might be willing to give needles a shot?
In Other News:
Going Under the Needle
For those of us searching for a new alternative to invasive cosmetic surgery, there is an ancient answer. Martha Lucas, M.D. is an author and co-founder of Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture, a specialized method of acupuncture in which needles are inserted into a patient's face to improve skin quality. Her safe, non-invasive and natural procedure may be the ideal anti-aging medicine, as it not only improves blood flow and collagen, but also has limited negative side effects. Though branding of Cosmetic Acupuncture in the west is fairly recent, the technique has been used for centuries by emperors in China.
Antidepressants Got You Down?
The greatest combinations: peanut butter and jelly, Ranch and Tabasco, antidepressants and acupuncture? Perhaps. A new Chinese study compared treatments for patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The study found that taking low-dose antidepressants supplemented by regular acupuncture treatments was just as effective as taking a higher (recommended) dosage. Additionally, researchers found that acupuncture reduced antidepressant side effects and anxiety in patients.
Chiro Kids
Having a well-adjusted child isn't just a matter of balancing school, friends and video games anymore. As chiropractic treatments for pediatric patients have grown in popularity, a group of researchers at Alcantara Chiropractic Wellness Care in San Jose decided to assess the safety of these treatments in young people. They conducted a review of hundreds of patients under the age of 18, and published their results in Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.
Chiropractors reported three adverse events out of 5,438 office visits by 577 children; parents indicated two adverse events out of 1,735 visits for 239 children. Both parents and practitioners reported high rates of success with the treatments.
In Other News:
Backpack Attack:
Back pain among children has become more common in recent years, and their school backpacks may be the culprit. Backpack-related injuries accounted for more than 7,000 emergency room visits in 2001, and a recent Italian study found that 60 percent of children surveyed reported back pain as a result of carrying large packs to school. One tip: Don't allow a child to carry a pack weighing more than 10 percent of his body weight.
Not for Colic:
Although some have claimed chiropractic treatment can be effective for infant colic, a study done at the Universities of Exeter & Plymoth in the UK found a lack of supporting evidence from a number of randomized clinical trials. For the moment at least, the jury is out on using chiropractic for colic.
Integrated Medicine
East or West, a combination is best. Accomplished heart-surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz clearly believes in high-tech health solutions, but that doesn't preclude his use of more unconventional methods. The New York-based Oz has experimented successfully with music, massage, and aromatherapy in his operating and recovery rooms. Since prevention is key to heart (and overall) health, he advocates a lifestyle that incorporates complementary medicine. Formerly an expert on Oprah, Oz will helm his own talk show beginning September 14. Targeting Capitol Hill
As the debate over national healthcare reform heats up, the chiropractic community is turning up the temperature as well. Starting in mid-September, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) will spend $1 million on an advertising campaign aimed at informing legislators and the public how chiropractic contributes to cost-effective, quality care.
The campaign will begin in the Washington, D.C. editions of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and will then expand to include the Washington Post, Politico and Roll Call. Advertisements will feature two FCP spokespeople: former NFL superstar Jerry Rice as well as retired Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead. The campaign will run through mid-October.
In Other News:
Presidential letters
The president of the American Chiropractic Association, Glenn Manceaux, sent a letter to another President in late August: President Obama. In his letter, he urged President Obama to maintain a dialog with the chiropractic community during the ongoing health care reform initiative.
Chiropractic de-listed
As the US moves slowly toward a universal health care system, Canada continues to tinker with its version, pinpointing which medical services are to be covered through public funding. Chiropractic care was removed from that list in Alberta recently, as a 16-person panel was convened by the health minister to reevaluate where best to spend health care money.
Cost-Effective Chiropractic
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but you could also just head to your chiropractor. Sticking with conservative approaches-like chiropractic-to treating musculoskeletal disorders may cut overall health care costs. In a pilot program conducted in Iowa and South Dakota, using chiropractic and some other treatments appeared to be an effective route to take.
The study included 238 physical therapists, chiropractors and occupational therapists treating 5,500 patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Patients who received chiropractic treatment or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and had reduced overall costs compared to those who did not receive such treatment.
