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Chiropractors: Theyre on My Team!
Whenever I see the title "men's health", it conjures up a couple of images in my mind, and as far as most of the articles I see on the subject, they fall into one of two distinct and very different categories. It's either a sort of bodybuilding bust-your-buns biceps and washboard abs type deal with the fake tan and the body oil and the ubiquitous smile or it's the serious senior, Alan Alda persona doctor advising on the necessity of enduring an examination with a latex glove and all the guilt you have to endure if you don't. Who needs to be reminded that there is something slowly going wrong with you inside and it's your duty to identify it and do something about it? Hey, leave me alone, I'm feeling pretty good and who wants to rush to diagnosis? And as I said, the other extreme is the in-your-face body that only took thirty hours a week at the gym for the last three years and a basin-load of creatine to realise. I don't think there is much point in writing about "pumping iron" workouts, when every gym in the land will counsel you on how to get those pecs bulging like they're on steroids. No, for me men's health is sort of like the Cresta Run or the Luge at the Olympics, you hurtle down an icy slope flat on your back and try to steer clear of the sides; that's the part that I think is like men's health, try to steer clear of the sides and slip on through to the finish in one piece. Anyway, here is my content part as opposed to my comment part: Chiropractors. They are a staple in my team to get through to the end and they can help you and me make it to the finish line in much better shape than we would without them. But, heavens, you would not believe the number of guys I run across complaining about some part of their body and how incapacitated they are and how they can't do so many of the usual things and then, when I suggest that a chiropractor could fix that problem in about fifteen minutes flat, they shy away shaking their heads, "oh no my brother-in-law was screwed up by a chiro" or, "no I don't trust them " or simply, "no I've been through this before, it only lasts about four weeks", hey, oh great, only four weeks!! So I incorporate a regular chiropractic adjustment every five to six weeks into my schedule, just to keep my spine limber and supple and no I'm not going to him because I have a problem, but maybe that's why I don't have a problem. So with the medical professionals it's sort of like having a team of specialists, each one taking care of a particular aspect of your overall health. And, seriously here, I genuinely feel that chiropractic care is a plus especially for anyone with athletic aspirations; these guys are not just for the sore backs, they can be a definite asset in your athletic arsenal. Funny thing is that if they deal mostly with athletes, I think they seem to call them Sports Kinesiologists; much more palatable to the athlete and sounds so much more "formula one" type stuff, right? So consider getting yourself organized with a good chiropractor and see how it goes, I bet you will not believe the kinds of problems you might get solved by a chiropractic adjustment; again it's not just about sore backs and slipped discs. I certainly put them high on my list, and when I may have overdone it a bit here and there, it does impart a certain amount of confidence knowing that there's a pretty good chance that my chiropractor can respond to my slightly irreverent request, "OK, now put me back in the game, doc." Some even have a sense of humour: I was complaining to mine the other day about getting older and he just said, rather wryly, "hey, the alternative is not so hot either!" About The Author Gordon Black is a world-ranked Master swimmer and Canadian national record holder. A member of the British swim team in the late '60s, after thirty years out of the pool, last year Gordon returned to competitive swimming in the Masters forum. He offers an online weight loss, fitness and motivational coaching service through his web site www.gordonblack.com where his competitive comeback is chronicled. Gordon is currently working on a book based on his own weight management and fitness system - publisher's enquiries welcome!
