Hello again.
Nothing about back pain today, but you might find it interesting.
Stop Begging! Start Manifesting
by Paul Truscott
Do you remember that first spark of hope you felt when you watched The Secret? I remember the excitement, the desire , knowing that here was the answer I had searched for, it seemed so obvious – Yes, I can make my dreams come true – FINALLY!
But how many of us soon saw that hope dwindle into frustration? How many tried (and be honest now) started muttering things like:
- “It seems to work for other people, but I just can’t get it right.”
- “I’m frustrated that sometimes I can get it to work, but sometimes I can’t. What’s the trick?”
- “Why am I having so much trouble?”
- “I think the universe is against me, perhaps its not for me.”
- “I’m trying very, VERY hard but still nothing is happening!”
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Nearly 97% of people also couldn't’t make the Law of Attraction work for them the first time. Think about it, just like anything else, you have to practice a few times before you see success. A child does not learn to walk without falling over a couple of times, so it with anything new.
But in practice, everything is easier said than done. When you’re frustrated, it’s hard to stay positive. It is especially harder to stay positive when the evidence all around you is screams negativity like the unstable economy or senseless acts of violence such as those recently seen in Mumbai.
And do you know what happens when you fail to stay positive? That’s right – you start attracting negative things in to your life.
So how can you make the Law of Attraction work for you – without getting frustrated? How do those who successfully implement the Law of Attraction do it with such confidence and finesse?
Well, here’s three quick tips so you will never feel frustrated or tired of begging from the universe, because you know how to start manifesting like a pro.
1. Allow Yourself To Receive
Just like a lost child who approaches a police officer and asks, “Excuse me Sir, can you tell me how to go to the post office? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you?” Well, if the child goes on and on asking, the police officer can’t even give an answer, right?
Well, it’s the same thing with your mind. If the only thing your mind is doing is transmit, transmit, transmit, the universe — which is trying to respond — can’t give you a single thing because you’re not allowing yourself to receive!
So, have the confidence in yourself and stop exhausting yourself by running around person to person begging for riches, and then wondering why nobody is dropping a penny in your cup (Hint: It’s because you’re running away too fast for them before they can even reach for their wallets).
Just think of your desires and leave it out there, go away, and trust that your cup will be filled with gold coins (or whatever it is you asked for) when the time is right.
2. Be Patient With Yourself
Receiving takes time.
Sadly, many people give up just a couple of steps before the finish line because they have decided that if it’s not working by now, it’s never going to work at all. Worse still are those who throw in more and more energy because they think that with more resources, the results will come faster.
In simple terms: Everything in this world has a natural development time, and this fact will not change no matter what resources you throw at it, so allow nature to take its course.
Just relax and be patient. Remember that you too, as part of the universe, are also governed by the laws of the universe, and you cannot change the natural development time.
If you remember this, you will be less likely to work yourself up into frustration, or worse, push yourself into a downward spiral of negativity.
3. Support and Educate Yourself
Like the child who is learning how to walk, you need support. You also need to guidance on how to do it, and also the role models to look up to.
Many people give up because they think that “The Secret” is the “be all and end all” solution. Well, it’s NOT. “The Secret” is just a small portion. It was never intended, and has never been, the whole answer, it should be the start of a new and exciting journey.
Coming to the conclusion that the Law of Attraction dos'nt work when all you ever did to educate yourself was watch “The Secret” 19 times (without looking at changing the habits of other areas of your life) is like coming to the conclusion that exercising is not an effective way to lose weight because all you did is run on the treadmill for 2 hours a day (but you’re still stuffing yourself with fried foods and cheesecakes).
So seek and be hungry for new knowledge. Also, make an effort to be amongst people or communities where you can support each other, learn from each other and also share new knowledge that you have found, do not let people who have negative views affect you.
While the Law of Attraction is not an overnight delivery service, it will indeed deliver, if you do your part too!
Check out the site here – go to http://www.the11forgottenlaws.com/?p=372
Tags: law of attraction, bob proctor, the secret
I do hope you find this of interest
Paul
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Monday 17 August 2009
Exercise and arhtritis
Hello again
Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune
Exercise Program helps ease arthritis pain
The exercise adage "no pain, no gain" has a different meaning for Clara Oleksy.
Having already lost a knee to osteoarthritis, the 70-year-old Park Ridge grandmother has found a new fitness program designed to bring relief to her aching joints.
Combining weight training, flexibility exercises, aerobics and education, the Fit and Strong program is helping senior arthritis patients regain mobility and, for some like Oleksy, wean themselves from their dependence on medications.
"I've cut down on the pain pills," Oleksy said. "It has helped the pain because with arthritis, you've got to keep moving."
Developed by Susan Hughes, director of the Center for Research on Health and Aging at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the eight-week program concentrates on the lower extremities -- a sore spot for many arthritis patients -- using ankle weights, exercise bands and treadmills.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is being rolled out at a few suburban locations including the Morton Grove Park District, the Levy Senior Center in Evanston, the Wheeling Park District and the Advocate Lutheran General Fitness Center in Park Ridge, where Oleksy works out.