In Other News:
Managing diabetes
As diabetes continues to skyrocket around the world, diabetics can benefit from chiropractic. Peripheral neuropathy, the most common neurologic deficit associated with diabetes, can leave many patients with debilitating musculoskeletal problems.
Urging reform
As the U.S. Congress adjourns, the American Chiropractic Association is encouraging all its members to take action to ensure that the much-discussed health care reform bill includes provisions regarding coverage of chiropractic services.
A Worthy Pain-Management Partner
Acupuncture has long been known to lessen chronic pain, but the mechanics have not been well understood. So it's big news that University of Michigan researchers have used brain imaging to prove that, post-pricking, the binding ability of opioid receptors was enhanced. It's likely that pain medication works more efficiently when used in tandem with acupuncture, a finding which has promising implications for the treatment of conditions such as fibromyalgia; the study's subjects were women suffering from the disorder.
In Other News:
Wake Up Happy
A physician at the Duke University Medical Center uses acupuncture to reduce debilitating side effects of general anesthesia. Patients treated before and during surgery feel better afterwards and recover more quickly. Another benefit--and a cost-effective one--is that these patients often need fewer pain-killing drugs both during the procedures and post-op.
A Better Birth Experience
Childbirth can be more manageable with acupuncture. A recent European study compared the use of acupuncture via transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) with traditional analgesics during delivery. Pain levels and duration of labor were comparable in both groups, and the women in the TENS group used significantly fewer pharmacological and invasive methods. Their newborns performed better on the health-assessing Apgar test, too.
Don't Let Pregnancy Get You Down
This is huge. The University of Miami Medical School has found that massage therapy benefits pregnant women with major depression and their infants. Twelve weeks of twice-weekly touch therapy reduced depression and blood cortisol levels (a sign of stress) in the women both during and immediately after pregnancy. Considering that post-partum depression is a risk even for those in excellent mental health, massage could be considered essential for all mothers-to-be. In addition, the subjects' newborns had lower cortisol levels and performed better on neonatal assessment tests than those in the sans-massage control group. What's good for mom can be great for baby.
In Other News:
Changing Lives
During four deployments in the middle east, the "hardest time of her life," Navy pilot Stacie Rine relied on massage therapy to manage stress. Now that she's out of the service, she's opened two Florida massage studios to make the sanity-saving benefits available to others. When you discover something amazing, you just have to share.
Now That's a Stimulus Program
Linda Clifford, a professional massage therapist in Illinois, has inspired her community by offering free therapy to the recently unemployed.
Your Mood Is Coming Up Roses
Imagine a bouquet of beautiful red roses. It probably stirs up thoughts of your first love or a special anniversary. Turns out that roses themselves, and not just your true love, may relax and reenergize you: According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the scent of roses can lower stress levels, thanks to a chemical found in many flowers known as linalool. Rats were exposed to stressful conditions in the presence or absence of linalool. Inhaling the chemical caused levels of lymphocytes and neutrophils, immune system cells that are elevated in times of stress, to return to near baseline. Linalool also inhibited the activity of 109 genes that kick into gear during stressful events.
A dozen roses never smelled so sweet.
In Other News:
An Orange Rind Will Help You Unwind:
Calming news for fruit-lovers: The Vitamin C in oranges regulates coritsol and blood pressure levels after a stressful situation, while the magnesium in apricots not only fights stress but relaxes your muscles as well.
Downward Dog at Your Desk:
A pilot study published in the Journal of Health Education and Behavior shows that doing 20 minutes of yoga alone at your desk, in addition to one hour weekly group meetings at lunch, reduces stressful feelings by more than 10 percent. Subjects also reported better sleep quality.
Love for Lavender:
Lavender is a particularly potent stress-reliever (subjects exposed to it experienced less test-taking anxiety), and it's also known for its ability to cure insomnia. Case in point: This Michigan woman got great sleep, felt relief from fibromyalgia pain, and became an entrepreneur, all thanks to lavender!