Physician and Patient Attitudes towards Complementary and ... - 7thSpace Interactive (press release)
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Alternative Medicine Demystifying Hands On Healing While hands-on healing is probably the easiest of skills to learn, it is also one of the most misunderstood of subjects. In this article, I thought to cover some of the basic elements of hands-on healing and one of my attempts to validate its effectiveness. Taking Control of Your Health & Well-being Taking Control of Your Health & Well-being by Georgianna Donadio D.C., M.Sc., Ph.D. Do you ever wonder why, in spite of all your good intentions, you just cannot seem to take control over your health and wellness the way you really want to? The answer to that question can be found in the words of Albert Einstein, who reminded us "you cannot correct a problem with the same thinking that created it". In other words, you cannot change old behaviors without new information. The Institute of Medicine recently published a study that indicates ninety million Americans are "health illiterate", which means we do not know how to interpret or use health information to control or improve our health, or prevent chronic disease. Data compiled previously identified, "lack of information as the number one root cause of death". Understanding that there exists a cause and effect relationship between what we know and how we behave, we need a model of integrating this important information to change the behaviors that lead to chronic disease. According to a 7-year, 1996, Harvard Medical School study, approximately 70% of all cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes. Furthermore, our diseases and conditions are primarily a result of stress, food, environment, attitude, emotions or beliefs that keep us in behaviors that lead to illness. Which invites the question, are weconsciously choosing to be unhealthy, or do we just not understand sufficiently the relationship between what we think, how we behave, what we put into our bodies and how we keep ourselves well or make ourselves sick? In a world exploding with health information, especially on the internet, we are caught in the dilemma of having abundant amounts of information, without a context through which we can understand and utilize this information in a way that is appropriate for our own unique personal health needs. There is, however, good news - making its way into the mainstream of health care is an integrated model of health information and educationthat provides a "whole picture of health" perspective, allowing each of us to discern and create our own unique approach to taking charge of our health and well-being. Whole Health Education, developed over the past 28 years, in cooperation with Boston physicians, nurses and educators, is an approach to understanding the cause and effect our behaviors and choices have on our state of health. Demystifying the five major factors that influence how sick or well we become, Whole Health Education provides a perspective on human anatomy and physiology, bio-chemistry, psycho-social, environmental and spiritual aspects which allows for an authentic understanding of what we need know to resolve chronic health problems or to stay healthy. Integrating evidence-based information with the wisdom of various spiritual teachings and a whole-person overview of behavioral options, Whole Health Education offers each of us a tool for personal health management by providing personalized health information that explains the physical, emotional, nutritional, environmental and spiritual aspects of a health concern.For example, Mature Onset Diabetes affects approximately 18.2 million Americans and is the leading health concern in our culture today. As all chronic conditions are, Mature Onset Diabetes is a multi-dimensional disease state and the unique Whole Health perspective, can facilitate the restoration of health for those with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Physical/Structural What happens on a physical and structural level with Mature Onset Diabetes? The specialized beta cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin, become incapable of producing adequate amounts of the critically necessary secretion. This happens over a period of years and can begin in our bodies, over time, by eating large amounts of insulin-provoking foods. These insulin provocateurs, which are sugars and starches in the form of complex carbohydrates, require the pancreas to produce more insulin so that the sugars can be carried over the cell membranes to all parts of the body. Serious disturbances occur when we do not have enough insulin to carry the sugar over the cell membranes. Insulin hooks onto the sugar molecule and acts like a lock and key mechanism to bring that sugar into the cellwhich is then used in the energy cycle of cell metabolism. The nervous system, brain and the lungs cannot function without the proper metabolism of sugars. Emotional/Social Just as diabetes is a lack of nourishment on a chemical/nutritional level, so is it a lack of emotional nourishment on an emotional/mental level. It relates to the "feel good" nourishment component of your body. What do we know about carbohydrates and serotonin? Carbohydrates provoke the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neuro-transmitter that produces a feeling of well-being. There is a direct relationship between what our body is doing chemically and how we feel emotionally. When we crave or build our diet around carbohydrates, this can be a way of "self-medicating" our emotional needs by eating carbohydrates to provoke insulin production. Sugar problems can affect us emotionally. Let's say you have a pancreas that is not working properly. What can happen somatic/psychically from the pancreas to the brain? If we are feeling the ups and downs of hypoglycemia, and its biochemical/neurological symptoms, it