"The strength training using the ankle weights is a unique feature of our program," said Pankaja Desai, project manager of Fit and Strong. "We've found that the weights actually strengthen the muscles in the lower extremities, which help release the pressure on the joints. People rely less on the joints and more on the muscles."
Osteoarthritis is more prevalent among women than men, and nearly 27 million Americans have it, according to the Arthritis Foundation. It typically affects the hips, knees, hands and other joints, and symptoms -- primarily stiffness and pain -- usually begin after 40 and progress slowly. Treatment options include medications, dietary supplements, steroid injections and joint replacement surgery.
Though weight loss and exercise can help slow the progression and improve flexibility, getting arthritic seniors back into the workout mind-set can be a challenge, Desai said.
"We want the program to be an introduction to physical activity -- getting people back on the wagon," she said. "It gives people the confidence to continue to exercise, even after the program ends."
Oleksy, who was diagnosed with osteoarthritis 10 years ago, started working out at the fitness center after a left knee replacement in 2007. She participated in a previous arthritis exercise program at the facility and said she needed the structure and support to stick with it.
"These are probably some things I could very easily do at home, but I won't do it at home," she said. "I know I have to do it when I go to class."
The 90-minute classes are held three times a week at Advocate Lutheran General Fitness Center.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
I hope this is of interest. As usual, take a look at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune
Exercise Program helps ease arthritis pain
The exercise adage "no pain, no gain" has a different meaning for Clara Oleksy.
Having already lost a knee to osteoarthritis, the 70-year-old Park Ridge grandmother has found a new fitness program designed to bring relief to her aching joints.
Combining weight training, flexibility exercises, aerobics and education, the Fit and Strong program is helping senior arthritis patients regain mobility and, for some like Oleksy, wean themselves from their dependence on medications.
"I've cut down on the pain pills," Oleksy said. "It has helped the pain because with arthritis, you've got to keep moving."
Developed by Susan Hughes, director of the Center for Research on Health and Aging at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the eight-week program concentrates on the lower extremities -- a sore spot for many arthritis patients -- using ankle weights, exercise bands and treadmills.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is being rolled out at a few suburban locations including the Morton Grove Park District, the Levy Senior Center in Evanston, the Wheeling Park District and the Advocate Lutheran General Fitness Center in Park Ridge, where Oleksy works out.
"The strength training using the ankle weights is a unique feature of our program," said Pankaja Desai, project manager of Fit and Strong. "We've found that the weights actually strengthen the muscles in the lower extremities, which help release the pressure on the joints. People rely less on the joints and more on the muscles."
Osteoarthritis is more prevalent among women than men, and nearly 27 million Americans have it, according to the Arthritis Foundation. It typically affects the hips, knees, hands and other joints, and symptoms -- primarily stiffness and pain -- usually begin after 40 and progress slowly. Treatment options include medications, dietary supplements, steroid injections and joint replacement surgery.
Though weight loss and exercise can help slow the progression and improve flexibility, getting arthritic seniors back into the workout mind-set can be a challenge, Desai said.
"We want the program to be an introduction to physical activity -- getting people back on the wagon," she said. "It gives people the confidence to continue to exercise, even after the program ends."
Oleksy, who was diagnosed with osteoarthritis 10 years ago, started working out at the fitness center after a left knee replacement in 2007. She participated in a previous arthritis exercise program at the facility and said she needed the structure and support to stick with it.
"These are probably some things I could very easily do at home, but I won't do it at home," she said. "I know I have to do it when I go to class."
The 90-minute classes are held three times a week at Advocate Lutheran General Fitness Center.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
I hope this is of interest. As usual, take a look at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Lower Back Pain exercises
Hello again, here is some more on lower back pain exercises, more can be found at http://www.freeuniquearticles.com/health/exercises/low-back-pain-exercises/
Though you may come across a wide range of exercises, promising to help you reduce your low back pain much faster, you should adhere only to such regimen which is the most effective exercise in lowering back back pain and keeping all the individuals physically fit as well at the same time.
Lets look consider the important exercises to reduce our low back pain efficiently.Though heat application and ice packs are considered to be one of the most effective exercises, reducing lower back pain to a great extent, they actually are needed to be utilized only as coexisting therapies to lower back pain. Heat application warms up all the muscles, experiencing a excruciating pain over their lower back, while the ice pack is put over the pain-affected part of lower back only to sooth the lower back pain, thus making the sufferer feel more relief.
Low back pain exercises enhance the sustain-ability of body which is supported by posterior spine. Low back pain exercises protect individual’s bony spine by making all the supporting muscles too strong, which to a great extent, prevents low back pain from emerging over the body again.
Though there are several medical treatments available for the people to choose from in order to get rid of their low back pain too fast, low back pain exercises are exceptionally too effective and the lasting exercises to deal with back pain . The low back exercises not only reduce the severity of lower back pain, but prevents it from emerging as well over the same area.
Causes Of Low Back Pain
Without any reason the low back pain never occurs in the body. There may be several reasons of back pain among the individuals. Some of them are being mentioned over here.
Before and after back surgery.
Fracture.
