Integrative Women’s Health (Weil Integrative Medicine Library)

Women have made it clear that they desire a broader, integrative approach to their care. Here, for the first time, Integrative Women’s Health weaves together the best of conventional treatments with mind-body interventions, nutritional strategies, herbal therapies, dietary supplements, acupuncture, and manual medicine, providing clinicians with a roadmap for practicing comprehensive integrative care.

Chemicals and impotence

One of the better short stories dealing with alien invasions is The Screwfly Solution, written under a pseudonym by Alice Sheldon. It assumes aliens would find it too much trouble to use military force to wipe us off the face of the Earth. They would prefer to let us die out. Curiously, this builds on and anticipates many of our own uses of chemicals that induce impotence or infertility. Without any help from aliens, humans are doing their best to reduce their own numbers. One of the most common of the modern chemicals is Bisphenol A (BPA) which is used to harden plastic products and make epoxy resin. You will find it in hundreds of different types of container used to store or carry food. It's also used to coat the inside of drinks cans and to harden the plastics used in the manufacture of sports equipment, cars and some medical devices. In other words, it's hard to avoid eating food stored in it and touching things made with it.

What is pain management?

In a simple case where you have had an accident and, perhaps, broken a bone, there will be acute pain lasting for a reasonably short period of time. Under normal circumstances, these physical injuries heal and the pain goes away. But, sadly, there are many medical conditions where the pain does not go silently into the night. In cases of chronic pain, you and the doctors advising you have to come up with strategies to help you cope - to make the best of your life under difficult circumstances. Now, the medical profession has recognized that, independently of the underlying cause, pain itself is something to be treated. To do so, there are a range of different techniques, including:

Yoga as natural alternative to painkillers

Yoga and back pain

In case you have back pain problems and think that yoga might help you it's a must that you ask your doctor about this first. Pain in the back is quite often associated with biomechanical imbalance in the structure of the spine. And taking that into account your doctor may spinal structures. Your doctor can inform you about:

• certain movements to not be performed
• the right amount of physical challenge in your condition
• safety tips
• possible interactions between your medications and active exercises

How can a yoga instructor help you?

When the xanax kicks in, go for cognitive behavioral therapy

Putting aside all the pointless arguments about whether people should get so anxious, the practical reality is that they do. If this seriously disrupts their ability to lead normal lives, then something should be done. Common humanity requires that society makes reasonable provision for their treatment. The pharmaceutical industry would have us believe drugs are the best answer to all our problems and, when it comes to dealing with anxiety disorders, our doctors have a mass to choose from.

Can Smoking Help You Lose Weight?

Smoking is highly damaging to your body and it is not an activity I recommend you participate in. However, there are limited advantages associated with this habit. One such advantage is that smoking can help you lose weight. In this article I discuss how it helps you lose weight and compare this with the damage it can cause.

There are a number of reasons that smoking helps you drop the pounds and I have listed these below:

Pineapple is Beneficial for Your Health?

Pineapple is a tropical fruit, it contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which helps in the digestion of protein. Pineapple can prevent blood clot formation because of its bromelain content.

Pineapple is one of those foods that is heaven to eat. A good, juicy ripe pineapple can satisfy a sweet craving as well as any chocolate bar. In addition to being a delicious food, there are many health benefits of pineapple.

Men's health - how to improve it

Everyone wants to feel fit and well. But all of us have one or another sort of health problems. As medicinal science is furthering towards better health advantages to humankind, so are increasing physical and mental diseases - heart diseases, obesity, arthritis, sexual problems, high cholesterol and the list can go on and on.

What's the relationship between stress and acne?

