Daily Archives: January 13, 2022

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The current trend toward alternative medicine is often credited to the anti-vaccine movement, but the flawed U.S. health care system and companies that sell these treatments leads people to seek these other options.

While alternative medicines do not always work, instead of shaming people who seek these treatments, people should shame the companies that sell them as well as the inadequate health care system that leads people to seek other options.

There are several forms of alternative medicine such as healing crystals, essential oils and herbal supplements. These treatments are often thought of as being complementary form of medicine to the customers standard health care. However, alternative forms cannot be a complement to healthcare if there is no adequate standard healthcare to begin with.

From inadequate response to the pandemic to high costs which serve as deterrents and to reliance on crowdfunding websites for medical care, there are multiple ways in which the current standard health care system is failing. People shouldnt have to plead their case for medical bills on a crowdfunding platform or forego treatment due to the high cost.

The high costs of health care is what often leads people to turn to alternative medicines such as crystals, which are considered to be a source of healing in some alternative medicine circles. Many people joke about the trend of crystal healing and shame those who consider it to be a real treatment or a substitute for actual health care.

However, this distracts from the reality that alternative medicine can be a response to anxiety and skepticism about the health care system.

While some people have listened to anti-vaccine propaganda, many people are skeptical about health care for understandable reasons. The health care system has a racist, sexist history that continues today. Women have been known to be misdiagnosed at higher rates than men while Black women die more during childbirth than white women.

People distrust doctors often due to bad personal experiences with them where they felt unheard and gaslit. This is why people may turn to crystals, herbal concoctions and other alternative medicine products.

The blame is not just on the health care system in the U.S. but also on the companies that take advantage of desperate customers who want health care in order to maximize their profits.

Many companies that sell crystals, supplements and other alternative treatments are just taking advantage of these customers. Their goal is to make money, not treat patients. The treatments are often inaccurately advertised as well, with companies often selling fake crystals and watered down treatments. Customers who buy these treatments often do not even get what they paid for.

Rejecting these treatments should not include scorning people for engaging in the consumption but companies who market these products and the health care system that creates the demand for such products to exist.

Christopher Hernandez is an English senior who can be reached at[emailprotected]

Tags: health and wellness, health care, Medicine

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Health care system, companies are to blame for interest in alternative medicine - The Cougar - The Daily Cougar

As doctors shift away from large and frequent doses of addictive painkillers to stem a surge in deaths by opioid overdose, clinicians prescribing alternative treatments tout a range of options but agree that exercise improves almost every regimen in which alleviating pain and restoring functionality are the goals.

In Chesterfield County, opioid overdose deaths are climbing. Excluding cases in which the Virginia Medical Examiners Office also detected fentanyl, a synthetic opioid added to increase the potency of illegal heroin, Chesterfield had 66 deaths from opioid overdose in 2019, 100 in 2020 and 56 in just the first half of 2021. Opioid addiction isnt always obvious or preceded by other forms of substance abuse; many victims of overdose are people with jobs and stable lives who find themselves hooked on drugs prescribed legally.

Stacy, a 60-year-old Goochland County resident who wants to remain anonymous to protect her interests in an ongoing lawsuit, had minor knee trouble before a car crash a few years ago. She controlled the pain of an expanding airbag hitting her knee with over-the-counter analgesics and physical therapy. I had difficulty walking for any period of time. Just sitting down, getting up, the knee would catch and the last time it did, I fell down the steps, she recalls. Barely able to walk, she decided to have her knee replaced.

Stacy suffered both major categories of pain: Before surgery she endured chronic pain, the sort lasting more than eight weeks, associated with conditions like a tricky knee, bad back, arthritis or fibromyalgia. Post-operation, Stacy had acute pain, the short-term sort that comes after an incision, broken bone or deep bruise. For this acute pain, she took narcotics prescribed by her doctor.

However, she discontinued using them after a week or so. Like many, she feared the possibility of addiction. Instead, shes relied on ice to numb her healing joint and vigorous exercise on a stationary bike to keep it loose. I was very conscious of drugs, Stacy says. I knew I didnt want them.

Now, she manages her residual pain from the injury stiffness caused by inactivity by trying to exercise regularly.