Tumor.
Heavy physical labour.
Stretching Or Warm Up exercise
Stretching the low back muscles is just akin to undergoing a massage therapy, that has got to help you do exact low back pain exercise efficiently.
Stand in a straight position with both your feet apart.
Raise both of your arms upwards.
Now tilt your torso to the left side with both of your arms stretched above your head. Come to previous position and tilt your torso to the right side to repeat the same exercise.
Do reps of this exercise twenty times.
It will warm up you body and reduce low back pain to a great extent.
Low Pain Back
Buttock Exercise-
-Lie just on your front with the left leg bent and raised behind you.
-Keep your left leg raised behind you for ten seconds at least.
-Now place your left leg back on the ground, remaining lied on ground by your front.
-Lift now right leg behind your body, remaining as it is lied on your front.
-Do the reps of this exercise twenty times. By such exercises, meant specially for the low back pain, you will manage to get rid of your unwanted low back pain efficiently.
Stabilization Exercises- Balls and balancing machines also help the people accomplish low back pain exercises, helping them get rid of their low back pain to a great extent.
Physical Exercises– Some conventional exercises, contemplating specially at belly fat reduction, also can prove to be the best low back pain exercises. Such exercises include sit-ups, crunches and leg raises by remaining lied on ground.
Hyper-extensions- This exercise also can be performed at home by you very easily. Meant for reducing the low back pain, such exercises can be done by lying on your front and lifting your chest off the ground again and again(ten times at least). Such exercise has got to cause a great impact on your lower back, and reduce low back pain effectively.
I hope this was informative, there is more on exercise at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Though you may come across a wide range of exercises, promising to help you reduce your low back pain much faster, you should adhere only to such regimen which is the most effective exercise in lowering back back pain and keeping all the individuals physically fit as well at the same time.
Lets look consider the important exercises to reduce our low back pain efficiently.Though heat application and ice packs are considered to be one of the most effective exercises, reducing lower back pain to a great extent, they actually are needed to be utilized only as coexisting therapies to lower back pain. Heat application warms up all the muscles, experiencing a excruciating pain over their lower back, while the ice pack is put over the pain-affected part of lower back only to sooth the lower back pain, thus making the sufferer feel more relief.
Low back pain exercises enhance the sustain-ability of body which is supported by posterior spine. Low back pain exercises protect individual’s bony spine by making all the supporting muscles too strong, which to a great extent, prevents low back pain from emerging over the body again.
Though there are several medical treatments available for the people to choose from in order to get rid of their low back pain too fast, low back pain exercises are exceptionally too effective and the lasting exercises to deal with back pain . The low back exercises not only reduce the severity of lower back pain, but prevents it from emerging as well over the same area.
Causes Of Low Back Pain
Without any reason the low back pain never occurs in the body. There may be several reasons of back pain among the individuals. Some of them are being mentioned over here.
Before and after back surgery.
Fracture.
Tumor.
Heavy physical labour.
Stretching Or Warm Up exercise
Stretching the low back muscles is just akin to undergoing a massage therapy, that has got to help you do exact low back pain exercise efficiently.
Stand in a straight position with both your feet apart.
Raise both of your arms upwards.
Now tilt your torso to the left side with both of your arms stretched above your head. Come to previous position and tilt your torso to the right side to repeat the same exercise.
Do reps of this exercise twenty times.
It will warm up you body and reduce low back pain to a great extent.
Low Pain Back
Buttock Exercise-
-Lie just on your front with the left leg bent and raised behind you.
-Keep your left leg raised behind you for ten seconds at least.
-Now place your left leg back on the ground, remaining lied on ground by your front.
-Lift now right leg behind your body, remaining as it is lied on your front.
-Do the reps of this exercise twenty times. By such exercises, meant specially for the low back pain, you will manage to get rid of your unwanted low back pain efficiently.
Stabilization Exercises- Balls and balancing machines also help the people accomplish low back pain exercises, helping them get rid of their low back pain to a great extent.
Physical Exercises– Some conventional exercises, contemplating specially at belly fat reduction, also can prove to be the best low back pain exercises. Such exercises include sit-ups, crunches and leg raises by remaining lied on ground.
Hyper-extensions- This exercise also can be performed at home by you very easily. Meant for reducing the low back pain, such exercises can be done by lying on your front and lifting your chest off the ground again and again(ten times at least). Such exercise has got to cause a great impact on your lower back, and reduce low back pain effectively.
I hope this was informative, there is more on exercise at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Wednesday 5 August 2009
Deal with back pain through exercise.
From Cleveland.com, exercise and back pain
More exercise better than rest to help alleviate lower back pain, study finds
by Los Angeles Times
Tuesday August 04, 2009, 2:00 PM
More is better when it comes to alleviating lower back pain — more exercise, that is.
Although many people who suffer from back pain don't exercise, fearing it will exacerbate the problem, a recent study found that exercising four days a week gave people greater relief from back pain than working out fewer times a week or not at all.
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: One did a strength-training program two days a week, one did it three days a week, and one did it four days a week. A control group did no exercise but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the program included bench presses and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain -- 28 percent -- compared with 14 percent for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less. In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas.
