In "Secrets of Great Skin, The Definitive Guide to Anti-Aging Skin Care", author Dr. David J. Goldberg, a board-certified dermatologist at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, says this:
"The skin cells need nutrients supplied via the blood to function. The more nutrients you keep sending to those cells, the healtheier your skin is going to be, and the fresher and more radiant your complexion will be. Even minor nutritional deficiencies can affect the health and appearance of the skin by impairing its ability to renew itself. People who improve their dietary habits often find that their skin tone becomes more youthful, and signs of aging may recede.
In fact, if you want to undertake a journey to the fountain of youth, you need travel no farther than the produce section of your local supermarket. Fruits and vegetables are not only loaded with vitamins and minerals, they are also a rich source of biologically active plant chemicals, known as phytochemicals, that play key roles in cellular activity, repair, and renewal. Scientists have already identified thousands of phytochemicals, and more are being discovered every day. Fruits and vegetables also fortify the body's own natural armor against free radicals - possible making them one of the very best defenses against disease and aging.
Ounce for ounce, fruits and vegetables pack far more antioxidant power than any other type of food. ......A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is well documented as one of the best defenses against age-related chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke."
REMEMBER, you are getting 17 servings of these powerful gems in your diet EVERY DAY with JUICE PLUS!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Massage Therapy for Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Massage therapy is an attractive treatment option for osteoarthritis (OA), but its efficacy is uncertain. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of massage therapy for OA of the knee.
Methods: Sixty-eight adults with radiographically confirmed OA of the knee were assigned either to treatment (twice-weekly sessions of standard Swedish massage in weeks 1-4 and once-weekly sessions in weeks 5-8) or to control (delayed intervention). Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and functional scores and the visual analog scale of pain assessment. The sample provided 80% statistical power to detect a 20-point difference between groups in the change from baseline on the WOMAC and visual analog scale, with a 2-tailed of .05.
Results: The group receiving massage therapy demonstrated significant improvements in the mean (SD) WOMAC global scores (–17.44 [23.61] mm; P<.001), pain (–18.36 [23.28]; P<.001), stiffness (–16.63 [28.82] mm; P<.001), and physical function domains (–17.27 [24.36] mm; P <.001) and in the visual analog scale of pain assessment (–19.38 [28.16] mm; P<.001), range of motion in degrees (3.57 [13.61]; P = .03), and time to walk 50 ft (15 m) in seconds (–1.77 [2.73]; P<.01). Findings were unchanged in multivariable models controlling for demographic factors.
Conclusions: Massage therapy seems to be efficacious in the treatment of OA of the knee. Further study of cost effectiveness and duration of treatment effect is clearly warranted.
Perlman AI, et al. Archives of Internal Medicine. December 11/25, 2007; Vol. 166; No. 22, pp. 2533-2538.
Methods: Sixty-eight adults with radiographically confirmed OA of the knee were assigned either to treatment (twice-weekly sessions of standard Swedish massage in weeks 1-4 and once-weekly sessions in weeks 5-8) or to control (delayed intervention). Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and functional scores and the visual analog scale of pain assessment. The sample provided 80% statistical power to detect a 20-point difference between groups in the change from baseline on the WOMAC and visual analog scale, with a 2-tailed of .05.
Results: The group receiving massage therapy demonstrated significant improvements in the mean (SD) WOMAC global scores (–17.44 [23.61] mm; P<.001), pain (–18.36 [23.28]; P<.001), stiffness (–16.63 [28.82] mm; P<.001), and physical function domains (–17.27 [24.36] mm; P <.001) and in the visual analog scale of pain assessment (–19.38 [28.16] mm; P<.001), range of motion in degrees (3.57 [13.61]; P = .03), and time to walk 50 ft (15 m) in seconds (–1.77 [2.73]; P<.01). Findings were unchanged in multivariable models controlling for demographic factors.
Conclusions: Massage therapy seems to be efficacious in the treatment of OA of the knee. Further study of cost effectiveness and duration of treatment effect is clearly warranted.
Perlman AI, et al. Archives of Internal Medicine. December 11/25, 2007; Vol. 166; No. 22, pp. 2533-2538.
Monday, January 01, 2007
The 5 Most Common Exercise Mistakes
Wayne Westcott, PhD, CSCS
More people start an exercise program in January than at any other time of the year. Within weeks or months, most of them have called it quits -- often because of injury. Unfortunately, many people exercise in a way that almost guarantees injuries or even chronic pain. But this common problem can be avoided.
How much exercise do you need? Opinions differ, but I recommend following the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines -- 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week... and two 20-minute weight-lifting sessions a week. This level of exercise -- along with ordinary activities, such as going for occasional walks and working in the yard -- is sufficient for fitness as well as disease prevention.
Avoid these exercise mistakes...
Mistake 1
Stretching before workouts. At one time, trainers advised everyone to stretch before exercise. It doesn't help -- and actually increases the risk for injury.
Tendons have a limited blood supply. It takes them longer to warm up than muscles. Performing stretches before a workout -- when tendons are cold -- increases the risk for microtears in the connective tissue in or around the tendon. These tears are painful and slow to heal.
Recommended: Stretch after -- not before -- vigorous activities. Warm up by performing the exercise at a slower pace and reduced resistance for three to six minutes. For example, if you plan to bike for 35 minutes, begin by riding at a slow, comfortable pace for three to six minutes.
Mistake 2
Using a barbell (a bar with an adjustable weighted disk attached to each end and held with two hands). Experienced weight lifters can safely use barbells, but a dumbbell (a short bar with weight at each end and held in each hand) is better for injury prevention. That's because the wrists are less likely to move into a fully supinated (palms facing up) or pronated (palms facing down) position, that may strain your elbows. Just about every exercise that you perform with a barbell can be done with dumbbells.
Recommended: If you're using a barbell, keep your hands in your peripheral vision. If they're so far apart that you can't see them, the wrist will be cocked at an angle and more vulnerable to strain.
Mistake 3
Performing repetitions too quickly. People who use weight machines or lift free weights tend to go too fast -- either to minimize time spent in the gym, or because accelerating the pace generates momentum and makes it easier to lift heavy loads. Fast lifting greatly increases stress on the joints, especially when people neglect proper form.
Recommended: A six-second repetition speed. When lifting weights, take about two seconds to raise the weight, then lower it to a count of four. This pace is slow enough to maintain good form throughout the movement, and fast enough to complete about 10 repetitions in one minute -- the recommended number of repetitions for most workouts.
Mistake 4
Lifting too much weight. This is among the most common causes of joint, muscle and tendon injuries.
Recommended: Warm up by lifting lighter-than-usual weights. For example, if you are going to do curls with 15-pound dumbbells, begin with eight to 12 repetitions with five-pound dumbbells. After warming up, lift no more than 70% to 80% of your one-repetition maximum. That's the heaviest weight you can lift one time.
Example: If the most you can lift at one time with dumbbell bench presses is 20 pounds in each hand, use 75% of that -- about 15-pound weights. You'll know you're in the right range if you can complete eight to 12 repetitions. If you can't complete eight repetitions, the weight is too heavy... if you can easily complete 12 or more, the weight is too light.
Mistake 5
Neglecting to cool down. The cool-down period is even more important than the warmup period -- not just for injury prevention, but also to protect the heart.
The elevation in heart rate that occurs during exercise continues for several minutes after you stop. A larger-than-usual volume of blood is being pumped from the heart throughout the body. Without continued muscle activity to help pump it back into circulation, the blood tends to pool in the legs and feet. The heart has to work harder to restore normal circulation, which can trigger high blood pressure.
Recommended: After finishing any exercise or vigorous activity, keep moving for a few minutes at a slower rate -- by walking in place or biking at a reduced resistance or slower pace, for example.
Bonus: Activity during cool-down helps flush lactic acid from the muscles. This metabolic byproduct increases during exercise and can result in muscle discomfort.
Since muscles and tendons have the best blood flow and elasticity during cool-down, it is a good time to do a basic gentle stretch that targets many of the body's muscles.
What to do: Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and place your right foot just below your left knee. Bending at the waist, reach forward with your arms as far as you comfortably can toward your left ankle or foot. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with opposite leg. The full cool-down should last about four to eight minutes.
More people start an exercise program in January than at any other time of the year. Within weeks or months, most of them have called it quits -- often because of injury. Unfortunately, many people exercise in a way that almost guarantees injuries or even chronic pain. But this common problem can be avoided.
How much exercise do you need? Opinions differ, but I recommend following the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines -- 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week... and two 20-minute weight-lifting sessions a week. This level of exercise -- along with ordinary activities, such as going for occasional walks and working in the yard -- is sufficient for fitness as well as disease prevention.
Avoid these exercise mistakes...
Mistake 1
Stretching before workouts. At one time, trainers advised everyone to stretch before exercise. It doesn't help -- and actually increases the risk for injury.
