March 2007 Newsletter

In this issue of To Your Health:

• How to Get a Great Night's Sleep - Without Taking Medicine
• High-Tech Massage: Good for Your Body and Soul
• Get a Handle on Your Weight
• The Dangers of Drug Reactions and Interactions: Simple Ways to Minimize the Risks
• Nutrition for Older Adults
• Shedding Light on Low-Level Laser Therapy

Are you getting enough quality sleep? A variety of factors can influence your ability to fall asleep and sleep deeply. You can prepare yourself for a great night's sleep. Here are a few simple do's and don'ts that will help facilitate a great night's rest:

Do's

1. Turn off work.
2. Calm yourself.
3. Exercise and/or stretch.
4. Eat several hours (at least) before bed.

Don'ts

1. Avoid mental overstimulation.
2. Avoid sweets.
3. Avoid confronting difficult issues.

Of course, even if you follow all of the above advice, if you're sleeping on the wrong pillow and mattress, your quality of sleep will suffer. Most people spend about eight hours a night with their head on a pillow and a mattress supporting their back. The chances of a great night's sleep are almost nonexistent if your pillow and mattress fail to support the different segments of your spine correctly. Talk to your doctor when considering which mattress and pillow are best for you, and remember the do's and don'ts of preparing for restful sleep. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

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Considering a robotic massage chair? Maybe you should. Owning your own robotic massage chair is a convenient and cost-effective way to experience the lifelong health benefits of daily massage in the privacy of your own home or office.

Massage therapy is an ideal non-invasive, drug-free method of encouraging the body's natural ability to heal itself while relieving many symptoms of a variety of health conditions, including lower back pain, joint pain, arthritis, stress and tension, muscle atrophy, and spinal cord disorders.

Today's chairs are engineered and sophisticated. Regular – even daily – massage can strengthen and tone the entire body, helping to prevent unnecessary strains and injuries that might otherwise occur due to excess tension. A single massage may be a soothing and delightful experience, but it's the cumulative effects of regular massage that offer the most benefit.

Any good back care or technology store will have many different styles of robotic massage chairs for you to test on the showroom floor. Experience regular robotic massage and see for yourself how this exciting technology can benefit both your body and your soul.

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Everyone makes New Year's resolutions vowing to lose weight, spending hundreds of dollars on gym memberships, fitness equipment and weight-loss programs – but for many, the battle of the bulge can seem never-ending. In a recent study, 175 adults between 40 and 65 years of age, all considered overweight or mildly obese, were assigned to one of three exercise groups for six months; or to a control group that did not exercise. The exercise groups were defined as follows: low amount/moderate intensity, equivalent to walking 12 miles per week; low amount/vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week; or high amount/vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 20 miles per week.

According to the researchers, the amount of exercise related to changes in visceral fat (a type of fat surrounding the abdomen). They emphasize that "even a relatively modest exercise program ... prevented significant increased visceral fat" and recommended that "until we are able to prevent weight regain after short-term dieting success, a greater emphasis toward prevention should be a major goal in the U.S."

So this year, keep that New Year's resolution and get rid of your beer belly, spare tire or love handle by adopting a consistent exercise program, following the guidelines listed above. Consider it the start of a new, healthier you.

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You've seen the prescription drug commercials, complete with the seemingly never-ending voice-over of potential side effects. But did you know that at least 1.5 million patients are injured each year by medication errors? With medication use at an all-time high in this country, it's time to reconsider the "just take a pill and you'll feel better" mentality.

All drugs, prescription and over-the-counter, have potential side effects. They can interact with other drugs, foods, diseases and herbal remedies. And if you are taking more than one drug at a time, you run the risk of suffering not only side effects from one or more of those medications, but also side effects caused by an interaction between the medications.

Is the solution to avoid medication altogether? While that's the ideal answer, for certain health conditions, medication is absolutely necessary, and quite effective. You can take advantage of these benefits while avoiding the dangers by purchasing a pill box/organizer, monitoring your medication schedule using a calendar, and getting acquainted with the look and feel of your medications. Your doctor should inform you in full about the risks of taking a medication – but of course, it's your health on the line, not your doctor's.

Take responsibility for your own health by asking the right questions, including whether there are natural alternatives, such as diet and exercise, that can improve your condition, instead of resorting to drugs.

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The older body has unique nutritional requirements. It really boils down to four things:

1. Eating quality food. Along with the usual recommendations to consume more fruits, vegetables and protein, mature adults particularly should be aware of the dangers of undernutrition and obesity.
2. Choosing the right nutritional supplements. Certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can help in the fight to retain bone mineral density, fend off cancer and even protect your eyesight.
3. Reducing alcohol consumption. Research has shown that even light drinking significantly raises blood pressure in middle-aged and elderly subjects (ages 40-69). Consider hydrating with water as a healthy alternative.
4. Using extreme caution with prescription drugs. One study estimates that among older adults, nearly 2 million adverse drug events – a half-million of which are preventable and 180,000 of which are fatal or life-threatening – are suffered annually in the U.S.

Your body is seeking better food and the right nutritional supplements to keep you active and vibrant. Supplying what your body needs and restricting what can harm it will go a long way toward giving you the highest quality of life for years to come.

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Lasers are not just for television remotes, CD players or Star Wars fans anymore. Low-level laser therapy is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has 30 years of research supporting its therapeutic use.

Dr. Anton Mester, a Hungarian physician, was the first to observe the tissue healing effect of low-level laser irradiation while attempting to use a laser to treat cancerous tumors in rats in 1967. His unexpected observations opened up a whole new world of possibilities for wound healing, pain relief and many other exciting applications.

From increasing circulation and anti-inflammatory effects to increasing production of the body's own pain relievers, laser therapy offers a whole host of health benefits. It has been used worldwide on patients of all ages to treat more than 150 different conditions, including muscle spasm, nerve pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, low back and neck pain, and knee and elbow injuries.

Your doctor can tell you more about the benefits of laser therapy and if this treatment technique is right for you.

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