The study was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
More on exercise for back pain at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
More exercise better than rest to help alleviate lower back pain, study finds
by Los Angeles Times
Tuesday August 04, 2009, 2:00 PM
More is better when it comes to alleviating lower back pain — more exercise, that is.
Although many people who suffer from back pain don't exercise, fearing it will exacerbate the problem, a recent study found that exercising four days a week gave people greater relief from back pain than working out fewer times a week or not at all.
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: One did a strength-training program two days a week, one did it three days a week, and one did it four days a week. A control group did no exercise but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the program included bench presses and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain -- 28 percent -- compared with 14 percent for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less. In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas.
The study was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
More on exercise for back pain at www.backpainloss.com
Paul
A bit about Pregnancy
From The American Statesman, something interesting about Pregnany
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, August 03, 2009
It's been four months, and they have the drill down: Line up, hop on the scale, get the belly measured. These women are not weight-watching, though — they're pregnant.
At People's Community Clinic and locations across the country, more low-income women are taking part in a new concept of prenatal care: group pregnancy checkups. It's a trend medical experts say is breeding happier expectant moms and healthier babies.
Research published in 2007 by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says group visits by young, mostly African American women resulted in significantly fewer premature births. That study, led by Yale University, showed that of 1,047 women randomly assigned to either group prenatal visits or standard care, 9.8 percent of those in group visits had premature births compared with 13.8 percent of those who received standard care. The study is a key reason that the March of Dimes, in its battle against prematurity — a risk for disabilities and even death — has put more than $1.3 million into funding such programs nationwide.
Nurse practitioner Peggy Wall at People's, which provides health care to uninsured people in the Austin area, is a believer. People's began its group pregnancy program last fall, and with a $15,000 grant from the March of Dimes it has so far enrolled 60 women, or 8 percent of the pregnant women its practitioners have seen since the program started. She says women gain more in a two-hour visit as a group than they would in a few minutes alone with a nurse or doctor.
The women voluntarily sign up for the program, which includes first-time moms and those who have had children. They check themselves in and record their weight and blood pressure as Rosa Hernandez, who is Wall's medical assistant and was instrumental in getting the program started, assists.
Wall saw 11 patients in a group visit on a Wednesday night last month and spent a few minutes examining each woman and then meeting with them as a group.
"You've added a centimeter," Wall said in Spanish to patient Alejandra Martinez, 37, who was approaching her seventh month of pregnancy.
Wall then pulled out a wand-like device that uses sound waves to listen to the fetus's heartbeat. "Está bien," (It's fine), Wall told Martinez, who lay on a chaise lounge behind a sheer white curtain, affording nurse and patient a measure of modesty tinged with elegance in a clinic meeting room.
Researchers are just beginning to study why group visits might reduce premature births, said Deborah Walker, an associate professor of nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit. A theory is that social support leads women to eat better, stop smoking and "do the health-promoting things you need to do," she said.
Besides People's, CommUnityCare — the public clinic system that serves low-income and underinsured people in Travis County — offers the CenteringPregnancy program, said Zakiya Larry, spokeswoman for the March of Dimes' Austin Division.
CommUnityCare spokeswoman Debbie Cobalis said the lone public clinic with a program, Rosewood Zaragosa, received $17,400 from the March of Dimes and launched it in November 2007. Officials hope to expand it to more clinics, she said.
The all-woman philanthropy Impact Austin provided a $102,000 grant to help People's plan for a program in October for joint pediatric visits, so women can bring their same-age babies to appointments together, said People's CEO Regina Rogoff. The clinic will open on Saturdays for those visits, she said.
The women in Wall's Wednesday group, who meet twice a month at 6 p.m. and range in age from 18 to 39, sounded interested in the pediatric program. They easily chatted together in a circle of chairs during the check-in period. They brought covered dishes to share during the video and discussion period. The women, all of them Hispanic, chat easily together, mostly in Spanish, although many are bilingual and slip quickly into English.
"We like this," Nadyeli Medina, 27, said, as the women beside her nodded. "I would tell my friends to do this."
She said she has learned the importance of healthy eating. "Instead of hamburgers," Medina said, "I like salads more than I did."
Some of the women in the six groups at the clinic are immigrants and are isolated during the day; their working husbands have the car and cell phone, said Sharon Lynch, clinical operations manager and a nurse at People's.
"The women are away from their families," Lynch said. "They exchange numbers and hold parties for each other. They hold relationships that develop into lifelong friendships."
Maria Ricario, 31, said a previous session taught her about massage for easing back pain. She taught her husband, and "he does it every night now," said Ricario.
Hello again
On the theme of Pregnancy, here is something a little differant, I do hope you all like it. From the Statesman .com
Wall started the discussion by asking what names women had chosen for their babies — she always tries to start on a positive note. Then she moved to a topic they asked for more information about — post-pregnancy birth control — and then moved to a video about the stages of childbirth. It featured real women going through labor and elicited grimaces, even from the women who have had babies.