Anchoring treatment for pain with physical therapy is common. Its the grandfather of drug-free pain therapy in modern medicine. Physical therapists use rehabilitative exercise, joint manipulation, massage, applications of heat and ice, ultrasound, electronic stimulation and other techniques to reduce discomfort and improve strength and range of motion.

Physical therapy is relatively inexpensive and sometimes a prerequisite for other treatments. Lisa Berman is a physical therapist at the Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Centers outpatient therapy clinic in Chester, one of seven in the region. As it gets tougher to access opioid drugs, she says, patients are desperate to find other ways to manage their pain.

Berman also uses a technique called dry needling. To the untrained eye, dry needling appears to be the same as acupuncture. In both treatments, thin stainless steel needles are pushed through the skin. The similarity ends there. Developed in China over centuries, acupuncture presumes pain and illness are caused by an imbalance in the bodys energy, and that application of needles along energy pathways can ease pain and promote healing.

Dry needling was developed in Europe in the 20th century by doctors using scientific methods. Energy pathways arent the targets. Dry needling stimulates or relaxes muscles directly. I use dry needling for recalcitrant kinds of pain, like pain that doesnt respond to other kinds of treatment, Berman says, adding that she isnt surprised that alternative treatments are growing in popularity. New therapies for pain management are attractive because people are increasingly aware of the danger of opioid addiction.

At JNT Dental, Dr. Joseph Tregaskes uses lasers as an alternative to narcotics in painful craniofacial conditions. Laser therapy was first developed in the late 1960s and involves placing a light source on or close to the skin to manipulate tissue and cells in the body.

Tregaskes treats headaches temple mandibular joint pain, muscular issues, nerve issues, ligament and tendon issues, and cervical spine issues. Adjusting a lasers power, pulse and wavelength allows the lights energy to penetrate the skin and reach places where pain begins, according to Dr. Nelson Marquina of Laser Biotech International, a Richmond-based company that sells the equipment to the medical market.

It stimulates at the cellular level, Tregaskes explains. And it works really well on pretty much all tissues. You work on nerve tissues, vascular structures, your ligament and tendon issues. Lasers can also reduce inflammation. Because the energy is delivered at the cellular level, lasers can even stimulate broken bones to heal, he says.

Doctors also promote therapies that target how we feel about ourselves when burdened by pain. These include meditation and even hypnosis.

Dr. Benjamin Seeman at Integrative Pain Specialists in Henrico says theyre essential: Mindfulness is incredibly important Studies have demonstrated the link between stress and pain, and mindfulness can be an excellent way to reduce stress.

Seeman says attitudes about opioids are changing among both practitioners and patients. When we are able to convince a patient to try a different approach, or at least decrease their dosages, they find they are able to enjoy an improved quality of life and decreased pain.

Berman says insurance companies usually require a patient to try other mitigations for pain, such as physical therapy, before authorizing more novel approaches, which can be more expensive.

Whether drugs are part of a pain management therapy or not, she emphasizes the power of exercise. Motion is lotion, she says. Even going for a walk is extremely therapeutic. I really encourage people to just be active. Im big into yoga Im big into any kind of movement.

Seeman agrees: Exercise is very important. I encourage all my patients to stay as active as possible.

Opioids arent the only solution.

Originally posted here:

In response to the opioid epidemic, some health care providers are rethinking pain management - Chesterfield Observer

Meditation has long been used to promote calm and relaxation, cope with stress and illness, and manage anxiety and depression. As its list of positive effects grows, so too has the percent of adults in the United States who reported meditatingfrom 4% in 2012 to 14% in 2017, according to the most recent National Health Interview Survey.

Runners often call their time logging miles their moving meditation. However, if the disappointment of a slower-than-expected mile split or panic over unexplained tightness in your calf can derail your race or ruin your workout, adding a formal meditation practice to your training routine can better prepare you to handle these feelings and emotionsboth on the run and in life. Just as lifting weights can strengthen your hips or hamstrings, meditation can strengthen your mind, enhancing your running and overall wellbeing.

Here, we will explain what meditation is, the benefits to your health and performance, and how you can make it a part of your training plan.

Meditation is a set of techniques used to bring awareness back to a specific focus when your mind wanders. These techniques can help your mind process emotions, contributing to your overall wellness and stress management.

