Vonnies Health Spot

ACUPUNCTURE ENJOYS A 2,000-YEAR-OLD TRACK RECORD

Acupuncture or the practice of carefully placing very fine needles in specific locations along energy paths called meridians has been practiced by the Chinese for more than 2,000 years, but lately its popularity has been growing in the United States. A national health survey recently found that more than eight million US adults have used acupuncture to help heal aches and pains.

HOW IT WORKS
“Acupuncture sends a signal to the body to turn on its own rescue
system,” says Ka-Kit Hui, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Center for East-West Medicine at UCLA. According to Chinese medicine, energy, also known as qi (pronounced chi), flows along 12 pathways or meridian, which correspond to specific organs and body functions. If this energy is blocked, the body becomes ill. Inserting fine needles in acupoints along the meridians helps restore the flow of qi, so the body can heal itself.

Most doctors believe that the needle stick causes the central nervous system to release morphinelike painkillers called endorphins. Over the millennia other Asian cultures have adopted acupuncture and modified it, but acupuncture as practiced by any trained and licensed individual has the same basic aim, to restore the body’s healthy energy flow. “It re-regulates the body,” says Dr. Hui. “It can help turn the pain signals off.”

Another theory (Western) is that acupuncture creates a powerful placebo effect. In other words, acupuncture may work at least in part because a person believes it does. In general, Chinese medicine places greater emphasis than Western medicine on the close relationship of mind, body and spirit. Poles apart, Western medicine tends to split itself into ever more focused specialties while Chinese medicine maintains a holistic, whole body philosophy of treating ailments.

WHAT IT CAN HEAL
The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture for:

>many respiratory diseases
>eye and mouth problems
>orthopedic troubles
>neurological disorders
>gastrointestinal ailments
>helping stroke patients regain movement
>treating depression
>headaches
>low-back pain
>substance abuse
>An early study in Neuroscience Letters suggests that acupuncture may even be a useful strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease.
>According to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, the therapy has also shown considerable promise in relieving nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
The needles used are only as thick as a single human hair. A tiny prick when the needle is inserted should be the only sensation. The needles usually stay in place for five to 20 minutes, depending on what’s being treated, while the patient relaxes quietly. Treatment can take place over a few days or for several weeks or longer. There should be no pain. Improper needle placement can cause pain, and perhaps harm. And the FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used only once. To make sure your acupuncturist follows these rules, seek treatment only from certified practitioners. About 40 states have training standards for acupuncture certification.

A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PROGRAM
Discuss the possible benefits of acupuncture with your doctor, and check with your insurance company to see if you are covered. As this treatment protocol becomes more mainstream in Western practice, more insurance companies will accept it. For best results, Dr. Hui recommends that acupuncture be part of a comprehensive wellness program that includes exercise and a healthy diet. “Our goal is to develop a model system of healthcare that will benefit people all over the world.”

For more information, visit the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine's website at www.cewm.med.ucla.edu or www.uewm.edu.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

DANCING YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

A few years ago I was acting in commercials and one day my agent asked me if I knew how to ballroom dance. Off the cuff, I said “sure.” Driving home, I gave it a little more thought and decided, yes, I know how to dance a few steps and I have always been pretty good at following, but do I really know the patterns? The answer was no. So rather than call my agent and 'fess up, I called the nearest Arthur Murray dance studio. My reasoning was that I could take a few quickie lessons and get the moves I needed, then next time I was sent on an audition that involved dancing, I would nail the part.

I started my lessons, commuting 50 miles twice a week. First I started group classes, then I decided that wasn’t fast enough for me, so I took up private sessions. Long story short … I got hooked and started competing. I lost the 40 pounds I needed to shed, got the most toned I ever been in my life (except once about 10 years previously when I had been studying tae kwan do). I felt like an athlete. But those were the days ... not too long ago ... when people outside the dance subculture would snicker when I told them I was a competitive ballroom dancer. People on the inside knew what great workouts we were getting, but those outside looked upon ballroom dancing as kind of cheesy. Now …  finally … the rest of the world is figuring it out. My, how times have changed!

Thanks to the International Olympic Committee for giving ballroom dancing provisional recognition and to the television production of Dancing with the Stars, partner (ballroom) dancing is finally getting the mainstream attention that it deserves.

Writer Nancy Christie says in the fall issue of HealthSmart Today, “Long before ABC’s Dancing with the Stars became a blockbuster success, passionate souls—hidden away in small studios across the nation—have been waltzing their way to lean legs, tight glutes and sleek waistlines for years. Although the exhilaration of the music, the intricate moves and the closely held partner is what inspires most ballroom dancers to take to the floor, ballroom dancing is now being heralded as a great form of cardiovascular exercise.”

A recent study completed by Dr. Hermes Ilarraza of the National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico, which he subsequently presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona, Spain, showed that partner dancing can give as good an aerobic workout as more conventional forms of exercise. And let’s face it … it’s a lot more fun than running on a treadmill.