Tendons have a limited blood supply. It takes them longer to warm up than muscles. Performing stretches before a workout -- when tendons are cold -- increases the risk for microtears in the connective tissue in or around the tendon. These tears are painful and slow to heal.
Recommended: Stretch after -- not before -- vigorous activities. Warm up by performing the exercise at a slower pace and reduced resistance for three to six minutes. For example, if you plan to bike for 35 minutes, begin by riding at a slow, comfortable pace for three to six minutes.
Mistake 2
Using a barbell (a bar with an adjustable weighted disk attached to each end and held with two hands). Experienced weight lifters can safely use barbells, but a dumbbell (a short bar with weight at each end and held in each hand) is better for injury prevention. That's because the wrists are less likely to move into a fully supinated (palms facing up) or pronated (palms facing down) position, that may strain your elbows. Just about every exercise that you perform with a barbell can be done with dumbbells.
Recommended: If you're using a barbell, keep your hands in your peripheral vision. If they're so far apart that you can't see them, the wrist will be cocked at an angle and more vulnerable to strain.
Mistake 3
Performing repetitions too quickly. People who use weight machines or lift free weights tend to go too fast -- either to minimize time spent in the gym, or because accelerating the pace generates momentum and makes it easier to lift heavy loads. Fast lifting greatly increases stress on the joints, especially when people neglect proper form.
Recommended: A six-second repetition speed. When lifting weights, take about two seconds to raise the weight, then lower it to a count of four. This pace is slow enough to maintain good form throughout the movement, and fast enough to complete about 10 repetitions in one minute -- the recommended number of repetitions for most workouts.
Mistake 4
Lifting too much weight. This is among the most common causes of joint, muscle and tendon injuries.
Recommended: Warm up by lifting lighter-than-usual weights. For example, if you are going to do curls with 15-pound dumbbells, begin with eight to 12 repetitions with five-pound dumbbells. After warming up, lift no more than 70% to 80% of your one-repetition maximum. That's the heaviest weight you can lift one time.
Example: If the most you can lift at one time with dumbbell bench presses is 20 pounds in each hand, use 75% of that -- about 15-pound weights. You'll know you're in the right range if you can complete eight to 12 repetitions. If you can't complete eight repetitions, the weight is too heavy... if you can easily complete 12 or more, the weight is too light.
Mistake 5
Neglecting to cool down. The cool-down period is even more important than the warmup period -- not just for injury prevention, but also to protect the heart.
The elevation in heart rate that occurs during exercise continues for several minutes after you stop. A larger-than-usual volume of blood is being pumped from the heart throughout the body. Without continued muscle activity to help pump it back into circulation, the blood tends to pool in the legs and feet. The heart has to work harder to restore normal circulation, which can trigger high blood pressure.
Recommended: After finishing any exercise or vigorous activity, keep moving for a few minutes at a slower rate -- by walking in place or biking at a reduced resistance or slower pace, for example.
Bonus: Activity during cool-down helps flush lactic acid from the muscles. This metabolic byproduct increases during exercise and can result in muscle discomfort.
Since muscles and tendons have the best blood flow and elasticity during cool-down, it is a good time to do a basic gentle stretch that targets many of the body's muscles.
What to do: Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and place your right foot just below your left knee. Bending at the waist, reach forward with your arms as far as you comfortably can toward your left ankle or foot. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with opposite leg. The full cool-down should last about four to eight minutes.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Flu Vaccine Glut - America Say's "NO THANK YOU"...
After all the hype, most people are finding that the risks outweight the benefits of the flu shot. The Drug companies are asking us to just pay them more and take the flu shot, although the numbers and benefits are not backed up with hard science, but with pleas for bigger profits.
If you haven't had your flu shot, read the article before you run out and put more money in the Big Pharma's pockets.
Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:
What part of "no thanks" do CDC officials and drug company execs not understand when it comes to most Americans refusing to get a flu shot every year? Despite all the hype about how 36,000 Americans die every year from influenza and 200,000 more are hospitalized, it is hard to find somebody who knows anybody who was hospitalized or died from infection with one of the three influenza viruses contained in the flu vaccine. Yet, those figures keep getting bandied about by public health officials, who steadfastly refuse to produce the hard scientific evidence to back up their numbers. In light of the fact that only 20 percent of all flu-like illness in any given flu season is actually influenza, inquiring minds want to know the truth and are asking for proof that backs up the rhetoric. So far, the flu vaccine studies published in the medical literature fail to give credence to any of the inflated influenza mortality figures the CDC is using to try to scare the people.Guaranteeing Drug Company Profits - Unable to frighten Americans into getting an annual flu shot, public health officials have taken to playing the sympathy card. On behalf of drug companies, they are pleading for the people to roll up their sleeves, dig deep into their pockets and shell out some bucks for the flu shot to guarantee the drug companies big profits. It doesn't look good on drug company stockholder proft/loss statements when unused surplus vaccine has to be dumped after the flu season is over. No, wait! Now public health officials are saying that there is no such thing as the beginning and ending of a flu season: the flu is actually a killer all year round so everybody should get vaccinated all year round! Exercising the Immune System - It wasn't so very long ago when the flu vaccine was only recommended for those at very high risk for suffering serious complications from influenza infection, such as the elderly or those already seriously ill. The majority of healthy young Americans accepted getting the flu every couple of years as a part of life. It was a great excuse to take a few days off from school or work and stay in bed with plenty of kleenex, Vicks vapor rub, OJ, chicken noodle soup and a good book. Then, after experiencing the sore throat, chills, fever and other symptoms of acute inflammation that are part of a robust immune system exercise, often recovery from influenza was followed by an extended period of good health. And when that same strain of influenza came around again, there was either no re-infection (immunity) or fewer and milder symptoms of illness. Superior Natural Immunity - Experience with type A and type B influenza infection has another bonus: immunological memory that could help resist the ravages of a nastier version of type A or type B influenza that comes around someday. Flu vaccine only provides temporary immunity. So pandemic flu planners are counting on the superior, longer lasting immunity of those Americans, who have actually recovered from influenza infection, because drug companies won't be able to produce pandemic flu vaccine fast enough to provide doses for everyone for up to a year after the pandemic begins. If public health officials are depending upon Americans with qualitatively superior cell mediated immunity to influenza, which can only be obtained from recovering from the flu the old fashioned way, to limit morbidity and mortality from a future pandemic flu - then why are they insisting that every American get annual flu vaccinations from birth? Dealing with the Flu - These days, many Americans are taking steps to deal with influenza or flu-like illnesses by enhancing the functioning of the immune system through diet, exercise and other positive lifestyle and health care changes. And if they do get the flu, they are taking a common sense approach. To prevent and treat influenza or flu-like illness that does not involve a fever over 103 F, pneumonia or serious complications which may require special medical intervention, here are a few non-toxic suggestions:1. Wash your hands frequently.2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick.3. If you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.4. Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.5. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.6. Get adequate sleep.7. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially foods containing vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) and vitamins A and D (such as cod liver oil) and spend a few minutes a day in sunlight to help your body make and store vitamin D.8. Exercise regularly when you are well.9. Lower stress.10. Consider including holistic alternatives in your wellness or healing plan, such as chiropractic adjustments, homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, acupuncture and other health care options.There is little indication that CDC officials are going to stop asking Americans to roll up their sleeves and guarantee drug companies flu vaccine profits. There is also little indication that Americans are paying much attention to that request. In the wings: most likely a CDC and drug industry plan to try to get politicians to mandate the stuff."
No forced vaccination. Not in America."
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20061216&Category=ZNYT01&ArtNo=612160439&SectionCat=BUSINESS&Template=printart
If you haven't had your flu shot, read the article before you run out and put more money in the Big Pharma's pockets.
Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:
What part of "no thanks" do CDC officials and drug company execs not understand when it comes to most Americans refusing to get a flu shot every year? Despite all the hype about how 36,000 Americans die every year from influenza and 200,000 more are hospitalized, it is hard to find somebody who knows anybody who was hospitalized or died from infection with one of the three influenza viruses contained in the flu vaccine. Yet, those figures keep getting bandied about by public health officials, who steadfastly refuse to produce the hard scientific evidence to back up their numbers. In light of the fact that only 20 percent of all flu-like illness in any given flu season is actually influenza, inquiring minds want to know the truth and are asking for proof that backs up the rhetoric. So far, the flu vaccine studies published in the medical literature fail to give credence to any of the inflated influenza mortality figures the CDC is using to try to scare the people.Guaranteeing Drug Company Profits - Unable to frighten Americans into getting an annual flu shot, public health officials have taken to playing the sympathy card. On behalf of drug companies, they are pleading for the people to roll up their sleeves, dig deep into their pockets and shell out some bucks for the flu shot to guarantee the drug companies big profits. It doesn't look good on drug company stockholder proft/loss statements when unused surplus vaccine has to be dumped after the flu season is over. No, wait! Now public health officials are saying that there is no such thing as the beginning and ending of a flu season: the flu is actually a killer all year round so everybody should get vaccinated all year round! Exercising the Immune System - It wasn't so very long ago when the flu vaccine was only recommended for those at very high risk for suffering serious complications from influenza infection, such as the elderly or those already seriously ill. The majority of healthy young Americans accepted getting the flu every couple of years as a part of life. It was a great excuse to take a few days off from school or work and stay in bed with plenty of kleenex, Vicks vapor rub, OJ, chicken noodle soup and a good book. Then, after experiencing the sore throat, chills, fever and other symptoms of acute inflammation that are part of a robust immune system exercise, often recovery from influenza was followed by an extended period of good health. And when that same strain of influenza came around again, there was either no re-infection (immunity) or fewer and milder symptoms of illness. Superior Natural Immunity - Experience with type A and type B influenza infection has another bonus: immunological memory that could help resist the ravages of a nastier version of type A or type B influenza that comes around someday. Flu vaccine only provides temporary immunity. So pandemic flu planners are counting on the superior, longer lasting immunity of those Americans, who have actually recovered from influenza infection, because drug companies won't be able to produce pandemic flu vaccine fast enough to provide doses for everyone for up to a year after the pandemic begins. If public health officials are depending upon Americans with qualitatively superior cell mediated immunity to influenza, which can only be obtained from recovering from the flu the old fashioned way, to limit morbidity and mortality from a future pandemic flu - then why are they insisting that every American get annual flu vaccinations from birth? Dealing with the Flu - These days, many Americans are taking steps to deal with influenza or flu-like illnesses by enhancing the functioning of the immune system through diet, exercise and other positive lifestyle and health care changes. And if they do get the flu, they are taking a common sense approach. To prevent and treat influenza or flu-like illness that does not involve a fever over 103 F, pneumonia or serious complications which may require special medical intervention, here are a few non-toxic suggestions:1. Wash your hands frequently.2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick.3. If you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.4. Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.5. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.6. Get adequate sleep.7. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially foods containing vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) and vitamins A and D (such as cod liver oil) and spend a few minutes a day in sunlight to help your body make and store vitamin D.8. Exercise regularly when you are well.9. Lower stress.10. Consider including holistic alternatives in your wellness or healing plan, such as chiropractic adjustments, homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, acupuncture and other health care options.There is little indication that CDC officials are going to stop asking Americans to roll up their sleeves and guarantee drug companies flu vaccine profits. There is also little indication that Americans are paying much attention to that request. In the wings: most likely a CDC and drug industry plan to try to get politicians to mandate the stuff."
No forced vaccination. Not in America."
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20061216&Category=ZNYT01&ArtNo=612160439&SectionCat=BUSINESS&Template=printart
Saturday, December 30, 2006
They Could Save Your Life...
"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you. It's that they are so good for you they could save your life."By David Bjerklie, TIME Magazine, October 20, 2003
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise
By ELLEN SIMON
The Associated PressMonday, December 4, 2006; 5:00 PM
NEW YORK -- Many companies are starting to sound like moms: They're pushing employees to eat their vegetables and go outside and play. And they're not being gentle about it.
Outdoor clothing company L.L. Bean, Inc. shuts down its manufacturing line three times a day for mandatory five-minute stretches, designed to prevent the most common injuries the workers suffer.
"It's a safety measure, just as we would ask someone to wear safety glasses if there's a danger of hurting their eyes," said Susan Tufts, the company's employee wellness program manager.
At retailer Replacements Ltd., 250 employees take part in a walking program organized by the company nurse. T-shirt manufacturer American Apparel has 80 loaner bikes, locks and helmets for employees and hosted an employee screening of "Fast Food Nation," a film where the villain is the meat industry.
Insurance company The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is among those using price manipulation in its cafeteria to encourage employees to eat right. It's increasing the prices on fatty foods and using the extra money to fund a subsidy for healthy sandwiches, cut fruit and salads.
Such "Twinkie taxes" are now in place at 7 to 10 percent of corporate cafeterias run by food service company Sodexho, up from almost none three years ago, according to the company.
Mounting healthcare costs are driving the changes. Employee assistance company ComPsych Corp. runs what it calls "trainwreck exercises," in which companies compute how long they can absorb healthcare cost increases before they become unprofitable. The first client that did the exercise realized it only had 18 months. Health insurance premiums for 2006 rose 7.7 percent twice the rate of inflation.
While some companies are responding to the higher healthcare cost by cutting employees' coverage and shifting more costs to the employees, others are doing everything they can to convince employees to adopt healthier habits in the hopes they will avoid diseases caused or complicated by eating poorly and being overweight or inactive.
After L.L. Bean increased the price for burgers and lowered the price for salads in its cafeteria fruit and salad bar purchases doubled while French fry and burger sales fell by half.
When railroad company Union Pacific Corp. opened a new headquarters in Omaha two years ago it ordered its cafeteria operator to hire a full-time dietitian for the site and cut the fat and calories on every item by 10 percent.
The company runs a "Know Your Numbers" program that drills into employees' heads figures such as the 30 minutes of exercise they should be getting a day and the 3,500 calories in a pound.
"The biggest thing the guys come back and say they learned the most about is portion size," said Marcy Zauha, the company's director of health and safety. "They didn't understand how much they were eating."
Besides cost cutting, another factor behind the programs is the amount of time employees spend at work.
If workers don't have access to fruits and vegetables on the job, they will need to consume between one and two servings every waking hour after work to meet the goal of eating 5 to 9 servings a day, according to the California Department of Human Services. To reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day, sedentary workers would have to spend most of their evenings in motion, the department said.
Even a little daily exercise can boost health, said Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, associate professor at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Yancey collaborated with the Ministry of Health in Mexico, where everyone gathers at 11 a.m. each morning for 10 minutes of exercise to music. The result, after a year, was an average .45 pound weight loss an improvement from the one pound a year, on average, people gain as they age.
"Especially as it relates to physical activity, people have demonstrated that they're not going to make a lot of changes on their own," Dr. Yancey said. "If we're going to make a big dent lower healthcare costs, improve productivity and morale you have to make it easier to do than not do."
Yancey and others say that work gyms are used primarily by people who would exercise anyway. For everyone else, a little manipulation goes a long way. Her suggestions include incorporating exercise breaks in to the work day, restricting parking close to the building, limiting elevator access to people with disabilities, widening and brightening stairwells and hosting walking meetings. (People seldom refer to the notes they take during seated meetings, she says.)
Price manipulation worked for senior business analyst Kathy Blaszczyk at The Hartford, who started buying a flank steak salad with grilled corn when the price dropped from $6 to $4.70.
"I love it, but I never used to get it," she said. "I have in my head a $5 threshold."
Having the company's top leaders embrace the program also helps.
Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every segment of society needs to make a contribution."
Ellen Simon is a national business beat reporter for The Associated Press, covering labor and workplace issues. Write to her at esimon(at)ap.org.
© 2006 The Associated Press
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise
By ELLEN SIMON
The Associated PressMonday, December 4, 2006; 5:00 PM
NEW YORK -- Many companies are starting to sound like moms: They're pushing employees to eat their vegetables and go outside and play. And they're not being gentle about it.
Outdoor clothing company L.L. Bean, Inc. shuts down its manufacturing line three times a day for mandatory five-minute stretches, designed to prevent the most common injuries the workers suffer.
"It's a safety measure, just as we would ask someone to wear safety glasses if there's a danger of hurting their eyes," said Susan Tufts, the company's employee wellness program manager.
At retailer Replacements Ltd., 250 employees take part in a walking program organized by the company nurse. T-shirt manufacturer American Apparel has 80 loaner bikes, locks and helmets for employees and hosted an employee screening of "Fast Food Nation," a film where the villain is the meat industry.
Insurance company The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is among those using price manipulation in its cafeteria to encourage employees to eat right. It's increasing the prices on fatty foods and using the extra money to fund a subsidy for healthy sandwiches, cut fruit and salads.
Such "Twinkie taxes" are now in place at 7 to 10 percent of corporate cafeterias run by food service company Sodexho, up from almost none three years ago, according to the company.
Mounting healthcare costs are driving the changes. Employee assistance company ComPsych Corp. runs what it calls "trainwreck exercises," in which companies compute how long they can absorb healthcare cost increases before they become unprofitable. The first client that did the exercise realized it only had 18 months. Health insurance premiums for 2006 rose 7.7 percent twice the rate of inflation.
While some companies are responding to the higher healthcare cost by cutting employees' coverage and shifting more costs to the employees, others are doing everything they can to convince employees to adopt healthier habits in the hopes they will avoid diseases caused or complicated by eating poorly and being overweight or inactive.
After L.L. Bean increased the price for burgers and lowered the price for salads in its cafeteria fruit and salad bar purchases doubled while French fry and burger sales fell by half.
When railroad company Union Pacific Corp. opened a new headquarters in Omaha two years ago it ordered its cafeteria operator to hire a full-time dietitian for the site and cut the fat and calories on every item by 10 percent.