Medina grabbed Hernandez when the baby in the video was born. Afterward, one woman asked whether an epidural can cause back pain months or years later. Wall said no, that was a common misconception.
The night ended with a relaxation exercise. Wall suggested the women massage one another's hands with lotion she provided. Each woman turned to the person beside her and gently slathered a hand. Flowery smells and giggles filled the room. The clock ticked past 8 p.m. No one got up.
More of the usual stuff at www.backpainloss.com
Regards
Paul
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, August 03, 2009
It's been four months, and they have the drill down: Line up, hop on the scale, get the belly measured. These women are not weight-watching, though — they're pregnant.
At People's Community Clinic and locations across the country, more low-income women are taking part in a new concept of prenatal care: group pregnancy checkups. It's a trend medical experts say is breeding happier expectant moms and healthier babies.
Research published in 2007 by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says group visits by young, mostly African American women resulted in significantly fewer premature births. That study, led by Yale University, showed that of 1,047 women randomly assigned to either group prenatal visits or standard care, 9.8 percent of those in group visits had premature births compared with 13.8 percent of those who received standard care. The study is a key reason that the March of Dimes, in its battle against prematurity — a risk for disabilities and even death — has put more than $1.3 million into funding such programs nationwide.
Nurse practitioner Peggy Wall at People's, which provides health care to uninsured people in the Austin area, is a believer. People's began its group pregnancy program last fall, and with a $15,000 grant from the March of Dimes it has so far enrolled 60 women, or 8 percent of the pregnant women its practitioners have seen since the program started. She says women gain more in a two-hour visit as a group than they would in a few minutes alone with a nurse or doctor.
The women voluntarily sign up for the program, which includes first-time moms and those who have had children. They check themselves in and record their weight and blood pressure as Rosa Hernandez, who is Wall's medical assistant and was instrumental in getting the program started, assists.
Wall saw 11 patients in a group visit on a Wednesday night last month and spent a few minutes examining each woman and then meeting with them as a group.
"You've added a centimeter," Wall said in Spanish to patient Alejandra Martinez, 37, who was approaching her seventh month of pregnancy.
Wall then pulled out a wand-like device that uses sound waves to listen to the fetus's heartbeat. "Está bien," (It's fine), Wall told Martinez, who lay on a chaise lounge behind a sheer white curtain, affording nurse and patient a measure of modesty tinged with elegance in a clinic meeting room.
Researchers are just beginning to study why group visits might reduce premature births, said Deborah Walker, an associate professor of nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit. A theory is that social support leads women to eat better, stop smoking and "do the health-promoting things you need to do," she said.
Besides People's, CommUnityCare — the public clinic system that serves low-income and underinsured people in Travis County — offers the CenteringPregnancy program, said Zakiya Larry, spokeswoman for the March of Dimes' Austin Division.
CommUnityCare spokeswoman Debbie Cobalis said the lone public clinic with a program, Rosewood Zaragosa, received $17,400 from the March of Dimes and launched it in November 2007. Officials hope to expand it to more clinics, she said.
The all-woman philanthropy Impact Austin provided a $102,000 grant to help People's plan for a program in October for joint pediatric visits, so women can bring their same-age babies to appointments together, said People's CEO Regina Rogoff. The clinic will open on Saturdays for those visits, she said.
The women in Wall's Wednesday group, who meet twice a month at 6 p.m. and range in age from 18 to 39, sounded interested in the pediatric program. They easily chatted together in a circle of chairs during the check-in period. They brought covered dishes to share during the video and discussion period. The women, all of them Hispanic, chat easily together, mostly in Spanish, although many are bilingual and slip quickly into English.
"We like this," Nadyeli Medina, 27, said, as the women beside her nodded. "I would tell my friends to do this."
She said she has learned the importance of healthy eating. "Instead of hamburgers," Medina said, "I like salads more than I did."
Some of the women in the six groups at the clinic are immigrants and are isolated during the day; their working husbands have the car and cell phone, said Sharon Lynch, clinical operations manager and a nurse at People's.
"The women are away from their families," Lynch said. "They exchange numbers and hold parties for each other. They hold relationships that develop into lifelong friendships."
Maria Ricario, 31, said a previous session taught her about massage for easing back pain. She taught her husband, and "he does it every night now," said Ricario.
Hello again
On the theme of Pregnancy, here is something a little differant, I do hope you all like it. From the Statesman .com
Wall started the discussion by asking what names women had chosen for their babies — she always tries to start on a positive note. Then she moved to a topic they asked for more information about — post-pregnancy birth control — and then moved to a video about the stages of childbirth. It featured real women going through labor and elicited grimaces, even from the women who have had babies.
Medina grabbed Hernandez when the baby in the video was born. Afterward, one woman asked whether an epidural can cause back pain months or years later. Wall said no, that was a common misconception.
The night ended with a relaxation exercise. Wall suggested the women massage one another's hands with lotion she provided. Each woman turned to the person beside her and gently slathered a hand. Flowery smells and giggles filled the room. The clock ticked past 8 p.m. No one got up.
More of the usual stuff at www.backpainloss.com
Regards
Paul
People are spending more on "Alternative Medicine"
Hello, sorry the delay
From The Washington Post, a very interesting comment.