The study was small … a group of 40 heart disease patients, all of whom committed to doing half an hour of exercise a day, five days a week, for five weeks. Twenty of the study’s participants got their exercise from a dance routine choreographed by a professional dancer, while the others worked out on stationary bicycles. Ilarraza found that the dance group’s exercise capacity increased by 28 percent, just 3 percent shy of the cycling group who came in at 31 percent.

In addition to cardio health, burning calories is important too. The chart below gives some typical calorie burns for the average-size person. Of course, the calorie-burn total can be higher or lower, depending on your age, weight and muscular development (even at rest, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue).

Calories Burned
Per Hour            Activity       
    207            Ballroom (slow)
    306            Swing
    306            General
    326            Twist
    378            Ballroom (fast)
    394            Disco
    465            Hip Hop

According to Christie, “ … In addition to toning your leg muscles, dancing contributes to good posture and body alignment, it works your core and upper body, encourages gentle stretching, increases your flexibility and stamina, is weight-bearing so it builds healthy bones, and all that whirling and twirling helps you develop your balance like nothing else.” Also, for those of you who struggle with that ol’ demon depression, dancing pumps massive amounts of feel-good hormones into your system.

So if joining a gym seems worse than a trip to the dentist for you, try going to a dance studio instead. You will probably be pleasantly surprised.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

SINGING IS GOOD FOR MORE THAN THE SOUL, IT’S HEALTHY FOR THE BODY TOO!

I think most of us sang spontaneously as kids, but as we grew and became more self-conscious, for whatever reason, we dropped the habit little by little. I loved singing so much and so wanted to develop my voice that I took singing lessons for awhile, then speech and vocal lessons. My singing coach told me I had an extraordinary amount of vibrato, which I interpreted as not a good thing, so I quit. My voice coach moved away and I didn’t find a new one. I was busy working and raising a young family, so developing my voice moved to a far back burner. I have always been aware that I have a very soft voice; in a noisy group setting I often have difficulty making myself heard. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I became a writer. Nowadays people often comment on my beautiful, melodic voice, which I find very complimentary … if ironic.

Even today, choral music provides one of my favorite forms of listening music. I find the human voice the most extraordinary musical instrument of all. Now studies are showing that singing is one of those eon-old human endeavors that exhibit a lot of benefits other than simple pleasure. Following are some of the interesting results of recent investigation:

*Human intelligence: Walter Freeman, a neurobiologist at UC Berkeley, believes singing and dancing are genetic in origin and that they helped human brains evolve. These activities also served as a means of transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. Think about learning ABCs as a toddler, it was much easier when it was sung. Right?
*Social confidence: An organization of singing groups called Chorus America conducted a survey a few years ago, and found that more people in the US and Canada participate in choral singing than in any other performing art. Most singers say that singing in a chorus builds their social confidence.
*Breathing health: Studies show that singing helps people with asthma and bronchitis because of deep and controlled breathing, which also gives a variety of muscles, such as the diaphragm, a workout. Some evidence shows that even snoring can be suppressed through singing.
*Immune system health: German researchers found that members of an amateur choir had their antibody levels rise when they sang. Temporary changes in immunity mean very little because many activities produce ups and downs in antibodies and stress hormones, but I think the key here is to view the cumulative factor.
*Healthy aging: Investigators at George Washington University devised a survey called “Creativity and Aging,” which revealed that members of senior chorales in the District of Columbia, San Francisco and Brooklyn reported better health and fewer falls than nonsingers.
*Alzheimer’s: A British branch of the Alzheimer’s Society reports that singing is helpful for patients with dementia. Singing familiar songs and learning new ones can help build self-esteem and alleviate loneliness. And while there is no proof that such activities prevent Alzheimer’s, many experts think that they may help delay the onset.

So find a singing group. Churches and other organizations have choirs and sponsor singing-related activities. Dr. William Pereira, a musician and a member of the editorial board of UC Berkeley’s Wellness Letter says, “Singing energizes your whole body and soul.” Play a CD at home and vocalize while you do housework. Invite others over to have a singalong.

Karaoke here I come!
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

FATHER OF AEROBICS SPEAKS OUT ABOUT FITNESS

A couple of years ago, Kenneth Cooper, M.D., MPH, and the founder and head of Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas and CooperLife, a residential healthy-living community in McKinney, Texas, broke his leg in a skiing accident. He was 74 years old. Up until that moment in time he had followed a regular, scheduled regimen of exercise. During the recovery period he says, “I became depressed, I gained weight, I felt my quality of life had gone downhill.” But as he slowly returned to his normal level of activity, he started feeling better and better. “I’ve had to substitute fast walking for running, but that doesn’t really make any difference,” he says. “Once I was moving again, my heart rate went down … I returned to my normal weight … my depression lifted. I felt great again.”

