Vitamin D Can Help Fibro Patients By Jane Farrell article Fibromyalgia patients, who suffer chronic pain, depression and fatigue, may show improvement in some areas with a Vitamin D supplement, according to new research. The investigators, whose study was published in the journal Pain, said that taking the supplements could be a cost-effective way to treat the condition.
_ The 7 Hidden Causes of Fatigue By Jane Farrell article From the Cleveland Clinic Fatigue can signal anemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism or hepatitis C. But once your doctor rules out major medical causes of fatigue, it’s time to consider hidden ones. "We look for the less obvious roots of fatigue — that’s our job,” says Tanya Edwards, MD, Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine. Hidden causes include: 1. A junk food diet
_ When Your Doctor Shames You By Jane Farrell article New research has found that while 50 percent of patients leave their doctor’s office feeling ashamed or guilty, those feelings may have positive results depending on a number of factors. Researchers from the University of California San Diego said that investigating the issue of patient shame – and consequent avoidance of treatment – is crucial. "More than one third of all deaths in the United States are still essentially preventable and largely due to unhealthy patient behavior,” the researchers wrote.
Make This Your Year for Change, 2014 By Jane Farrell blog The reality of life can be painful and widowhood is a harsh reality. I remember feeling sad about another year coming, identifying myself as a “widow”, and rather than being excited about what I could create in the new year personally, professionally, physically, or spiritually, I just stayed in my “widowhood”. That had to change, and it did.
_ Too Much Medicine May be Bad for You By Jane Farrell article If you’re taking a number of medicines for a single condition, you have a greater chance of being hospitalized than people who are taking multiple medicines for multiple conditions. A study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology analyzed “polypharmacy,” a situation in which patients diagnosed with multiple conditions are being treated with multiple medicines.
_ Exercise Reaching Your Fitness Goals: Easier than You Think By Jane Farrell article It’s no surprise to see your local gym packed to the gills in January. Whether you’re swearing up and down that 2014 will be the year you get in shape or you’re trying to shed some of those holiday pounds, you might be trying to draw up a plan of attack. Low carb? Low fat? Weight lifting? Running? Maybe a combo? Here’s some advice from Florida State University exercise and willpower experts on how to make the most out of your health and fitness goals in the new year.
Setting Realistic Goals By Jane Farrell blog A realistic goal is based on knowing what you feel as well as what you think. Oh, you say, I know myself, let’s get on the next step. Surprisingly, feelings are often at odds with thoughts, since feelings take longer to make themselves known. For example, did you ever realize you were angry about something months after the event occurred? Did you ask yourself what you feared would happen if you let yourself know the truth? If so, you discovered your conscious mind overrode subconscious awareness, reflected by the inability to act on the anger you felt.
_ Coffee Improves Your Memory By Jane Farrell article Drinking coffee doesn’t just provide an energy boost, it may also improve your memory.
_ Restoring Insulin-Producing Cells for Diabetics By article Two recent studies led by University of California-San Francisco scientists have shed new light on the nature of beta cells, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that are compromised in diabetes.
_ Caregiving is Tough Even for Geriatrics Professionals By Jane Farrell article The difficulties of caregiving seem to be universal: even specialists in geriatrics can find it hard to deal with in their own lives. That discovery, by researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), appears in the journal Gerontologist.
_ Osteoporosis Drug Holidays From Osteoporosis Meds By article Due to the risk of fractures in the thigh bones and tissue decay in the jaw bone associated with osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates, The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists currently recommends a drug holiday or break from these medications after four to five years of bone density stability if osteoporosis is moderate and after 10 years of stability if fracture risk is high.
Awaken Your Genius: How to Free Your Creativity and Manifest Your Dreams By blog Over the last 40 years I have been helping men, and the people who love them, to live well. I’ve learned that we never heal alone. There are always helpers and guides along the way that give us the love, support, and the wisdom we need to find our true selves and manifest our dreams.
_ States' Restrictions on ACA Hampering Access By article The first study to gauge the impact of state restrictions on the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) indicates that community health centers across the country are engaged in an intensive effort to find and enroll eligible and uninsured patients and community residents.
_ Flu Forecasting Website Posts Predictions By article Infectious disease experts at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City have launched a website that reports weekly predictions for rates of seasonal influenza in 94 cities in the United States based on a scientifically validated system. The URL is cpid.iri.columbia.edu. New predictions are posted every Friday afternoon during the flu season.
_ How to Handle A Clingy Elder By Jane Farrell article By Sheri Samotin One of the most frequent concerns I hear from caregivers is how to deal with a care recipient who never wants his or her caregiver out of sight. This can be a real challenge for caregivers who need to work, take care of other family members, or just have a little time to him or herself. It is also often hard for caregivers to tell the difference between helping and enablinga loved one.
_ Pain Management Motion Evaluation Tool for Back Surgery Patients By article Patients who have had extensive back surgery typically need repeated X-rays to monitor their progress but a new technology that skips the X-rays and repeated radiation exposure is on the horizon. The method was developed by , opting instead for an innovative, noninvasive, non-X-ray device that evaluates spinal movement. The technology was created and patented by two engineering undergraduate students, Kerri Killen and Samantha Music, at the University of South Florida.
Pen-and-Paper Test to Spot Early Alzheimer's By article The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirm the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening of large numbers of people. The study is published in the January 2014 issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
_ Women's Health and Wellness A Nonsurgical Treatment for Pelvic Pain By Jane Farrell article Experts say that a nonsurgical option can be as good as medicine or sugery for women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, which includes bladder and bowel probems as well as pelvic pain.