At one level, this can look like a really stupid question. Anyone who has ever had acne will know that the reaction of others to the appearance of pimples causes stress. In fact, as a teenager, getting through the weeks or months of acne can be a real challenge to self-confidence. Just as you are growing into your own skin and working out who you are, the world suddenly treats you as a disease carrier and disrespects you. But this rather misses the point. Medically, it's important to know whether stress causes acne or, once it has arrived, makes it worse. If it does, teaching relaxation techniques could be either a preventative measure or an effective treatment. Even if there is no medical evidence of benefits, there can be emotional benefits from relaxation and breathing exercises.

Why does smoking cause a rise in blood pressure?

For the physicians, the reply to the question, "Why does smoking cause a rise in blood pressure?" is rather evident and comprehensible. Physicians are acquainted with the chemic makeup of baccy. Doctors know how different toxic chemicals in cigarettes and other tobacco products behave and what adverse results these substances bring about. Nevertheless, for the common population, the response to the question "Why does smoking cause a rise in blood pressure?" is, perhaps, troublesome.

How to make Ambien even more effective?

Those who have sleep disorders encounter many problems in virtually all aspects of their lives. Sleep problem affect the activity and productivity of a person, and decline in grades if you are a student or job productivity if you are employed are what to expect with insomnia. And such problems can have long term effects on your life, especially if you regard yourself as an active person. However, there are medications like Ambien that can relieve your sleeping problems effectively.

How to deal with your phobia

About twenty million US citizens have been diagnosed with various phobias that really aggravate their wellbeing. The most widely spread types of phobias are social and specific phobia. Those who suffer from social phobia have a very hard time while being in various social situations, constantly expecting embarrassment, discomfort or even fear. Specific phobias make the patient extremely anxious when it comes to dealing with a specific object or situation, like flying in aircrafts or dealing with animals. Phobias force people to avoid many activities that in other way would be very pleasant and exciting, for example flying or climbing, imposing many restrictions on their lifestyles.

Acupuncture - more positive research findings

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been accepted as a safe and effective form of treatment for centuries. The Western medical profession has always been sceptical about the medicinal effectiveness of sticking needles into people. But a recent clinical trial reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine this May, has produced new evidence that may prompt a more general re-evaluation of the technique for the management of pain. In Seatle, the Group Health Center for Health Studies recruited some 640 people suffering from back pain. It is often difficult to make a precise diagnosis of the causes of pain in the back. People report a range of non-specific symptoms. Many doctors are therefore trying a wide range of different therapies to see which produce the best results in relieving pain symptoms. Randomly dividing the recruits into four groups of 160, the volunteers were given genuine acupuncture, simulated acupuncture by pricking the skin with toothpicks in the correct locations, were randomly pricked with real needles, and were given conventional physical therapy. This produces one genuine form of acupuncture, two placebo versions and conventional treatment.

Exercise regularly as you age

Recently a group of academics in Scotland decided to run a piece of clinical research into the link between general health and sexual activity. The idea was simple. They proposed that people who feel fit and healthy are more likely to engage in sex than those who feel sad and depressed. The problem, as always with matters concerning sexual activity, was how to measure results. There are a number of internationally approved questionnaires designed to test attitudes and abilities in the different sexual activities. The researchers picked those that seemed most appropriate and set about recruiting a statistically significant number of older participants. They ended up with a good number of couples from 40 upwards, all of whom claimed they were prepared to talk honestly about their sexual experiences.

The Mayo Clinic is using Tramadol before and after surgery

Confidence is a strange thing. It lives somewhere deep in the woods of all our fears and insecurities, and only emerges when we are absolutely certain everything is going to be alright. So, when it comes to the idea of surgery, where some surgeon is going to be standing over us with his or her arms inside our bodies with a saw, most of us prefer total unconsciousness from well before the operation until well after it. No-one in the West would accept the practice of acupuncture where, with several needles sticking in our head, we are able to chat with the surgeon about the latest episode of "Lost". General anesthetic is still preferred form.

Overcoming arthritis

What causes arthritis?

