Mind-Body-Spirit for Health

Qigong: an ancient healing tradition.

News Feed — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:11:36 +0000

Qigong: an ancient healing tradition.

Holist Nurs Pract. 2009 Nov-Dec;23(6):370-1

Authors: Ross SM

PMID: 19901612 [PubMed - in process]

Shedding Light On Brain’s Response To Distress, Unexpected Events

mbs4h — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

In a new study, psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are able to see in detail for the first time how various regions of the human brain respond when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event. The study could lead to the creation of biological measures that could identify people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or identify PTSD sufferers who would benefit from specific treatments.

Mood Improves On Low-Fat, But Not Low-Carb, Diet

mbs4h — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:13:41 +0000

After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters’ mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Obese individuals who lose weight tend to have an improved psychological state, including a [...]

Placebo effect behind many natural cures

mbs4h — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:37:50 +0000

Belief that a treatment will work can be beneficial, experts say People looking for natural cures will be happy to know there is one. Two words explain how it works: “I believe.” It’s the placebo effect — the ability of a dummy pill or a faked treatment to make people feel better, just because they expect that [...]

Barbara Ehrenreich questions positive thinking

mbs4h — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:35:18 +0000

Katherine Seligman, Special to The ChronicleIt was almost 10 years ago that Barbara Ehrenreich, newly diagnosed with breast cancer, discovered a subject that really made her mad: positive thinking.“When I reached out, all I could find were these exhortations to be positive or cheerful because it will make you better,” she said. “It was either [...]

The effect of exercise on obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized and controlled trial.

News Feed — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:02:52 +0000

The effect of exercise on obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized and controlled trial.

Sleep Breath. 2009 Nov 7;

Authors: Sengul YS, Ozalevli S, Oztura I, Itil O, Baklan B

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of breathing and physical exercise on pulmonary functions, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS: Twenty patients with mild to moderate OSAS were included in the study either as exercise or control group. The control group did not receive any treatment, whereas the exercise group received exercise training. Exercise program consisting of breathing and aerobic exercises was applied for 1.5 h 3 days weekly for 12 weeks. Two groups were assessed through clinical and laboratory measurements after 12 weeks. In the evaluations, bicycle ergometer test was used for exercise capacity, pulmonary function test, maximal inspiratory-expiratory pressure for pulmonary functions, polysomnography for AHI, sleep parameters, Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), Short Form-36 (SF-36) for quality of sleep and health-related quality of health, Epworth Sleepiness Scale for daytime sleepiness, and anthropometric measurements for anthropometric characteristics. RESULTS: In the control group, the outcomes prior to and following 12-weeks follow-up period were found to be similar. In the exercise group, no change was found in the anthropometric and respiratory measurements (P > 0.05), whereas significant improvements were found in exercise capacity, AHI, and FOSQ and SF-36 (P < 0.05). After the follow-up period, it was shown that improvement in the experimental group did not lead to a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise appears not to change anthropometric characteristics and respiratory functions while it improves AHI, health-related quality of life, quality of sleep, and exercise capacity in the patients with mild to moderate OSAS.

PMID: 19898884 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Neurostimulation therapy (acupuncture-like) and long-term depression: A challenge for the clinical neurophysiologist.

News Feed — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:02:52 +0000

Neurostimulation therapy (acupuncture-like) and long-term depression: A challenge for the clinical neurophysiologist.

Clin Neurophysiol. 2009 Nov 3;

Authors: Cruccu G, Truini A

PMID: 19892593 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Study shows brief training in meditation may help manage pain

mbs4h — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:48:03 +0000

Living with pain is stressful, but a surprisingly short investment of time in mental training can help you cope. A new study examining the perception of pain and the effects of various mental training techniques has found that relatively short and simple mindfulness meditation training can have a significant positive effect on pain management. Though pain research [...]

Meaties, or Wheaties? Vegetarianism Passes the Nutrition Test.

mbs4h — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:24:19 +0000

Can Carnivores Pass the Moral One? By Patt Morrison Maybe all the carnivores were at their favorite burger spots, but we heard from loads of vegetarians and even some vegans calling about a new study by the American Dietetic Association, finding that not only can a vegetarian [...]