The company runs a "Know Your Numbers" program that drills into employees' heads figures such as the 30 minutes of exercise they should be getting a day and the 3,500 calories in a pound.
"The biggest thing the guys come back and say they learned the most about is portion size," said Marcy Zauha, the company's director of health and safety. "They didn't understand how much they were eating."
Besides cost cutting, another factor behind the programs is the amount of time employees spend at work.
If workers don't have access to fruits and vegetables on the job, they will need to consume between one and two servings every waking hour after work to meet the goal of eating 5 to 9 servings a day, according to the California Department of Human Services. To reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day, sedentary workers would have to spend most of their evenings in motion, the department said.
Even a little daily exercise can boost health, said Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, associate professor at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Yancey collaborated with the Ministry of Health in Mexico, where everyone gathers at 11 a.m. each morning for 10 minutes of exercise to music. The result, after a year, was an average .45 pound weight loss an improvement from the one pound a year, on average, people gain as they age.
"Especially as it relates to physical activity, people have demonstrated that they're not going to make a lot of changes on their own," Dr. Yancey said. "If we're going to make a big dent lower healthcare costs, improve productivity and morale you have to make it easier to do than not do."
Yancey and others say that work gyms are used primarily by people who would exercise anyway. For everyone else, a little manipulation goes a long way. Her suggestions include incorporating exercise breaks in to the work day, restricting parking close to the building, limiting elevator access to people with disabilities, widening and brightening stairwells and hosting walking meetings. (People seldom refer to the notes they take during seated meetings, she says.)
Price manipulation worked for senior business analyst Kathy Blaszczyk at The Hartford, who started buying a flank steak salad with grilled corn when the price dropped from $6 to $4.70.
"I love it, but I never used to get it," she said. "I have in my head a $5 threshold."
Having the company's top leaders embrace the program also helps.
Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every segment of society needs to make a contribution."
Ellen Simon is a national business beat reporter for The Associated Press, covering labor and workplace issues. Write to her at esimon(at)ap.org.
© 2006 The Associated Press
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Exercise a Key Component to Avoiding Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the world's most common chronic diseases. It affects one-third of all women over age 50 (making it more common than breast cancer), and one in five men (making it more common than prostate cancer). A new report released by the International Osteoporosis Foundation examines some of the causes behind osteoporosis, and offers several suggestions for people of all ages on how to avoid the condition later in life.
The report, entitled Move It or Lose It, was published to commemorate World Osteoporosis Day. Among the report's highlights:
In girls, the amount of bone tissue accumulated between the ages of 11 and 13 equates to approximately the same amount of bone tissue lost in the 30 years following menopause.
Exercise appears to be the key to increasing (or retaining) bone mass. A study in Finland found that the most physically active young girls gain about 40 percent more bone mass than girls who are the least physically active.
A study was conducted on postmenopausal women who used small weights to strengthen their back muscles for approximately two years. At a 10-year followup, women who exercised had stronger back muscles than those who did not exercise. Perhaps most importantly, they had reduced the chance of getting a fracture by approximately 300 percent.
Exercise also greatly reduces the risk of falls in the elderly, an important statistic considering that each year, approximately 40 percent of people over 65 suffer at least one fall. Individually tailored exercise programs and group exercises such as tai chi appear to be the most effective in reducing the incidence of falls and fall-related injuries.
The Move It or Lose It report is available for free on the International Osteoporosis Foundation's Web site (www.osteofound.org). In addition, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about ways to combat osteoporosis, including exercise and rehabilitation programs, and diet and lifestyle modifications. For more information, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/senior/osteoporosis/index.html.
Minne H. Move It or Lose It. How Exercise Helps to Build and Maintain Strong Bones, Prevent Falls and Fractures, and Speed Rehabilitation. Published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, October 2005.
KEEP YOUR BODY YOUNG, ALIVE & FULLY FUNCTIONING
New research reveals revolutionary sound technology - the same technology that enhances memory - can dramatically increase longevity, slow aging and lower stress. This sound technology can actually put you - very safely, quickly and easily - into states of...
Deep stress release and relaxation
Superlearning
Dramatically enhanced creativity
Laser-beam focus and concentration
Enhanced memory
Increased feelings of well-being
Dear Reader, It's a rare immune system that can't use a little help. Let's face it; few of us are perfect. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to get as much sleep as I should. And although I'm pretty good at managing stress, life has a way of throwing stressful surprises at us on an almost daily basis. And then there are the exercise and diet issues. Again, few of us are perfect. So wouldn't it be nice to provide your immune system with a security force that would quickly respond to any breech of the perimeter, so to speak, freeing up your immune functions to do their work at top capacity? Let me introduce you to a first class security force: four Pathogen Destroyers that are ideally suited to give your immune system a strong helping hand. -------------------------------------------- Flu fighters ---------------------------------------
First: What's a pathogen? The word comes from the Greek and literally means "birth of pain" - a good way to describe a disease-causing microorganism that may arrive in the form of bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. Four excellent Pathogen Destroyers were featured in a recent issue of Baseline of Health, a weekly e-letter published by HSI Panelist Jon Barron. When I asked Jon about the Pathogen Destroyers (we'll call them PDs to keep it simple), he told me he always keeps several bottles on hand so he'll be prepared fight off infection. Jon added: "If you catch a cold or flu at the first sign and hit it hard, you can stop it. Like most illnesses, if you wait until it's fully established, it's harder to get rid of it. And one other note, after you get rid of it, keep hammering for another 2-3 days to make sure it's really gone and not still lurking around."
------------- PD #1: Oil of wild mountain oregano -----------------------------------
The most exotic sounding of the four PDs is oil of wild mountain oregano (OWMO), which is produced from oregano that grows in remote mountain regions north of the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks put wild oregano to medicinal use long before scientists discovered the herb to be extremely rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and others) and vitamins C and A. Jon notes that OWMO is "antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The key components, the isomeric phenols, in dilutions as low as 1 to 50,000, destroy a wide range of pathogens. Another phenol constituent, thymol, actually helps boosts the immune system."
------------------------- PD #2: Olive leaf extract ---------------------------------------- "Olive leaf extract (OLE) has a long history of being used against illnesses in which microorganisms play a major role," writes Jon. OLE is a member of a group of antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids. In one laboratory test an OLE effectively eliminated a wide range of organisms, "including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast/mold/fungus." In a previous e-Alert, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., wrote this about OLE: "I'd add some acidophilus culture (also called probiotics) to the mix, during and for a few days after the use of OLE. The situation here is that OLE is such a good antibacterial that it can also kill the 'good guy' bacteria that we need in our gastrointestinal tracts. A capsule or so of acidophilus before meals should be adequate insurance for keeping these beneficial organisms established."
-------------------- PD #3: Grapefruit seed extract ------------------------------------- Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic, which Jon describes as a "broad spectrum anti-pathogen." And he offers this impressive benefit list: "Internally grapefruit seed extract can help with gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, food poisoning, parasites (single and multi-celled), candida yeast infections, thrush, oral infections, colds and flu, sore throats, strep throat, and sinusitis." GSE can also be used to treat various skin conditions (nail fungus, cold sores, warts, athletes foot, infections, rashes, acne, etc.), and is sometimes used by campers to add to water of questionable quality. Jon adds one word of warning: "Grapefruit seed extract MAY increase the effect of a number of medications."
-------------------- PD #4: Garlic --------------------------------------------
The most familiar item on the PD list is garlic, which Jon calls his favorite because it's the "kindest" to the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Jon writes: "The olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, and grapefruit seed extract can all destroy your beneficial bacteria if taken in sufficient quantity. Garlic is kinder to probiotics. In addition, garlic is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections." Other garlic benefits:
Stimulates the activity of macrophages (which engulf foreign organisms)
Helps clear mucous from the lungs, making garlic particularly effective in treating upper respiratory viral infections
Effective against strep and staph bacteria
Deep stress release and relaxation
Superlearning
Dramatically enhanced creativity
Laser-beam focus and concentration
Enhanced memory
Increased feelings of well-being
Dear Reader, It's a rare immune system that can't use a little help. Let's face it; few of us are perfect. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to get as much sleep as I should. And although I'm pretty good at managing stress, life has a way of throwing stressful surprises at us on an almost daily basis. And then there are the exercise and diet issues. Again, few of us are perfect. So wouldn't it be nice to provide your immune system with a security force that would quickly respond to any breech of the perimeter, so to speak, freeing up your immune functions to do their work at top capacity? Let me introduce you to a first class security force: four Pathogen Destroyers that are ideally suited to give your immune system a strong helping hand. -------------------------------------------- Flu fighters ---------------------------------------
First: What's a pathogen? The word comes from the Greek and literally means "birth of pain" - a good way to describe a disease-causing microorganism that may arrive in the form of bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. Four excellent Pathogen Destroyers were featured in a recent issue of Baseline of Health, a weekly e-letter published by HSI Panelist Jon Barron. When I asked Jon about the Pathogen Destroyers (we'll call them PDs to keep it simple), he told me he always keeps several bottles on hand so he'll be prepared fight off infection. Jon added: "If you catch a cold or flu at the first sign and hit it hard, you can stop it. Like most illnesses, if you wait until it's fully established, it's harder to get rid of it. And one other note, after you get rid of it, keep hammering for another 2-3 days to make sure it's really gone and not still lurking around."