In the majority of cases chronic pain is experienced by people who have been diagnosed with arthritis. And treating the condition is not as easy as it may seem. Doctors account over a hundred medical conditions linked to arthritis, which affect joints and surrounding areas. In fact, arthritis falls second after heart diseases as the primary cause for work incapacity and disability. And even the simplest everyday activities can become really hard to do because of the pain you get with arthritis.

More honesty about psychological dependence

As we grow up, we find heroes to inspire us. Some are "local" people we come to admire and respect. The majority will be idolised from a distance. Perhaps the most common groups are sporting figures and musicians. What's not to admire about excellence at a national or international level of achievement? Whatever the sport, there are the current stars and those inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's the same for the latest singing sensations and those old-in-the-tooth bands that people can't seem to forget. Somehow, the entertainment industry has managed to be more open about its drug problems. Despite the best efforts of the PR people and the agents to the stars, the gossip has usually identified who is checking into rehab and who has just been busted for possession. In some instances, these brushes with the law are part of the mystique, giving the stars more street-cred. But sport has had more of a problem with openness. Fans are more forgiving of drug abuse by a singer or band. Once the same allegation is made about a sportsperson, the specter of cheating is raised. You only have to think BALCO and famous names in different sports are implicated. Should medals be returned? Should their records stand in the history books?

Tramadol is a good first step where the diagnosis is correct

There has been a remarkable shift in culture over the last fifty years. In the old days, good or otherwise, there were painkillers around but people were more inclined just to cope. Yes, they would complain. But society approved of the "stoics", the people who just put up with the pain and got on with their lives. Today, we routinely spend billions of dollars on painkillers and pop them for anything from serious joint pain to hangovers. It's become socially acceptable to self-medicate as needed. Perhaps, by yesterday's standards, this is a form of drug abuse. Indeed, a growing number of people are now addicted to some of the more powerful drugs. But we all seem willing to take the easiest way out, i.e. to take a pill, rather than either tolerate the pain or invest effort in finding a better way of living. As a result, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable in the US and encourages this cultural shift by a barrage of ads directly targeting you, the consumer. No subtle marketing to doctors who can use their discretion to prescribe the best drug to treat the patient's problems. Patients must have full brand awareness and walk into a consultation ready to demand drugs by name.

Viagra is being trained to do some new jobs

In the majority of cases, the grant of a patent captures the chemistry and purpose of a drug and locks it away for the given number of years. This is the monopoly given to the manufacturer who will police the drug market and sue anyone who comes too close for infringing the patent. The very act of protection discourages future research to develop the drug for new and different purposes. Yet, in one or two cases, research does go on. Most of the time, this represent unofficial interests where physicians experiment with off-label uses, or there is just a simple change so that, what comes in multiple doses, may be spread out through an extended release capsule. Only in quite rare cases is the research real and sanctioned by the original manufacturer. So it is with Pfizer and its now famous little blue pill.

The boomers are hooked on Ambien and need help

It's always sad when a great story fails to stand up to the historians. We all like Longfellow's version of the ride but, it seems, he was only one of many and never uttered the now famous warning about the Brits. Unfortunately, the modern warning will stand up to the test of history. It's a matter of fact that there was a Boom in births between 1946 and 1964. Worse, it's also a matter of fact that the so-called Hippie generation is more heavily into street drugs like marijuana and the legal highs of prescription drugs than any other group in the US. Ask anyone connected to the federal Substance Abuse Administration and they will tell you the same story. The number of people aged 50 and more who abuse drugs is rising fast. Why should this matter? Well, the healthcare service includes drug-treatment programs that are supposed to help people through the pain of withdrawal and to teach coping strategies for life after dependence. As the population ages, a wave of people who have consistently used a significant range of different substances is going to begin encountering health problems. You cannot abuse these substances indefinitely and avoid the adverse physical consequences. The expectation is that the treatment programs will collapse unless, at a minimum, the number of treatment facilities doubles over the next five to ten years. Worse, the older people are, the more expensive it is to treat them.