He says this proves “Even seniors like me can modify their exercise programs to compensate for injuries and other health problems and continue to stay active. I’m still working 50 to 60 hours a week and exercising at least an hour a day. You can get healthier as your get older. What’s more, to a great extent, you control whether this happens—not your doctor, not your insurance company, not the government.”

“We know from many studies that fitness is the single most important predictor of health and quality of life at any age. In general, people with the highest levels of fitness have the highest quality of life,” avers Cooper.

BENEFITS
Listed below are some of the benefits of fitness:
*Healing—If you’re an older adult who exercises regularly, skin wounds heal faster. It might also help you recover from other ailments.
*Cancer protection—Exercise lowers your risk for every cancer.
*Strong bones—Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or running, lowers your risk of excessive bone loss after age 50.
*Longevity—Being fit can add three years to your life and you are 65 percent less likely to die prematurely than someone who is unfit.
*Mental health—Up your exercise quotient and you’ll improve your mental health.
*Physical function—You can delay by several years the age at which you develop even minimal disability by establishing good health habits today.

MOTIVATION
Dr. Cooper says, “In my many years of medical practice, I’ve heard, over and over again, the same six reason for not exercising, to the point where I’ve developed an acronym for them—TEMMPF. No time, no energy, no motivation, no money, no place, no fun.
*No time—Build exercise into your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, pace while you’re talking on the phone, exercise while watching TV, etc.
*No energy—Just take the first few steps. It will energize you to take the next steps and to keep on going.
*No motivation—A sincere decision to keep your quality of life high is a big motivator. Think about the things you love to do. Getting fit and staying that way means you’re more likely to be able to continue doing them.
*No money—All you have to do is get out and go for a 30-minute walk three times a week. A gym membership or an expensive trainer is not necessary.
*No place—You can walk anywhere, in a mall, in your house or back yard, march in place while watching TV.
*No fun—Saying you’re bored by your fitness program is just an excuse. Find a walking group, listen to music while you walk, dance in your living room.

Cooper says, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination. If you keep it up for the rest of your life, you’ll find that you can build muscle mass and improve your overall fitness at any age, even if you’ve never exercised before.”

*Start your fitness program at any age.
*Continue your program as you age.
*Adjust your program to meet your changing needs and interests.

Dr. Cooper’s latest book, written with his son, Tyler C. Cooper, M.D. MPH, is Start Strong, Finish Strong (Avery, Sept. 6, 2007).

For more information, take a look at www.cooperaerobics.com or click on the amazon.com icon on this page to find out more about his latest book.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

HMMM, I SUSPECTED THIS CONNECTION ALL ALONG

It's always so nice when science finds proof of what I thought was just me being a slight hypochondriac. I used to think I was a little weird because I would start choking every time I used a spray cleaner. While I love what spray cleaners do, I am often hesitant to use them because they take my breath away. Now I find out I’m not unusual at all. Researchers at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology at the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona, Spain, have found that “frequent use of household cleaning sprays may be an important risk factor for adult asthma.”

Air fresheners, and furniture and glass cleaners had a particularly strong effect. Researchers found that the risk of developing asthma increased with frequency of cleaning and number of different sprays used, but on average was about 30 to 50 percent higher in people regularly exposed to cleaning sprays. “Our findings are consistent with occupational epidemiological studies in which increased asthma risk was related to professional use of sprays among both domestic and non-domestic cleaning women,” says Jan-Paul Zock, Ph.D., who headed up the research. “This indicates a relevant contribution of spray use to the burden of asthma in adults who do the cleaning in their home.”

Two-thirds of the study participants who reported doing the bulk of the cleaning were women, about 6 percent of whom had developed asthma at follow-up. The clinical application is for physicians to be aware of the potential of cleaning products to cause respiratory symptoms and possibly asthma, according to Kenneth D. Rosenman, M.D., professor at Michigan State University.

“The relative risk rates of developing adult asthma in relation to exposure to cleaning products could account for as much as 15 percent of adult asthma cases,” says Zock.

The study is the first to investigate the effects of cleaning products on occasional users rather than occupational users and appeared in the second issue for October of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study included more than 3,500 subjects across 22 centers in 10 European countries. Subjects were assessed for current asthma, current wheeze, physician-diagnosed asthma and allergy at follow-up, which took place an average of nine years after their first assessment. They were asked to report the number of times per week they used cleaning products.

The study was not designed to find the biological mechanism behind the increase in asthma. “There is a need for researchers to conduct further studies to elucidate both the extent and mechanism of the respiratory toxicity associated with such products,” Zock says.

In the meantime, play it safe by using cleaners that don’t come in spray bottles, or if you must, wear a dust mask like the ones you find in hardware and drug stores. I know it looks a little extreme, but who cares if it helps to save your lungs?
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.