may undermine our sense of security, self esteem, and produce anxiety and fear. What is the emotional component of diabetes and the pancreas? Often, it can be a poor sense of self-esteem and a fear of not being "good enough" or not belonging. These feelings, medicated by the serotonin foods, can lead us to not look deeply enough into what is causing our health concerns and allow the feeling/feeding cycle to continue. Chemical/Nutritional On the nutritional side, the treatment for people with Mature Onset Diabetes is to decrease the stress on the pancreas by making changes in their diet -- decrease starches and sugars and decrease calories. Eat less, eat right. What kind of a diet would be best for preventing Mature Onset Diabetes? Vegetables, vegetables, and vegetables combined with lean proteins such as fish, chicken, water, a little fruit and a little fat. In a hypoglycemic situation, it is wise not to eat grain or sugar, but sprouted grain bread, and other substitutes can be healthy and satisfying. Because hormones are chemicals, diabetes and hypoglycemia are both hormonal-based problems. What we know about the hormone system is that it works as a balanced interdependent system. Diabetes is an endocrine-related, systemic problem. With a systemic problem like diabetes, you have a body system problem--you do not just have a condition by itself. It is known that the pancreas is related, through hormone interaction, to the adrenals, and the adrenals are in turn related to the reproductive system. It is known that these glands are related through hormone interactions to the pituitary and the pituitary is related to the thyroid gland, the thyroid is related to the thymus, and the thymus is related to the immune system. Environmental/Internal & External The environment that we work in, live in, walk through, live near -- how does that environment have an impact on the way that we feel and the way we feel about ourselves? How do we learn to trust in the order of the universe? By behaviors that come from trusting the order inside ourselves. We do this by setting boundaries -- codes of conduct of how we are going to behave, eat, work exercise and live. If we don't violate our own boundaries, we are less likely to let anybody else violate our boundaries. We have to start with ourselves. Our experience of victimization can begin with our own self-victimizing behavior. Spiritual/World View A Hindu Vendata truth is that "the whole world is one family". It is said that there is only one disease, the disease of separateness, separating oneself from the awareness that we are one living organism. Competition creates isolation. The spiritual challenge presented by hypoglycemia and diabetes appears to be involved with over- or under-valuing the self: judgment of self and then others. Where are we in the process of getting to the truth that we are all equally important? The drama created by a one-up or one-down dynamic that we may allow to be part of our experience can lead to psychophysiology and the behavioral issues which can contribute to and create Mature Onset Diabetes.Whole Health Education can transform our experience of taking care of ourselves. It can provide an understanding of our health concerns and conditions from this multi-dimensional perspective that makes sense in a way we can utilize the information directly and in a meaningful way. In addition, having the information provided in a mindful, respectful way that invites each of us to discern what we know about our health and condition, how to choose to resolve the problem and what kind of care we choose to have, allows each of us to experience whole-person health care through whole health information. Then, WE become the center of our health and healing process, rather than the doctors or practitioners we go to for guidance. Freedom Is Found In Detachment I am looking for freedom in my life. And I know the only way I can find it is through detachment. Constipation Relief With Fruits Part III Here's another group of fruits that you can use to get constipation relief. Use these every day for desert or in between meal. Use more than normal to get rid of constipation. Radical Healing This title to a book by Rudolph Ballentine deserves more thought than we might give it. The book deserves more thought than I will give it too. It might be of interest to note that Dr. Ballentine is a Duke graduate and likely was affected by the people I speak about in the so-called paranormal sciences. Why is it 'radical' to integrate and think or become an informed consumer in the field of medicine or health care? Here is part of the dustcover commentary. Mosquitoes? No Itch, No Bite! When you are in the season of the mosquito, it is looked upon with horror for those who suffer allergic reactions. But even if you do not get these reactions it is still looked upon by most as an unpleasant, unavoidable summertime irritant. No one wants to be bitten, especially with the threat of West Nile and other diseases. But what can you do? Hidden Benefits of Reflexology The holistic therapy of reflexology has been used over the years to promote physical health and wellbeing in many thousands of people from all walks of life, but there is also a subtler aspect to its benefits that can be applied to the more vulnerable amongst us, to expand awareness and enhance everyday living. Autism Behaviour in Childrens Autism is a developmental disorder and the specific cause for autism is not known. It is believed that some biochemical imbalance would have caused autism and some believe that it is a psychological disorder. Children with autism cannot communicate their feelings and emotions properly. Such children find it difficult to socialize. They communicate only to get their needs and not to socialize. Gestalt Therapy And Hypnosis The Gestalt approach to therapy can be termed "phenomenological-existential" as it is concerned with an awareness of the