A meditation practice typically involves focusing your attention while in a comfortable posture, such as sitting, lying down, or walking. And ideally, its practiced in a place with limited distractions.

Once youve checked those boxes, the meditation exercises themselves are simple. Focus on your breath by counting or repeating a mantra. Or you can scan your senses and observe what your body sees, hears, tastes, smells, or feels to center your attention.

When distracting thoughts ariseThis is boring; My nose itches; Were out of milkcome back to that focus. There is no time requirement to make the meditation count, so meditate for as long as you feel comfortable. Though the more you make an effort to meditate, the more you will get out of it.

Dont be fooled though; while the practice itself is simple, meditating is not always easy. What meditation is not is peace and stillness from the moment you begin, so dont get discouraged if your first few attempts feel awkward.

Rebecca Pachecothe author of the book Still Life The Myths and Magic of Mindful Living, and a meditation and yoga instructoracknowledges that it will, at times, feel difficult for even the most experienced meditators. You may find you are bored, anxious, or fidgety, and thats okay, Pacheco, a two-time Boston Marathon finisher, tells Runners World. Youre not doing it wrong.

Meditation also is not self-improvement, but by practicing awareness and self-compassion, some people may argue that meditation can help you improve yourself. Your thoughts are not bad or wrong; the key is to approach them without judgement.

Meditation is self-acceptance, says Pacheco. The purpose is to give you a place where you dont have to get it right. And the irony is that things often will improve.

Mindfulness and meditation are sometimes used interchangeably, though the two boil down into more specific descriptions: meditation is the practice, while mindfulness is a state of being. Practicing meditation trains your mind to pay attention mindfully.

Mindfulness training uses meditation exercises in combination with informal practices, such as running, to incorporate mindfulness into daily life. Together, these practices train your mind to focus less on negative thoughts, emotions, and memories, and instead makes space for it to concentrate on the present, without getting ahead of itself.

Dr. Keith Kaufman, a clinical sports psychologist and co-developer of the Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement (MSPE) program, describes mindfulness as a nonreactive approach. The challenge is that humans naturally react to feeling uncomfortable and try to minimize it. He related it to the discomfort felt in a race.

Its called an ironic mental process, Kaufman tells Runners World. If you are saying, Im in so much pain right now. I shouldnt feel this pain, I dont want to feel this pain, what it does is actually bring more of your focus to the pain and can actually make it worse. Mindfulness training gives us a way of accepting [the pain and helping us think], Right now, my body is in pain. Right now, this is how my body is feeling, but I can still feel this, and I can still proceed.

The benefits of meditation have been widely studied and researchers are continually finding positive effects on a variety of health conditions. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), some of those benefits include reducing high blood pressure, helping symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis flareups, and easing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Meditation has also shown promise when it comes to managing pain and improving insomnia, and it may help people quit smoking.

For some, these benefits may be enough to convince you to start meditating. But for those runners who need the extra nudge, research has shown sports-specific benefits associated with mindfulness-based interventions.

Meditation can help you get in the zonewhen you are so absorbed in your run that it feels effortless, an experience that has been associated with peak performance. A 2009 study in the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology, following long distance runners who used the MSPE program co-developed by Dr. Kaufman, showed improvements in mindfulness and awareness, and decreases in sport-related worries and perfectionismfactors that may aid runners in reaching that flow state.

If youre thinking about your time and if youre thinking about the end result of the race, its really hard to get into that rhythm, its really hard to get into that flow. By letting go of the outcome and instead focusing on whats happening right now, which is one of the big targets of attention that we talk about, then that can help us get more into the state of flow, Kaufman says.

Meditation can also improve your perception of pain and fatigue, which may prevent you from giving up or slowing down on the run. A 2020 study in Neural Plasticity showed athletes who completed mindfulness training improved endurance performances by having a higher threshold for exhaustion. And a 2021 study in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that following the completion of a mindfulness-based training program, female college students reported decreases in their perception of exercise intensity and other negative feelings, such as fatigue, following an 800-meter run.

The takeaway here: If your brain thinks you have more gas in the tank, your body can push harder, or at least enjoy the run a bit more.