Alternative Medicine Spending Soars
The amount of money that Americans are shelling out for herbal supplements, meditation, acupuncture and other forms of "alternative" medical care is continuing to skyrocket, according to a new government data out today.
Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on "complementary and alternative" or CAM therapies in 2007, according to the nationally representative survey of nearly 24,000 adults conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
About $22 billion of that was for products, including classes, materials and non-vitamin, non-mineral natural products such as fish oil, glucosamine and Echinacea. Most of that -- $14.8 billion -- was for the supplements, according to the results, which were released by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The rest, about $11.9 billion, was for an estimated 354.2 million visits to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists and other CAM practitioners.
To put the numbers in context, the $14.8 billion is equivalent to about one-third of out-of-pocket spending for regular prescription drugs, and the $11.9 billion is equivalent to about one-quarter of out-of-pocket spending for regular doctors visits.
All together, alternative medical care accounts for about 1.5 percent of the nation's total health care bill of $2.2 trillion and 11.2 percnet of out-of-pocket expenses.
The last time someone calculated how much Americans spent on alternative medicinent was in 1997, when the total was estimated to be about $27 billion.
An estimated 38 percent of adults use some form of CAM to treat a variety of disease and conditions. Officials say the popularity of the therapies make it important for carefully conducted studies to evaluate their effectiveness.
Critics say that despite the increasing popularity of these treatments, very little good research has been done to validate their usefulness and the studies that have been done have largely found them to be ineffective. Some dietary supplement products have been found to be dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration, for example, issued a warning earlier this week not to use some dietary supplements sold as body-building products because they might cause liver and kidney problems.
What do you think? Are you a believer and user of alternative medicine? Or a skeptic?
Well you know my views I am very much for what I call complementary medicine and you can read more at www.backpainloss.com
Bye for now
Paul
From The Washington Post, a very interesting comment.
Alternative Medicine Spending Soars
The amount of money that Americans are shelling out for herbal supplements, meditation, acupuncture and other forms of "alternative" medical care is continuing to skyrocket, according to a new government data out today.
Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on "complementary and alternative" or CAM therapies in 2007, according to the nationally representative survey of nearly 24,000 adults conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
About $22 billion of that was for products, including classes, materials and non-vitamin, non-mineral natural products such as fish oil, glucosamine and Echinacea. Most of that -- $14.8 billion -- was for the supplements, according to the results, which were released by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The rest, about $11.9 billion, was for an estimated 354.2 million visits to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists and other CAM practitioners.
To put the numbers in context, the $14.8 billion is equivalent to about one-third of out-of-pocket spending for regular prescription drugs, and the $11.9 billion is equivalent to about one-quarter of out-of-pocket spending for regular doctors visits.
All together, alternative medical care accounts for about 1.5 percent of the nation's total health care bill of $2.2 trillion and 11.2 percnet of out-of-pocket expenses.
The last time someone calculated how much Americans spent on alternative medicinent was in 1997, when the total was estimated to be about $27 billion.
An estimated 38 percent of adults use some form of CAM to treat a variety of disease and conditions. Officials say the popularity of the therapies make it important for carefully conducted studies to evaluate their effectiveness.
Critics say that despite the increasing popularity of these treatments, very little good research has been done to validate their usefulness and the studies that have been done have largely found them to be ineffective. Some dietary supplement products have been found to be dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration, for example, issued a warning earlier this week not to use some dietary supplements sold as body-building products because they might cause liver and kidney problems.
What do you think? Are you a believer and user of alternative medicine? Or a skeptic?
Well you know my views I am very much for what I call complementary medicine and you can read more at www.backpainloss.com
Bye for now
Paul
Saturday 1 August 2009
Plank Exercise
Hello and here is an unusual post from Tri Cities.com
By Linda Stollings
Special to the Herald Courier
Published: July 29, 2009
It is Sunday afternoon, and I just left the YMCA.
I was a little late getting there so I really did not get to finish my resistance training routine. What a shame!
Most people would let it go and be glad that they got out a little early. But not me: I finished my routine when I got home.
I only had a few core exercises left to do, and because it is such an important part of the whole program, I just could not leave it out. My last few articles have described the importance of working your core, so how in the world could I in good conscience leave it out?
As you can see, you keep me accountable and that is a good thing. I never want to be like the plumber who has a leaking sink, so I definitely try and practice what I preach.
As I have mentioned, the core muscles include the abdominal muscles, hip muscles (front and back) and spinal muscles (lower and upper back muscles.) These muscles groups are responsible for maintaining the stability of the spine and pelvis.
A strong core allows a person to perform activities of daily living with greater ease, improve sports performance through a more effective energy transfer from large to small body parts and decrease the incidence of low back pain.
If you suffer from low back pain, consider strengthening your core to alleviate the discomfort.
Two of my favorite core exercises are called planks and side planks. Always check with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Below, I describe these core exercises. Remember, if you have limitations, you must modify your routine.
