Article Archive

You’re Taking What? Massage and Common Medications

Nearly 40 million people in the United States received a professional massage in 2005. What are the chances all of them were healthy and problem free? Slim to none, of course. People seek massage for more than the occasional indulgence. Massage is used increasingly for pain management, injury repair for trauma, speeding recovery time for athletes in training, or enhanced quality of life for those who simply want to live at the peak of their physical capacity.

Symptomatic Scoliosis

Straight Talk

During adolescence, most of us recall our mother’s marching orders to “Stand up straight!” Fortunately, standing up straight wasn’t a problem for most: simply retract the shoulders, contract the abdominals, allow the head to come back, and lift the torso out of the pelvis. Yet for others, the act of standing upright wasn’t, and still isn’t, quite that easy — one hip may be higher than the other, one side of the rib cage lower. Whatever the case, all the pelvic tucking, shoulder retracting, and chin raising are usually in vain.

CAM Coverage

Body Talk

Employers continue to show acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine as companions to, or in lieu of, traditional, allopathic care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust, employers are providing insurance coverage for acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage in greater numbers. In fact, coverage for acupuncture jumped from 33 percent to 47 percent between 2002 and 2004, and the percentage for chiropractic jumped from 79 percent to 87 percent during that same time.

Shake, Shake, Shake

Body Talk

Shake, Shake, Shake

Soy milk is a great alternative to dairy, but consumers may be unaware that their much-needed calcium resides on the bottom of the carton. Researchers from Creighton University in Omaha tested several of the most popular soy milk brands fortified with calcium and found that more than 80 percent of the mineral settled on the bottom once stored. Quick fix? Simple — shake it up.

Labyrinthine Peace

Body Talk

Labyrinthine Peace

Need a moment for peace, reflection, or exercise? Walk a labyrinth. At first glance, these configurations look similar to mazes — large circular structures with spiraling walkways. But further inspection reveals a unicursal, or single, path that leads to a center and out again — less a puzzle and more a right-brain task.

Diagnosis Support

Body Talk

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can lead to a bevy of emotions, including denial, anger, confusion, and depression. To help with this possibly difficult time, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has created a website titled Next Steps After Your Diagnosis: Finding Information and Support. Included are support-group locators, phone numbers for health information, 10 important questions to ask your doctor, clinical trials, and outcome research.

Essential Oils Safety Guide

Know Your Contraindications

Avoid Completely

--Any essential oil for which you do not have information.

--Bitter almond, boldo leaf, buchu, yellow camphor, brown camphor, sassafras, calamus, horseradish, mugwort, mustard, pennyroyal, rue, savin, savory, tansy, thuja, wormseed, wormwood.

Avoid With Pregnancy

--Aniseed, basil, birch, wintergreen, cedarwood, clary sage, cypress, geranium, sweet fennel, jasmine, juniper berry, sweet marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rosemary, common sage, thyme, hyssop.

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