------------- PD #1: Oil of wild mountain oregano -----------------------------------
The most exotic sounding of the four PDs is oil of wild mountain oregano (OWMO), which is produced from oregano that grows in remote mountain regions north of the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks put wild oregano to medicinal use long before scientists discovered the herb to be extremely rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and others) and vitamins C and A. Jon notes that OWMO is "antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The key components, the isomeric phenols, in dilutions as low as 1 to 50,000, destroy a wide range of pathogens. Another phenol constituent, thymol, actually helps boosts the immune system."
------------------------- PD #2: Olive leaf extract ---------------------------------------- "Olive leaf extract (OLE) has a long history of being used against illnesses in which microorganisms play a major role," writes Jon. OLE is a member of a group of antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids. In one laboratory test an OLE effectively eliminated a wide range of organisms, "including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast/mold/fungus." In a previous e-Alert, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., wrote this about OLE: "I'd add some acidophilus culture (also called probiotics) to the mix, during and for a few days after the use of OLE. The situation here is that OLE is such a good antibacterial that it can also kill the 'good guy' bacteria that we need in our gastrointestinal tracts. A capsule or so of acidophilus before meals should be adequate insurance for keeping these beneficial organisms established."
-------------------- PD #3: Grapefruit seed extract ------------------------------------- Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic, which Jon describes as a "broad spectrum anti-pathogen." And he offers this impressive benefit list: "Internally grapefruit seed extract can help with gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, food poisoning, parasites (single and multi-celled), candida yeast infections, thrush, oral infections, colds and flu, sore throats, strep throat, and sinusitis." GSE can also be used to treat various skin conditions (nail fungus, cold sores, warts, athletes foot, infections, rashes, acne, etc.), and is sometimes used by campers to add to water of questionable quality. Jon adds one word of warning: "Grapefruit seed extract MAY increase the effect of a number of medications."
-------------------- PD #4: Garlic --------------------------------------------
The most familiar item on the PD list is garlic, which Jon calls his favorite because it's the "kindest" to the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Jon writes: "The olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, and grapefruit seed extract can all destroy your beneficial bacteria if taken in sufficient quantity. Garlic is kinder to probiotics. In addition, garlic is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections." Other garlic benefits:
Stimulates the activity of macrophages (which engulf foreign organisms)
Helps clear mucous from the lungs, making garlic particularly effective in treating upper respiratory viral infections
Effective against strep and staph bacteria
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Back Pain Not Cured by Back Exercises Alone
Chiropractors and other health care providers often prescribe specific types of exercise to help their patients strengthen and mobilize the lower back. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that targeting the back does not always help relieve back pain, and that in some instances, it may even aggravate the condition. The results of a recent study add to this evidence, and imply that general "recreational" exercises may do a better job of easing back pain than specific exercises.
In the study, 681 patients with low back pain were randomized into two groups and tracked for 18 months. People who participated in "recreational physical activities" such as brisk walking for three or more hours per week were more likely to report low levels of back pain, disability, and psychological distress. By contrast, those who performed exercises designed specifically for their backs were more likely to experience back pain and disability.
Exactly why specific back exercises may increase back pain remains unclear; people may perform them incorrectly, or they may be not be prescribed a specific exercise that could benefit their condition. Whatever the reason, staying active also seems to play a key role in reducing back pain. If you have back pain, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about a wellness plan that includes various types of activities, along with a balanced diet, to help you achieve optimal well-being.
Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Chiao C. Effects of recreational physical activity and back exercises on low back pain and psychological distress: findings from the UCLA Low Back Pain Study. American Journal of Public Health, October 2005;95(10):1817-1824.
In the study, 681 patients with low back pain were randomized into two groups and tracked for 18 months. People who participated in "recreational physical activities" such as brisk walking for three or more hours per week were more likely to report low levels of back pain, disability, and psychological distress. By contrast, those who performed exercises designed specifically for their backs were more likely to experience back pain and disability.
Exactly why specific back exercises may increase back pain remains unclear; people may perform them incorrectly, or they may be not be prescribed a specific exercise that could benefit their condition. Whatever the reason, staying active also seems to play a key role in reducing back pain. If you have back pain, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about a wellness plan that includes various types of activities, along with a balanced diet, to help you achieve optimal well-being.
Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Chiao C. Effects of recreational physical activity and back exercises on low back pain and psychological distress: findings from the UCLA Low Back Pain Study. American Journal of Public Health, October 2005;95(10):1817-1824.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Insomniacs Have Alternative Choices
Tired of all the Lunesta and Ambient commercials keeping you up? Ads with glowing butterflies that are supposed to help you get a good night's rest, as long as you have a full eight hours to sleep and don't mind waking up groggy the next morning.
A recent study by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) shows that over 1.6 million Americans use some form of complementary or alternative treatment to help with insomnia. Some of the more commonly used therapies included dietary supplements such as melatonin and valerian, meditation, acupuncture and yoga.
If you are having trouble sleeping at night and want to stay clear of the all the new sleep aides on the market, be sure to ask your chiropractor about other options that are available, or visit www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/herbs.html.
Pearson N, Johnson L, Nahin R. Insomnia, Trouble Sleeping, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Analysis of the 2002 National Health Interview Survey Data. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:1775-1782.
A recent study by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) shows that over 1.6 million Americans use some form of complementary or alternative treatment to help with insomnia. Some of the more commonly used therapies included dietary supplements such as melatonin and valerian, meditation, acupuncture and yoga.
If you are having trouble sleeping at night and want to stay clear of the all the new sleep aides on the market, be sure to ask your chiropractor about other options that are available, or visit www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/herbs.html.
Pearson N, Johnson L, Nahin R. Insomnia, Trouble Sleeping, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Analysis of the 2002 National Health Interview Survey Data. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:1775-1782.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
WHAT IS LOVE
I know this is a little off topic, but it bears reading.
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.
Touching words from the mouth of babes. What does Love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have
imagined. See what you think:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne
and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at
all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross."
Mark - age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you
mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about
a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that
God is all you need.
Put a little love back in your life today!
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.
Touching words from the mouth of babes. What does Love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have
imagined. See what you think:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne
and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at
all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross."
Mark - age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you
mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about
a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that
God is all you need.
Put a little love back in your life today!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Chiropractic Side Effects
Finally…something all chiropractors can all agree on!
Whether you are a reactionary DC who believes all drugs are evil, or if you are like most of us who recognize that drugs have their place (but not in my office, thank you), or even if you treat patients in tandem with a prescription-pad toting MD, you probably have a problem with the pharmaceutical industry wantonly pushing “a pill for every ill”. Especially if you have ever railed against the philosophy that what America needs is a better pill, then you need to see the movie Side Effects.
Side Effects is a satirical look at the big drug companies starring Katherine Heigl (from Gray’s Anatomy) as a pharmaceutical drug rep living the American Dream with a big salary, company car, great clothes…and a growing pit in her stomach.
Here’s the blurb from the movie box:
KARLY HERT has spent the last ten years selling drugs...legally, that is.
Although conflicted on a daily basis by the values within the pharmaceutical industry, an industry driven by profits at the expense of patients; Karly has been seduced by the golden handcuffs of corporate America.
Enter ZACH DANNER, who convinces Karly to be true to her values and walk away from her lucrative but empty job. As their relationship blossoms, Karly devises a plan to get out. But leaving is never quite as easy as it seems...
It’s a funny movie, but it also has a brave and unique message which is consonant with the “drugs last” wellness philosophy many DCs espouse.
There is also a documentary about the movie, Money Talks, which is a more journalistic look at big Pharm. If you want to see an 8 minute clip from the documentary about Vioxx and the problems created by drug companies financing research which is more profitable than objective then
CLICK HERE: http://www.bodyzone.com/articles/article.html?id=156&filter=topic
If you are like me and want Americans to think twice before taking a pill, and consider seeing a chiropractor first rather than last, consider getting a few copies of the movie to lend patients.
Planting seeds of knowledge is the best way to grow a practice, and our profession.
You'll find more about Money Talks and Side Effects online at:
http://www.bodyzone.com/articles/article.html?id=156&filter=topic
Whether you are a reactionary DC who believes all drugs are evil, or if you are like most of us who recognize that drugs have their place (but not in my office, thank you), or even if you treat patients in tandem with a prescription-pad toting MD, you probably have a problem with the pharmaceutical industry wantonly pushing “a pill for every ill”. Especially if you have ever railed against the philosophy that what America needs is a better pill, then you need to see the movie Side Effects.