The plank: Lie face-down propped with elbows under chest and palms down. Lift up on toes and tighten back and abdominals, keeping body straight, and head and spine neutral (in a straight line). Hold 10-60 seconds, rest and repeat.
If a straight back position is too difficult, begin with hips hiked up or hold the contractions a shorter amount of time. Do not let the hips sag.
Side planks: Lie on side with body weight balanced between forearm, palm and feet. Contract back and abdominals to hold body straight. Do not push hips out behind the body. Hold 10-30 seconds, rest and repeat on the other side.
If a full-body position is too difficult, begin with the half-plank, balancing weight between knees and forearm. For an advanced version, try lifting the top foot in the air for 10 seconds. Do not try this exercise if you have any limitations with your lower back.
I have just touched the surface on a very few exercises that work your core. Stay healthy and see you in the gym.
LINDA STOLLINGS is a personal fitness trainer in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail her at info@fitprescriptions.comor visit http://www.fitprescriptions.com
If you liked this, go to www.backpainloss.com
Paul
By Linda Stollings
Special to the Herald Courier
Published: July 29, 2009
It is Sunday afternoon, and I just left the YMCA.
I was a little late getting there so I really did not get to finish my resistance training routine. What a shame!
Most people would let it go and be glad that they got out a little early. But not me: I finished my routine when I got home.
I only had a few core exercises left to do, and because it is such an important part of the whole program, I just could not leave it out. My last few articles have described the importance of working your core, so how in the world could I in good conscience leave it out?
As you can see, you keep me accountable and that is a good thing. I never want to be like the plumber who has a leaking sink, so I definitely try and practice what I preach.
As I have mentioned, the core muscles include the abdominal muscles, hip muscles (front and back) and spinal muscles (lower and upper back muscles.) These muscles groups are responsible for maintaining the stability of the spine and pelvis.
A strong core allows a person to perform activities of daily living with greater ease, improve sports performance through a more effective energy transfer from large to small body parts and decrease the incidence of low back pain.
If you suffer from low back pain, consider strengthening your core to alleviate the discomfort.
Two of my favorite core exercises are called planks and side planks. Always check with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Below, I describe these core exercises. Remember, if you have limitations, you must modify your routine.
The plank: Lie face-down propped with elbows under chest and palms down. Lift up on toes and tighten back and abdominals, keeping body straight, and head and spine neutral (in a straight line). Hold 10-60 seconds, rest and repeat.
If a straight back position is too difficult, begin with hips hiked up or hold the contractions a shorter amount of time. Do not let the hips sag.
Side planks: Lie on side with body weight balanced between forearm, palm and feet. Contract back and abdominals to hold body straight. Do not push hips out behind the body. Hold 10-30 seconds, rest and repeat on the other side.
If a full-body position is too difficult, begin with the half-plank, balancing weight between knees and forearm. For an advanced version, try lifting the top foot in the air for 10 seconds. Do not try this exercise if you have any limitations with your lower back.
I have just touched the surface on a very few exercises that work your core. Stay healthy and see you in the gym.
LINDA STOLLINGS is a personal fitness trainer in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail her at info@fitprescriptions.comor visit http://www.fitprescriptions.com
If you liked this, go to www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Hello, sorry for the delay.
Saw this from Chron and I think it applies outside the US, have a read, any comments appreciated.
Congress is hard at work this summer drafting legislation to reform the U.S. health care system. However, policymakers are fixated on an effort to expand health insurance coverage at the expense of significant long-term problems plaguing the system. The leading proposals will expand health insurance coverage by reducing eligibility requirements for Medicaid, subsidizing the purchase of health insurance policies for those with limited incomes and perhaps even introducing a public health insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of these reforms to exceed $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
Expanding health insurance coverage is a worthy cause. Previous research documents that a lack of health insurance results in worse health status, loss of life and lower productivity. Yet Congress' proposals do nothing to stem the rapid rise in health care costs, which is the root cause of individuals' inability to purchase health insurance. Health care costs have risen at almost double the rate of workers' earnings over the past decade. These costs are passed on to consumers in terms of higher insurance premiums. These premiums have become unaffordable to many lower- and middle-income families, leading them to drop coverage.
Americans have been watching the proposed reforms closely and have become more skeptical of the policymakers' actions. A Zogby International UT Health Science Center poll indicates that by a 50-42 margin, Americans oppose the House of Representatives' bill introduced July 14. Americans have a right to be wary of the proposals on the table in D.C. A growing body of medical research indicates that our health care providers are wasting tremendous resources on treatments that provide little or no value to patients. Yet proposals to limit this waste are missing from current legislation.
For example, research indicates that the U.S. spent an added $85.9 billion on treatments for lower-back pain between 1997 and 2005. Yet there was no evidence that this medical treatment improved the well-being of patients with lower-back pain. In fact, the mental health, physical functioning and work/school limitations of patients with lower-back pain actually worsened over this same time period. Another example: Medical guidelines recommend that patients with stable coronary artery disease undergo an exercise stress test to confirm a restriction in blood supply before undergoing angioplasty for the heart. Yet an analysis of Medicare claims data revealed that fewer than half of Medicare patients who undergo angioplasty receive this stress test. Medicare reimburses providers for hundreds of thousands of angioplasties per year at a cost of $10,000 to $15,000 per patient. Again, taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on expensive procedures that provide no benefit to patients.