here-and-now, working away from concepts and towards pure awareness (Clarkson, 1989). By the client becoming aware of their thoughts, feelings, etc the goal is for the individual to achieve insight into the situation under examination. As Yontef (1993) writes, insight is gained by studying the phenomomenological focusing, experimenting, reporting, and dialogue of the client. The philosophy behind this approach is that most people do not function in the world based on how the world, including themselves, is, but through a filter of self-deception, whereby one does not have a clear picture of oneself in relation to the world. Living that is not based on the truth of oneself leads to feelings of dread, guilt, and anxiety (Yontef, 1993). Acupressure Developed in Asia over 5,000 years ago, acupressure is an ancient healing therapy that utilizes fingers to depress key locations on the skin's surface to prompt healing withing the body. Similar to acupuncture, acupressure uses the same reference points on the body that release muscular stress; thus encouraging better blood circulation. Lumie Dawn Simulation Wake Up Clocks - The perfect Start To Your Day! Light plays a crucial role in the synchronisation of your circadian rhythm - (sleep/wake patterns). The suns daily cycle of light and dark regulates many of the bodys important hormonal and biochemical processes. It is our external time keeper - keeping our vital biological clock running smoothly. Could You Have Lyme and Not Know It? If you have ever been bitten by a tick, flea, mosquito, gnat, or mite or have been sexually active with someone who has been bitten, then you are at risk for Lyme Disease. Lyme can also be transmitted from mother to unborn child and through breast-feeding. Contaminated food can also pass along the disease. Chelation and Clathration Chelating is the process of removing toxic materials, metals and minerals from the body by use of certain chelating agents. These are substances that bond with the toxic materials resulting in capsulation of those toxic materials within the chelating agent that then flashes away through the natural excretory process of cleaning the body waste. Manipulate The Body And Mind With A Portable Massage Table A portable massage table can be very essential tool. Massage therapy is a hands-on manipulation of the soft tissue and joints of the body and using a portable massage table can make giving and receiving a massage that much easier. A massage offers many diverse physiological effects, which are primarily due to the therapist's hands moving over the body in a manner that affects all its systems - in particular, the muscular by decreasing muscle tension and feelings of stress; the circulatory by reducing heart rate and blood pressure; the lymphatic by improving the flow of blood and lymph fluids in the body; and the nervous by inducing the relaxation response. Most important, massage therapy helps meet the human need for the caring and affirmative touch. No wonder so many people find massage therapy so helpful in so many ways! After all, even the great Hippocrates who learnt this art from Herodicus way back in the 4th Century B.C., had advised thus in so many words when he said - "The physician must be acquainted with many things and assuredly with rubbing" (the ancient Greek and Roman term for massage). The Basics of Hypnosis You've seen the stage acts where a hypnotist selects someone out of the audience and when he claps his hands, the unwilling participant struts around the stage clucking like a chicken. You've also seen movies where the hypnotist waves the pocket watch in front of the subject as he utters, "you are getting sleepy very sleepy." Hypnosis is a little more than what Hollywood or Vegas make it out to be. Below is a brief overview. Seven Sinus Headache Solutions 1. Try steam inhalation as one of your sinus headache solutions. Steam inhalation is an excellent way of clearing all the spaces inside. If you have an infection too, steam inhalation can be very soothing. But there is a word of caution that I have to offer here, before you start undertaking this method as one of your sinus headache solutions, Lead Poisoning in Environment and Our Children Pollution is generallyy defined as the release of harmful environmental contaminants. Pollution can take two major forms: local pollution and global pollution. In the past, only local pollution was thought to be a problem. For example, coal burning produces smoke and in sufficient concentrations can be a health hazard. One slogan, taught in schools was "The solution to pollution is dilution". In recent decades, awareness has been rising that some forms of pollution pose a global problem. Just The Tea FAQs: Health Benefits (Part II) A hot cup of tea might be just the thing to soothe a sore throat, warm the body, or relax with after a stress-filled day. But tea is more than just a comfort drink. Its healthful properties make it a smart choice for just about everyone. Tea has been used as a medicine in other cultures for many years, but it has only recently gained a great deal of media attention for the many nutritional benefits it offers. Genital Warts Natural and Alternative Treatment Remedies Have you been diagnosed with genital warts caused by the HPV virus? If so, your physician has probably advised you of the more conventional treatments available such as pharmaceutical ointments, cryosurgery (freezing), electrocautery (burning) or laser treatment. While many people undergo these types of treatments, some opt for a less invasive natural solution by visiting a Naturopathic doctor. While there is no cure for the hpv virus, there are specific natural treatments that may help reduce and eliminate the warts over time. Why Air Purifiers Are Not Always The Answer To Indoor Air Quality Problems Air purifier filters are not always the answer to air quality problems.
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