Side Effects is a satirical look at the big drug companies starring Katherine Heigl (from Gray’s Anatomy) as a pharmaceutical drug rep living the American Dream with a big salary, company car, great clothes…and a growing pit in her stomach.
Here’s the blurb from the movie box:
KARLY HERT has spent the last ten years selling drugs...legally, that is.
Although conflicted on a daily basis by the values within the pharmaceutical industry, an industry driven by profits at the expense of patients; Karly has been seduced by the golden handcuffs of corporate America.
Enter ZACH DANNER, who convinces Karly to be true to her values and walk away from her lucrative but empty job. As their relationship blossoms, Karly devises a plan to get out. But leaving is never quite as easy as it seems...
It’s a funny movie, but it also has a brave and unique message which is consonant with the “drugs last” wellness philosophy many DCs espouse.
There is also a documentary about the movie, Money Talks, which is a more journalistic look at big Pharm. If you want to see an 8 minute clip from the documentary about Vioxx and the problems created by drug companies financing research which is more profitable than objective then
CLICK HERE: http://www.bodyzone.com/articles/article.html?id=156&filter=topic
If you are like me and want Americans to think twice before taking a pill, and consider seeing a chiropractor first rather than last, consider getting a few copies of the movie to lend patients.
Planting seeds of knowledge is the best way to grow a practice, and our profession.
You'll find more about Money Talks and Side Effects online at:
http://www.bodyzone.com/articles/article.html?id=156&filter=topic
Heavy Metals May Be Implicated in Autism
New Scientist Magazine (newscientist.com)
May 30, 2006
Heavy Metals May Be Implicated in Autism
URINE samples from hundreds of French children have yielded evidence for a link between autism and exposure to heavy metals. If validated, the findings might mean some cases of autism could be treated with drugs that purge the body of heavy metals.
Samples from children with autism contained abnormally high levels of a family of proteins called porphyrins, which are precursors in the production of haem, the oxygen-carrying component in haemoglobin. Heavy metals block haem production, causing porphyrins to accumulate in urine. Concentrations of one molecule, coproporphyrin, were 2.6 times as high in urine from children with autism as in controls.
Autism is thought to have a number of unknown genetic and environmental causes. Richard Lathe of Pieta Research in Edinburgh, UK, says he has found one of these factors. "It's highly likely that heavy metals are responsible for childhood autistic disorder in a majority of cases," he claims. The study will appear in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
Lathe says these porphyrin metabolites bind to receptors in the brain and have been linked with epilepsy and autism.
The researchers restored porphyrin concentrations to normal in 12 children by treating them with "chelation" drugs that mop up heavy metals and are then excreted. It is not yet known whether the children's symptoms have eased, but Lathe cites anecdotal reports suggesting the drugs might do some good.
The study is available online at: http://filariane.org/anglais/DOC/MSFINAL.pdf
May 30, 2006
Heavy Metals May Be Implicated in Autism
URINE samples from hundreds of French children have yielded evidence for a link between autism and exposure to heavy metals. If validated, the findings might mean some cases of autism could be treated with drugs that purge the body of heavy metals.
Samples from children with autism contained abnormally high levels of a family of proteins called porphyrins, which are precursors in the production of haem, the oxygen-carrying component in haemoglobin. Heavy metals block haem production, causing porphyrins to accumulate in urine. Concentrations of one molecule, coproporphyrin, were 2.6 times as high in urine from children with autism as in controls.
Autism is thought to have a number of unknown genetic and environmental causes. Richard Lathe of Pieta Research in Edinburgh, UK, says he has found one of these factors. "It's highly likely that heavy metals are responsible for childhood autistic disorder in a majority of cases," he claims. The study will appear in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
Lathe says these porphyrin metabolites bind to receptors in the brain and have been linked with epilepsy and autism.
The researchers restored porphyrin concentrations to normal in 12 children by treating them with "chelation" drugs that mop up heavy metals and are then excreted. It is not yet known whether the children's symptoms have eased, but Lathe cites anecdotal reports suggesting the drugs might do some good.
The study is available online at: http://filariane.org/anglais/DOC/MSFINAL.pdf
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Exercise helps eliminate Low Back Pain at the office
Effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of low back symptoms in office workers: A cluster randomized controlled cross-over design
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of low back symptoms.
Methods: The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial with department (n=4) as the unit of randomization. The subjects were office workers [(n=36), mean age 47.1 (SD 8.4) years] who self-reported low back symptoms, which restricted their daily activities during the last 12 months. Low back symptoms were measured using the Borg CR10 scale. The cross-over design consisted of one intervention period of light resistance training and guidance and no training and no guidance of 15 weeks duration. Statistical analyses were based on linear mixed models.
Results: The active component of the intervention, light resistance training, resulted in a slight, but statistically significant, decrease in the intensity of low back symptoms (p=0.020). At the average training time of 5 minutes per working day (25 min/week) the average decrease during the 15-week period was 0.42 CR10 (95% CI 0.07-0.77) and 19% (95% CI 3-35).
Conclusion: A physical exercise intervention, which included daily light resistance training, conducted during the working day affected low back symptoms in a positive direction among symptomatic office workers.
Sjogren T, et al. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2006; Vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 13-24.
Top
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a workplace physical exercise intervention on the intensity of low back symptoms.
Methods: The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial with department (n=4) as the unit of randomization. The subjects were office workers [(n=36), mean age 47.1 (SD 8.4) years] who self-reported low back symptoms, which restricted their daily activities during the last 12 months. Low back symptoms were measured using the Borg CR10 scale. The cross-over design consisted of one intervention period of light resistance training and guidance and no training and no guidance of 15 weeks duration. Statistical analyses were based on linear mixed models.
Results: The active component of the intervention, light resistance training, resulted in a slight, but statistically significant, decrease in the intensity of low back symptoms (p=0.020). At the average training time of 5 minutes per working day (25 min/week) the average decrease during the 15-week period was 0.42 CR10 (95% CI 0.07-0.77) and 19% (95% CI 3-35).
Conclusion: A physical exercise intervention, which included daily light resistance training, conducted during the working day affected low back symptoms in a positive direction among symptomatic office workers.
Sjogren T, et al. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2006; Vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 13-24.
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Saturday, August 19, 2006
Injuries: The Downside of the Sporting Life
Each year, an estimated two million high school athletes are injured while practicing or in the course of a game. Most studies of high school athletic injuries have looked at specific sports, or a variety of sports at just one school. A new study has taken a much broader view of sports injuries at the high school level, with significant findings that could affect the care of both male and female athletes.
This study of more than 6,100 varsity-level athletes from 15 high schools compared injury rates among boys and girls who participated in the same sports (baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, track/cross-country, tennis, or lacrosse). The students were followed for one year, with information collected on the student's age, gender, sport, skill level, injured body part, type of injury, and days lost due to injury.
Overall, 966 injuries occurred - 515 among girls, and 451 among boys. There were significant differences in injury rates between boys and girls for each area of the body. Girls were more likely to injure their ankles, knees, and tibias, while boys had a higher rate of injuries to the tendoachilles complex of the foot. Girls suffered more major injuries (loss of seven days or more) in basketball and soccer, while boys incurred more major injuries while playing baseball or softball.
Understanding why certain types of injuries occur more often among female athletes than male athletes, or during one type of sport compared to another, is crucial to preventing these types of injuries from happening in the future. This information can also be used by doctors of chiropractic, athletic trainers, and others to design effective injury-prevention and rehabilitation programs in the future.
Goldberg A, et al. Injury rate and injury risk in female vs. male high school athletes in gender-matched sports: a prospective cohort study. Presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 2005.
This study of more than 6,100 varsity-level athletes from 15 high schools compared injury rates among boys and girls who participated in the same sports (baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, track/cross-country, tennis, or lacrosse). The students were followed for one year, with information collected on the student's age, gender, sport, skill level, injured body part, type of injury, and days lost due to injury.
Overall, 966 injuries occurred - 515 among girls, and 451 among boys. There were significant differences in injury rates between boys and girls for each area of the body. Girls were more likely to injure their ankles, knees, and tibias, while boys had a higher rate of injuries to the tendoachilles complex of the foot. Girls suffered more major injuries (loss of seven days or more) in basketball and soccer, while boys incurred more major injuries while playing baseball or softball.
Understanding why certain types of injuries occur more often among female athletes than male athletes, or during one type of sport compared to another, is crucial to preventing these types of injuries from happening in the future. This information can also be used by doctors of chiropractic, athletic trainers, and others to design effective injury-prevention and rehabilitation programs in the future.
Goldberg A, et al. Injury rate and injury risk in female vs. male high school athletes in gender-matched sports: a prospective cohort study. Presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 2005.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Fruits, Vegetables May Be Your Best Defense Against Pancreatic Cancer
Cancer of the pancreas is one of the most deadly types of cancer in the U.S., killing an estimated 300,000 Americans each year. Little is known about the primary cause of pancreatic cancer; even less is known about how to prevent it. A recent study suggests that increasing consumption of certain fruits and vegetables may the best way of reducing a person's risk of pancreatic cancer, and that the more fruits and vegetables a person eats, the lower the risk of contracting the disease.