Additionally, meditation can get you back on your feet sooner following a workout or injury. A 2021 study in the Journal of Athletic Training found mindfulness training, in conjunction with traditional physical therapies, reduced pain while running, improved coping strategies, and decreased pain catastrophizing in patients with knee pain.

And a 2000 study in the Journal of British Sport Medicine showed that runners who practiced meditation exercises as part of a relaxation training significantly decreased their blood lactate concentrationwhich is an indirect marker for fatigue in exercising musclesafter exercise. This is just another reason to take a rest day, and using some of that time off from running to meditate may get you back on your feet sooner.

But will meditating make you run faster? A 2011 study in the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology showed improvements in runners mile times one year after the mindfulness training program was completed by participants.

However, Kaufman cautions, It would be way overstating the science of meditation to say if you meditate, youre going to be faster. But by meditating, it can change the way you pay attention in competitive moments. It really can change the entire trajectory of your performance if youre not getting stuck in a reaction to something. You can stay present, and you can keep making choices that are best for your performance, and in that sense it could help you run faster.

It would be way overstating the science of meditation to say if you meditate, youre going to be faster. But by meditating, it can change the way you pay attention in competitive moments.

Both Kaufman and Pacheco agree that using running as an informal way to practice mindfulness is important because the goal, ultimately, is to integrate these skills into daily life. However, much like your training plan may include easy, tempo and long runs, Kaufman believes a formal meditation practice can help you develop the range of skills necessary for remaining mindful on your run, or life, as a variety of situations are thrown your way.

Here are a few tips to start your meditation practice:

Start small. If you were starting to run for the first time, you would not go out for a ten-mile tempo run. The same goes for meditation. Start with three minutes, says Pacheco, Then try to string together days, then weeks. A little can go a long way.

Just begin. The hardest part of a run is often getting out the door. Set yourself up for success by designating a time to meditate when you might actually do it, like immediately after a run. And then actually do it! Just as it might take a mile or two to settle into a run, so too may it take a moment to get settled into a mediation practice.

Often if you keep going, something clears and the run turns around. And even if it doesnt, you often feel better than when you started. Meditation works the same way, Pacheco says.

Use available resources. Apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer have libraries of guided meditations if you feel you dont know where to start. Dr. Kaufmans podcast, Mindful Sports Performance, begins each episode with a mindfulness exercise. Find what works for you.

Fit meditation into your day in a way that works best for you. If you cant sit down on a meditation cushion with incense burning to meditate, thats okay! Meditation doesnt have to look a certain way. All it takes to be a good meditator, is to meditate, Pacheco says.

Pacheco suggests using existing moments in the day to meditate, such as while waiting in the exam room for your doctor or while sitting in your (preferably parked) car if you arrive early for a meeting or date. Or the next time you are about to mindlessly scroll on your phone, try two minutes of breathwork instead. There is no right or wrong way to meditate.

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Benefits of Meditation for Runners - Why Runners Should Meditate - Runner's World

I am writing this in response to the Brain Supplements section of your article Ask Science (GT, 1/5), which I feel is not accurate, and is misleading to your readers.

I am a Ph.D Nutritional Scientist and researcher with over 45 years experience and author of several hundred published articles, and was previously a columnist for the Press Banner.

The article has a quote from a neurologist who I am sure is very competent in her field, but lacks credibility in her comment: There really isnt evidence to suggest that any particular vitamin or supplement can help improve or reverse cognitive changes.

I am very sorry Dr. Hellmuth, but you seem to have missed hundreds of scientific studies that disprove your statement.

I have included several studies in this letter, but I am prepared to provide additional scientific studies to prove my point.

The following findings were presented at the 14th Clinical Trials on Alzheimers Disease (CTAD) on November 10, 2021, in Boston. The placebo-controlled study included 2,262 adults aged 65 and over without dementia who underwent cognitive tests at baseline and annually for 3 years. The average age at baseline was 73 years, and 40.4% were men.

Daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation appears to slow cognitive aging by 60%, or by 1.8 years, said study researcher Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She continues Our study provides new evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation may benefit cognitive function in older women and men.