To stem the rising costs of health care, policymakers must take the politically unpopular action of telling the public that patients can no longer have access to each and every medical treatment prescribed by their doctor. This move would be highly unpopular with the public, given that polls indicate that 90 percent of patients want access to every treatment prescribed by their physician. Moreover, individual health care providers would object to any attempt to interfere with their practices, particularly if their income is being threatened.
Yet the evidence I have cited, in addition to research performed by physicians, indicates that as much as 30 percent of health care dollars spent in the U.S. goes toward treatments that provide little or no health benefit to the patient. The current debate on expanding health insurance is throwing more dollars at a health care system that is fundamentally broken. Without efforts to reduce wasteful medical spending, any proposals for increased insurance coverage will become unsustainable within a matter of years.
We may think that policymakers are aiming to provide increased access to a health care system that provides the equivalent of the quality that a Toyota Camry or even a Mercedes Benz represent for car drivers. But current proposals will produce a Camry or Mercedes with authentic gold trim, three stereo systems and subzero air conditioning. It is incorrect to assume we can solve the U.S. health care crisis merely by spending more dollars on health care. Instead, policymakers must pay careful attention to objective medical research to create a health care system that provides affordable proven high-quality treatments to all patients in the long run.
Ho is the chair in health economics at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
What did you think?
Take a look at www.backpainloss.com and give me your views.
Be well Paul
Saw this from Chron and I think it applies outside the US, have a read, any comments appreciated.
Congress is hard at work this summer drafting legislation to reform the U.S. health care system. However, policymakers are fixated on an effort to expand health insurance coverage at the expense of significant long-term problems plaguing the system. The leading proposals will expand health insurance coverage by reducing eligibility requirements for Medicaid, subsidizing the purchase of health insurance policies for those with limited incomes and perhaps even introducing a public health insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of these reforms to exceed $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
Expanding health insurance coverage is a worthy cause. Previous research documents that a lack of health insurance results in worse health status, loss of life and lower productivity. Yet Congress' proposals do nothing to stem the rapid rise in health care costs, which is the root cause of individuals' inability to purchase health insurance. Health care costs have risen at almost double the rate of workers' earnings over the past decade. These costs are passed on to consumers in terms of higher insurance premiums. These premiums have become unaffordable to many lower- and middle-income families, leading them to drop coverage.
Americans have been watching the proposed reforms closely and have become more skeptical of the policymakers' actions. A Zogby International UT Health Science Center poll indicates that by a 50-42 margin, Americans oppose the House of Representatives' bill introduced July 14. Americans have a right to be wary of the proposals on the table in D.C. A growing body of medical research indicates that our health care providers are wasting tremendous resources on treatments that provide little or no value to patients. Yet proposals to limit this waste are missing from current legislation.
For example, research indicates that the U.S. spent an added $85.9 billion on treatments for lower-back pain between 1997 and 2005. Yet there was no evidence that this medical treatment improved the well-being of patients with lower-back pain. In fact, the mental health, physical functioning and work/school limitations of patients with lower-back pain actually worsened over this same time period. Another example: Medical guidelines recommend that patients with stable coronary artery disease undergo an exercise stress test to confirm a restriction in blood supply before undergoing angioplasty for the heart. Yet an analysis of Medicare claims data revealed that fewer than half of Medicare patients who undergo angioplasty receive this stress test. Medicare reimburses providers for hundreds of thousands of angioplasties per year at a cost of $10,000 to $15,000 per patient. Again, taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on expensive procedures that provide no benefit to patients.
To stem the rising costs of health care, policymakers must take the politically unpopular action of telling the public that patients can no longer have access to each and every medical treatment prescribed by their doctor. This move would be highly unpopular with the public, given that polls indicate that 90 percent of patients want access to every treatment prescribed by their physician. Moreover, individual health care providers would object to any attempt to interfere with their practices, particularly if their income is being threatened.
Yet the evidence I have cited, in addition to research performed by physicians, indicates that as much as 30 percent of health care dollars spent in the U.S. goes toward treatments that provide little or no health benefit to the patient. The current debate on expanding health insurance is throwing more dollars at a health care system that is fundamentally broken. Without efforts to reduce wasteful medical spending, any proposals for increased insurance coverage will become unsustainable within a matter of years.
We may think that policymakers are aiming to provide increased access to a health care system that provides the equivalent of the quality that a Toyota Camry or even a Mercedes Benz represent for car drivers. But current proposals will produce a Camry or Mercedes with authentic gold trim, three stereo systems and subzero air conditioning. It is incorrect to assume we can solve the U.S. health care crisis merely by spending more dollars on health care. Instead, policymakers must pay careful attention to objective medical research to create a health care system that provides affordable proven high-quality treatments to all patients in the long run.
Ho is the chair in health economics at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
What did you think?
Take a look at www.backpainloss.com and give me your views.
Be well Paul
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