The study looked at the eating habits of more than 2,200 people over a 4-year period. Included in the study group were 532 people who had already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Analysis of the eating habits showed that consuming at least five servings per day of "protective" vegetables was associated with a 55 percent reduced risk of pancreatic cancer, compared with eating two servings or less daily. High consumption of "protective" fruit and fruit juices, meanwhile, reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 28 percent. Onions; beans; garlic; carrots; yams; sweet potatoes; corn; dark, leafy vegetables; cruciferous vegetables; citrus fruits; and fruit juices were the items considered to provide the best protection against pancreatic cancer.
Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is typically recommended to help in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The results of this study suggest that pancreatic cancer is the latest disease that can be added to that list. So, what are you waiting for? Go eat some fruits and veggies!
For more information, contact Dr. Mays at DRMAYS@oakhollowchiro.com
Chan JM, Wang F, Holly E. Vegetable and fruit intake and pancreatic cancer in a population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay area. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, Sep. 2005;14:2093-2097.
The study looked at the eating habits of more than 2,200 people over a 4-year period. Included in the study group were 532 people who had already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Analysis of the eating habits showed that consuming at least five servings per day of "protective" vegetables was associated with a 55 percent reduced risk of pancreatic cancer, compared with eating two servings or less daily. High consumption of "protective" fruit and fruit juices, meanwhile, reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 28 percent. Onions; beans; garlic; carrots; yams; sweet potatoes; corn; dark, leafy vegetables; cruciferous vegetables; citrus fruits; and fruit juices were the items considered to provide the best protection against pancreatic cancer.
Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is typically recommended to help in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The results of this study suggest that pancreatic cancer is the latest disease that can be added to that list. So, what are you waiting for? Go eat some fruits and veggies!
For more information, contact Dr. Mays at DRMAYS@oakhollowchiro.com
Chan JM, Wang F, Holly E. Vegetable and fruit intake and pancreatic cancer in a population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay area. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, Sep. 2005;14:2093-2097.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Never Too Old to Exercise
You're never too old to live healthy. Changes in diet and the addition of exercise into your lifestyle can make significant differences to your health and overall wellness.
In a study published in the Journal of Aging and Health and conducted at the University of South Florida School of Aging, Professor Ross Andel and co-researcher Robert Simons, executive director of the Bonsai Holistic Spa and Wellness Center in Largo, Florida, demonstrated a noticeable increase in body strength, flexibility, balance and agility in study participants. The 64 volunteers, ranging in age from 66 to 96, were divided into a walking group, a resistance training group and a control group that did not exercise. In the training group, warm-ups, stretching and flexibility exercises were followed by workouts on resistance training equipment.
The walking and resistance training groups both benefited from the study, suggesting that physical activity can offset physical declines that come with aging and preserve functionality among seniors. Your doctor of chiropractic can tell you more about the benefits of consistent exercise and help outline a program suitable to your needs.
Simons R, Andel R. The effects of resistance training and walking on functional fitness in advanced old age. Journal of Aging and Health 2006;18(1):91-105.
In a study published in the Journal of Aging and Health and conducted at the University of South Florida School of Aging, Professor Ross Andel and co-researcher Robert Simons, executive director of the Bonsai Holistic Spa and Wellness Center in Largo, Florida, demonstrated a noticeable increase in body strength, flexibility, balance and agility in study participants. The 64 volunteers, ranging in age from 66 to 96, were divided into a walking group, a resistance training group and a control group that did not exercise. In the training group, warm-ups, stretching and flexibility exercises were followed by workouts on resistance training equipment.
The walking and resistance training groups both benefited from the study, suggesting that physical activity can offset physical declines that come with aging and preserve functionality among seniors. Your doctor of chiropractic can tell you more about the benefits of consistent exercise and help outline a program suitable to your needs.
Simons R, Andel R. The effects of resistance training and walking on functional fitness in advanced old age. Journal of Aging and Health 2006;18(1):91-105.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Processed Foods Cause Prostate Blues
Research has shown that the more fat you consume, the greater your chances of developing prostate cancer. However, fat isn't the only factor. The types of food a person eats, along with the amount and frequency of food, can also contribute to an increased prostate cancer risk.
In this Canadian study, scientists explored the link between diet and prostate cancer in more than 400 men ages 50 to 80, using questionnaires that detailed the men's dietary habits in the previous two years. After reviewing the questionnaires, each of the men fell into one of four dietary patterns: "healthy living" (high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry); "traditional Western" (red meat, processed meats, sweets, and hard liquor), "processed" (processed meats, red meat, organ meats, refined grains, vegetable oils, and soft drinks), and "beverages" (high intake of tap water, soft drinks, fruit juices, poultry, and potatoes).
Results: Men whose diets fell into the "processed" pattern had a significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men in the other groups. According to the researchers, "the highest tertile of factor score for the Processed Diet pattern ... was associated with a >2.5-fold increased prostate cancer risk." Men with traditional Western diets showed a "slightly increased prostate cancer risk," while men in the other groups either had no risk or less risk of developing prostate cancer.
While prostate cancer is quite common in men, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting it. For instance, you can lower your intake of processed foods and red meats, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole (unrefined) grains. You can also speak with your doctor of chiropractic about setting up a health plan that incorporates all of the features necessary for a balanced diet.
Walker M, Aronson KJ, King W, et al. Dietary patterns and risk of prostate cancer in Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Cancer, Sep. 10, 2005;116:592-598.
In this Canadian study, scientists explored the link between diet and prostate cancer in more than 400 men ages 50 to 80, using questionnaires that detailed the men's dietary habits in the previous two years. After reviewing the questionnaires, each of the men fell into one of four dietary patterns: "healthy living" (high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry); "traditional Western" (red meat, processed meats, sweets, and hard liquor), "processed" (processed meats, red meat, organ meats, refined grains, vegetable oils, and soft drinks), and "beverages" (high intake of tap water, soft drinks, fruit juices, poultry, and potatoes).
Results: Men whose diets fell into the "processed" pattern had a significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men in the other groups. According to the researchers, "the highest tertile of factor score for the Processed Diet pattern ... was associated with a >2.5-fold increased prostate cancer risk." Men with traditional Western diets showed a "slightly increased prostate cancer risk," while men in the other groups either had no risk or less risk of developing prostate cancer.
While prostate cancer is quite common in men, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting it. For instance, you can lower your intake of processed foods and red meats, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole (unrefined) grains. You can also speak with your doctor of chiropractic about setting up a health plan that incorporates all of the features necessary for a balanced diet.
Walker M, Aronson KJ, King W, et al. Dietary patterns and risk of prostate cancer in Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Cancer, Sep. 10, 2005;116:592-598.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
You Can Increase Benefits Of Exercise With Protein
A University of Illinois study indicates that exercise is more effective when coupled with a high-protein diet.
A diet higher in carbohydrates based on the USDA food guide pyramid, on the other hand, reduced the effectiveness of exercise.
100 Percent of Weight Lost Was Fat
Forty-eight women, divided into two groups, participated in the four-month study. One group substituted protein-rich foods, like meats, dairy, eggs, and nuts, for carbohydrate-laden foods like as breads, rice, cereal, pasta, and potatoes.
Both groups were required to exercise at various levels of exertion. The protein-rich, high-exercise group lost the most weight, and nearly 100 percent of the weight loss was fat. In the high-carbohydrate, high-exercise group, 25 to 30 percent of the weight lost was muscle.
While this protein-rich diet seems very effective for people who have Metabolic Syndroem (Syndrome X), a combination of high triglyceride levels and excess weight in their midsections.
Leucine Works with Insulin
The protein-rich diet works well because it contains high levels of the amino acid leucine, which works with insulin to helps stimulate protein synthesis in muscle.
The study was funded by the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Beef Board, and Kraft Foods.
Journal of Nutrition August 2005; 135 (8): 1903-1910
Medical News Today August 29, 2005
A diet higher in carbohydrates based on the USDA food guide pyramid, on the other hand, reduced the effectiveness of exercise.
100 Percent of Weight Lost Was Fat
Forty-eight women, divided into two groups, participated in the four-month study. One group substituted protein-rich foods, like meats, dairy, eggs, and nuts, for carbohydrate-laden foods like as breads, rice, cereal, pasta, and potatoes.
Both groups were required to exercise at various levels of exertion. The protein-rich, high-exercise group lost the most weight, and nearly 100 percent of the weight loss was fat. In the high-carbohydrate, high-exercise group, 25 to 30 percent of the weight lost was muscle.
While this protein-rich diet seems very effective for people who have Metabolic Syndroem (Syndrome X), a combination of high triglyceride levels and excess weight in their midsections.
Leucine Works with Insulin
The protein-rich diet works well because it contains high levels of the amino acid leucine, which works with insulin to helps stimulate protein synthesis in muscle.