In a Feb 2017 study published in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, researchers analyzed 5,269 men and women, and compared to non-supplementers, those who supplemented with vitamin C and/or vitamin E had a 38% lower adjusted risk of all-cause dementia and a 40% lower risk of Alzheimers disease. They also had a 23% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment.

In a 2020 randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, researchers concluded: Vitamin D supplementation for 12 months appears to improve cognitive function through reducing oxidative stress Vitamin D may be a promising public health strategy to prevent cognitive decline.

Researchers in a randomized controlled trial published in a 2021 issue of the Journal of Alzheimers Disease reported: Folic acid and DHA [from Omega 3 fish oil] improve cognitive function.

Research findings in Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine (2011) indicate that Lions Mane (a nutritional mushroom) may have potential in stimulation of neurons to regrow in the treatment of senility, Alzheimers disease, repairing neurological trauma from strokes, improving muscle or motor response pathways and cognitive function.

I appreciate the honest and accurate information your paper usually provides; however, your article on brain supplements has more holes than swiss cheese.

I would hope you would provide your readers with accurate information on how nutritional supplements can benefit their lives and improve their brains.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion.

Richard Goldberg

Felton

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originalsnot copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to [emailprotected].

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Letter to the Editor: Supplemental Information - Good Times Weekly

Whether one buys basic health insurance or a critical illness policy, it is no longer a question of debate if one requires health coverage in todays day and age. Ones income and savings may not be able to match up to the high costs of hospitalisation and treatment in India. Besides, there is always the looming threat of lifestyle diseases, pandemics and critical illnesses striking one at any time. Health insurance helps pay the cost of future health concerns, and gives one the required peace of mind knowing that they have taken concrete measures to safeguard the health of themselves and their loved ones.

Did you know that there are some hidden benefits in your health insurance plan that you are possibly not aware of? We list 5 of them:

#1 Restoration benefit.

Also known as a reset option, the restoration benefit effectively replenishes the sum insured amount when it is exhausted against a claim. The policy with a restoration benefit automatically restores the sum insured during the same policy year. Suppose you have a coverage of Rs 5 lakh and it is exhausted with treating a serious accident. If you have exhausted the entire coverage and require more coverage in the same year, the insurance provider will cover the new claim as well. This is beneficial for those who are likely to require lengthy or repeat hospitalisation, or those who have aged parents with pre-existing health conditions likely to require hospitalisation.

#2 Wellness benefits.

The best health insurance plans incentivise maintaining good health and fitness with a range of wellness benefits. These might include a reduction of premium for a no-claim year, or reward points that can be redeemed for specific benefits in your city, or reimbursement for certain outpatient procedures (under certain conditions), fitness programmes in association with gyms and fitness centres in your city, etc. These are all aimed at keeping the policy holder and their family members in good physical health, so that they may avoid hospitalisation and treatment for as long as possible. Besides, the health insurance provider will offer health insights to better care for your health with advice on exercise, sleep practices, nutrition, diet, mindful living, etc.

#3 Including AYUSH treatments.

Lately, people have started reposing greater faith in alternative medicine. Not every person is content with undergoing Allopathic treatment, not least because of the expense involved and the possible side-effects. However, health insurance in India has traditionally not covered alternative medicine treatments. This picture has now changed, with leading health insurance providers including AYUSH treatments in their coverage. AYUSH is a term to encompass the alternative medicine streams of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy. Apart from these, AYUSH also covers Naturopathy treatments. Consultation, medicines and other procedures under AYUSH are covered by leading health insurance plans in India.

#4 Day-care procedure coverage.

Indian health insurance also did not cover treatments that were discharged on an OPD basis. Even today, most generic health plans entertain claims for 24-hours or more hospitalisation only. But leading insurers cover treatments administered under day-care or OPD, which are made possible due to technological advancements and which do not require 24-hour hospitalisation.

#5 Almost immediate cashless settlement.

If customers have one grouse against insurance policies, it is that the claims are processed slowly and the process is tedious. However, the best health insurance plans settle cashless claims in about a couple of hours from the time of receiving the claim. This means that you or a family member can undergo the treatment you require without having to worry about settling the bills yourself.

Read more from the original source:

The 5 Hidden Benefits Of Health Insurance In India - The Hindu