The study was funded by the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Beef Board, and Kraft Foods.
Journal of Nutrition August 2005; 135 (8): 1903-1910
Medical News Today August 29, 2005
The Power of Positive Feedback and Motivation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published studies have shown that regular exercise can help people who suffer from chronic low back pain (LBP). Unfortunately, however, many LBP sufferers do not follow through and complete their recommended exercise program. Part of the reason, some scientists believe, is that these people do not receive enough motivation from their doctor to complete the program.
In this study, researchers looked at the effect motivation and positive feedback could have on people with chronic low back pain. Ninety-three patients were randomized into two groups and followed at different intervals for 5 years. The first group participated in a series of 10 25-minute training sessions an average of 2.3 times per week, with gradual increases in exercise over time. The second group engaged in the same series of exercises, but also received other interventions, such as counseling, problem-solving strategies, positive feedback from practitioners, and the signing a "contract" in which the patient agreed to stay on the exercise program.
While patients in both groups showed significant improvements in disability scores, "the cumulative effect in the motivational group across all points of assessment was more than twice that in the control group." In addition, only patients who received motivation and positive feedback showed a significant increase in the ability to return to their original level of work activity. The authors concluded that "the combined exercise and motivation program was superior to the standard exercise program" for patients with chronic low back pain.
Exercise is an important tool that can be used to treat low back pain, but it is by no means the only one. Receiving encouragement and support from others, along with a balanced diet, are just as important. Using these therapies together will help relieve your back pain - and make you a happier, healthier person.
Friedrich M, Gittler G, Arendasy M, Friedrich KM. Long-term effect of a combined exercise and motivational program on the level of disability of patients with chronic low back pain. Spine, 2005;30(9):995-1000.
Published studies have shown that regular exercise can help people who suffer from chronic low back pain (LBP). Unfortunately, however, many LBP sufferers do not follow through and complete their recommended exercise program. Part of the reason, some scientists believe, is that these people do not receive enough motivation from their doctor to complete the program.
In this study, researchers looked at the effect motivation and positive feedback could have on people with chronic low back pain. Ninety-three patients were randomized into two groups and followed at different intervals for 5 years. The first group participated in a series of 10 25-minute training sessions an average of 2.3 times per week, with gradual increases in exercise over time. The second group engaged in the same series of exercises, but also received other interventions, such as counseling, problem-solving strategies, positive feedback from practitioners, and the signing a "contract" in which the patient agreed to stay on the exercise program.
While patients in both groups showed significant improvements in disability scores, "the cumulative effect in the motivational group across all points of assessment was more than twice that in the control group." In addition, only patients who received motivation and positive feedback showed a significant increase in the ability to return to their original level of work activity. The authors concluded that "the combined exercise and motivation program was superior to the standard exercise program" for patients with chronic low back pain.
Exercise is an important tool that can be used to treat low back pain, but it is by no means the only one. Receiving encouragement and support from others, along with a balanced diet, are just as important. Using these therapies together will help relieve your back pain - and make you a happier, healthier person.
Friedrich M, Gittler G, Arendasy M, Friedrich KM. Long-term effect of a combined exercise and motivational program on the level of disability of patients with chronic low back pain. Spine, 2005;30(9):995-1000.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Teen Fights for Informed Consent
Abraham Cherrix, 16, has cancer. The first round of chemotherapy almost killed him. After he and his parents conducted independent research into alternative therapies, he told medical doctors at a hospital in Virginia, where he was given the first round of chemotherapy, that he does not want more chemo.
His parents have backed him up. But the medical doctors who gave Abraham the first round of chemo, apparently irate that their orders are being disobeyed, told a state social services agency about his disobedience. Now Abraham's parents have been charged with child "medical neglect," a charge that is often brought against parents who refuse to give their children all of the more than 3 dozen doses of a dozen vaccines the federal government dictates they should have by age six; who refuse to give hyperactive children toxic drugs to control behavior while they are in school; or who refuse to submit children to to other kinds of potentially harmful medical interventions.
A Virginia juvenile court is now deiberating about whether doctors can force Abraham to undergo chemo that could kill him without his voluntary, informed consent or the voluntary, informed consent of his parents.
In an online USA Today poll, in which more than 250,000 Americans weighed in by July 13, 2006 on whether the state should force Abraham to undergo another round of potentially deadly chemotherapy, 85 percent of those Americans voted "NO" to the idea of state-forced medical treatment. Putting themselves in Abraham's shoes and the shoes of his parents, these men and women are voting for the human right to informed consent to any medical intervention which can kill or cripple.
Most Americans don't talk about it much, but when they are asked, a lot of them are tired of being told what to do by M.D./Ph.D. "experts" inside and outside of government who have set themselves up as the judge, jury and police enforcers of what we can and cannot do with our bodies. It is becoming apparent that, as if by the virtue of the letters written after their names and the titles given to them by their colleagues, medical doctors assume they have some God-given right to tell other people what to risk their lives and their children's lives for when making health care decisions.
Reading about Abraham's struggle for the human right to informed consent to medical treatment, I am reminded of what I wrote in the concluding chapter of the book "A Shot in the Dark" which I co-authored with Harris Coulter in 1985:
"We have been taught to trust and believe in our scientists and doctors, to believe they are among the brightest and best in our society. We have willingly given them our respect and accorded them wealth, privilege and power. And we have given them the right to tell us what to do with our children, because we always believed they knew what was best. We have treated them as gods, forgetting they are our fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, sons and daughters. They are us, with all the frailty and ignorance and susceptibility to temptation that is implicit in being human.
"Mothers and fathers in cities and towns across America are entering libraries and reading medical literature on all the vaccines and drugs that doctors prescribe. They are educating themselves about medicine, and in the process they are finding that it is by no means beyong their comprehension. It is becoming clear that their learning may save children's lives. This is an awakening that has been a long time coming, a necessary first step in making medical decisions ar shared responsibility between parents and doctors."
I knew in 1985 and know today that no medical doctor or Ph.D. "bioethicist" inside or outside of government has the moral right to take away someone elses' human right to informed consent to medical interventions which can injure or kill.. The human right to individual inviolability, to self determination in matters of life and death, is at the heart of what it means to be free in a nation that has always stood for freedom.
His parents have backed him up. But the medical doctors who gave Abraham the first round of chemo, apparently irate that their orders are being disobeyed, told a state social services agency about his disobedience. Now Abraham's parents have been charged with child "medical neglect," a charge that is often brought against parents who refuse to give their children all of the more than 3 dozen doses of a dozen vaccines the federal government dictates they should have by age six; who refuse to give hyperactive children toxic drugs to control behavior while they are in school; or who refuse to submit children to to other kinds of potentially harmful medical interventions.
A Virginia juvenile court is now deiberating about whether doctors can force Abraham to undergo chemo that could kill him without his voluntary, informed consent or the voluntary, informed consent of his parents.
In an online USA Today poll, in which more than 250,000 Americans weighed in by July 13, 2006 on whether the state should force Abraham to undergo another round of potentially deadly chemotherapy, 85 percent of those Americans voted "NO" to the idea of state-forced medical treatment. Putting themselves in Abraham's shoes and the shoes of his parents, these men and women are voting for the human right to informed consent to any medical intervention which can kill or cripple.
Most Americans don't talk about it much, but when they are asked, a lot of them are tired of being told what to do by M.D./Ph.D. "experts" inside and outside of government who have set themselves up as the judge, jury and police enforcers of what we can and cannot do with our bodies. It is becoming apparent that, as if by the virtue of the letters written after their names and the titles given to them by their colleagues, medical doctors assume they have some God-given right to tell other people what to risk their lives and their children's lives for when making health care decisions.
Reading about Abraham's struggle for the human right to informed consent to medical treatment, I am reminded of what I wrote in the concluding chapter of the book "A Shot in the Dark" which I co-authored with Harris Coulter in 1985:
"We have been taught to trust and believe in our scientists and doctors, to believe they are among the brightest and best in our society. We have willingly given them our respect and accorded them wealth, privilege and power. And we have given them the right to tell us what to do with our children, because we always believed they knew what was best. We have treated them as gods, forgetting they are our fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, sons and daughters. They are us, with all the frailty and ignorance and susceptibility to temptation that is implicit in being human.
"Mothers and fathers in cities and towns across America are entering libraries and reading medical literature on all the vaccines and drugs that doctors prescribe. They are educating themselves about medicine, and in the process they are finding that it is by no means beyong their comprehension. It is becoming clear that their learning may save children's lives. This is an awakening that has been a long time coming, a necessary first step in making medical decisions ar shared responsibility between parents and doctors."
I knew in 1985 and know today that no medical doctor or Ph.D. "bioethicist" inside or outside of government has the moral right to take away someone elses' human right to informed consent to medical interventions which can injure or kill.. The human right to individual inviolability, to self determination in matters of life and death, is at the heart of what it means to be free in a nation that has always stood for freedom.
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