Herbal Remedies for a Good Night’s Sleep
From Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Information by Primmy
Sleep is vital to good health, yet many people do not get an adequate night’s sleep. The average number of hours for the best rest possible is eight; however, did you know that 100 years ago, the average was nine to ten hours? These days, even eight hours is a dream. While occasional insomnia is no big deal, frequent sleepless nights can cause a host of health problems. If you are not keen on prescription or over the counter sleep aids, there are several safe herbal remedies that can help as long as you do not have any underlying medical conditions that prevent you from sleeping.
Tension Tamers
Sometimes, working late at night or experiencing great stress can cause insomnia. If you fall into this category, there are a few herbs brewed in tea form that can help you unwind so you can get some shut-eye. Catnip is a popular herbal ingredient in relaxing teas because it in non-habit forming and has light sedative-like qualities.
Chamomile is a well-known tension tamer which soothes the nerves and calms the stomach. Teas or even tinctures with passion flower have sedative-like qualities which help clear the mind and ease worry and anxiety. Hops, an ingredient in beer, is also an effective herb for mild insomnia and works best in teas and tinctures as well.
Herbal Sleep Supplements
Valerian is one of the most researched herbs for insomnia, mainly because it has been used for thousands of years. It is an unpleasant tasting herb which is the primary reason why the supplement form of valerian is best. It is a non-addictive insomnia remedy which produces sedative-like effects. It is important to note though that some people experience vivid dreams and other side effects such as changes in heart rhythm and blurred vision, so it may not be for everyone.
Kava kava is a popular herbal remedy and can be found in drinks as well as supplements. This herb soothes frayed nerves and helps you achieve a deep sleep. Some people may experience more dreams or even elation with kava kava and it may cause liver problems with extended use. It is best to take this effective herbal sleep remedy infrequently.
Skullcap is an herb helpful for insomnia, especially when you are suffering from restless legs or extreme physical exhaustion. California poppy is an herbal ingredient safe enough for children with sleep problems.
Physical Problems Caused by Lack of Sleep
If you have trouble sleeping several times a week and you are not quite ready to try prescription medications, herbal remedies can be quite helpful. There are a whole host of physical problems that can occur when you consistently do not get enough sleep and rest. Your memory becomes faulty and your capacity to learn is affected. Weight gain can occur and metabolism can slow down as well. Lack of sleep and rest can alter your mood causing impatience, irritability and even irrational thought. Lack of concentration is normal and you may even put yourself at risk and compromise your safety when driving or even operating machinery when you doze off during the day because of lack of sleep.
Sleep is important to a fully functioning immune system. When you do not get enough of it, you are more susceptible to illness. Sleep problems have also been directly linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and other heart health issues. Sleep is clearly a vital part of your overall health and herbs can help you achieve it. Talk with your doctor about the different herbal remedies for a good night’s sleep to make sure they will not interfere with any current health condition or prescription medication.
Posted via email from chirowellnessnews’s posterous
Young Adults Who Exercise Get Higher IQ
The results were published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study involved 1.2 million Swedish men doing military service who were born between 1950 and 1976. The research group analysed the results of both physical and IQ tests when the men enrolled.
The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it is only fitness that plays a role in the results for the IQ test, and not strength. "Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen," says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. "This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important." Read more…Posted via email from chirowellnessnews’s posterous
New Research Reveals Tai Chi Relieves Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee X-ray
People 65 years and older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, enhance their physical capability and encounter decreased pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a general form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors help a large number individuals who suffer with OA in a number of regions of the body, including the knee joints. knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent conditions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal dysfunctions. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are a surprising 4.3 million adults in the US over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, and the CDC conjectures that by age 85, half of men and women in America may incur symptoms of OA. The consequences of knee osteoarthritis are pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a decreased quality of life.
Are you wondering why so many adults develop OA? Inordinate stress over the years is a major factor in the majority of musculoskeletal conditions that develop as we age. That is why as people get older they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Improper mechanics of the knee, irregular gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. The majority of chiropractors advise their patients to try such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, as an adjunct to their chiropractic treatment. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and enhanced flexibility.
In otherwise good health, the 40 participants with confirmed OA that were chosen for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age and overweight. Participants were randomly selected to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi includes many of the prevailing exercise recommendations for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. In addition, researchers found that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and perceptions of health that assisted the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a considerable decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
"Close" AND a Cigar
“Close” isn’t generally a word we associate with achievement. In point of fact, not many things in life, it seems, count much at all if you don’t “hit the nail on the head.” Luckily for some, this may not be absolutely true when it comes to an extended lifespan. As a chiropractor in Camarillo, who has many older patients and who is also a firm believer in the advantages of exercise at every age, I was very interested in the following study.
Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy U.S. adults, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (In other words, those 20 percent who were nearly at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the familiar “bad news/good news” outcome. It is obviously bad news if you are a confirmed spectator in life. However, it is genuinely good news for those who haven’t quite hit rock bottom in the sedentary lifestyle department but are not, by any means, very active. Apparently, those individuals who continue to be even moderately fit as they grow older may have a longer lifespan than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.
The study included 4,384 middle-aged and older men and women whose fitness levels were evaluated during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006. For nearly nine years thereafter, the researchers followed the study groups progress. Such factors as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were considered in the study. This, in and of itself, underscores the value of being physically fit. In an email to Reuters Health, Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and lead researcher of the study stated: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”
Nearly two-thirds of the participants at the least-fit level failed to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days a week, which was the minimum recommended amount of exercise. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”
Classifying the study group participants by fitness levels, the researchers found that 25 percent of the least-fit men and women had died during the study period, versus 13 percent of those who were slightly more in shape. Among adults in the most-fit group (the ones who “hit the nail on the head”, so to speak) only 6 percent died during the follow-up period.
The five fitness-level groups showed little variance, overall, in their reported exercise habits during most of their adult lives, but notably, they differed in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
In this particular study, despite weight and other health issues such as those mentioned above, fitness is undeniably linked to longevity. As such, exercise is essential to the extension of our lifespan. And, naturally, just think of the health advantages we could all derive if we worked towards the higher levels of fitness.
SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.
Drinking Plenty of Water Is Essential to Your Health
Chiropractors, like your Camarillo Chiropractor, are “maniacs” when it comes to getting our patients to drink plenty of water daily. The positive repetitive stress is on “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” For humans to survive, they need air and water (in that order). It would appear reasonable, then, that drinking a sufficient quantity of water would be as instinctual as breathing in enough air, but an astonishing seventy-five percent of Americans suffer from mild, constant dehydration. (Most people aren’t getting enough oxygen either, but that topic is for another time.) Your good health is based on your drinking water, and plenty of it. Every cell, tissue, organ and system in your body relies on the water you drink to function healthfully. Water is the essential element for saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water balances the temperature and metabolism of the body, and keeps the blood circulating. Drinking plenty of water daily has been shown to improve nutrient absorption and toxin removal, and to reduce heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, and headaches.
Athletes are distinctly at risk when it comes to problems produced by dehydration. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. A high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts, according to researchers at Indiana State University. In fact, 80 percent of football players displayed symptoms of dehydration during pre-season physical examinations.
Just how much water is enough water may seem a little confusing. Chiropractors, like most health care professionals, advise no less than eight, 8-ounce glasses of water every day for many patients, but for our patients who are athletes, or for individuals who are overweight or exercise or work in a hot environment, we propose even more. How can you be sure if you, personally, are drinking an adequate amount of water? Your urine color is a good indicator. If it is a light, pale yellow, it’s a good sign that you’re well-hydrated!
Camarillo Chiropractor Advises Sufferers: Get Help For Your Hip Pain Now!
Does hip pain wake you up in the night and make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep? When you get out of bed in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it hard, at first, to move your legs? Do you experience pain in one or both hips whenever you twist or rotate them or when you cross your legs? If so, you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing hip pain, can over time bring about degenerative joint disease in your hips if not taken care of.
Even though hip pain and related problems generally point to age-related degenerative conditions, especially osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the “bad guy”. In fact, rather than being the original cause of the problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the ultimate result of damage to your hips earlier.
Injury as the result of biomechanical problems, such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can cause changes in your gait that create hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may shift to compensate for these new changes.
In addition, gait imbalances can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation conditions. In other words, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion can develop into painful hip problems.
Along with your adjustments, as part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem your chiropractor may determine that you require orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.
Hip pain won’t disappear on its own. Hip pain means that something needs to be corrected. Get out of pain, get back in balance, and get your life back now!
Chiropractic Camarillo: When It Comes to Five-Year-Olds, Banking Takes on a Whole New Meaning
Attempting to keep up with an active five-year-old can feel exhausting at times. If you have an active child of this age, or if you’ve ever been around one for any length of time, you may have found yourself wishing that the kid would just stop moving for a minute or two. However, recent research is validating the long-term health benefits of this whirlwind of activity. In fact, according to a new University of Iowa study, rather than making an effort to slow these little ones down, five-year-olds ought be given motivation to be as active as possible. Why? “Because it pays off as they grow older,” said Kathleen Janz, lead author of the study and professor of health and sport studies in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Being active at age five helps kids to stay lean as they age even if they don’t remain as active later in childhood. “We call this effect ‘banking’ because the kids benefit later on, similar to having a savings account at a bank. The protective effect is independent of what happens in between,” Janz went on to say.
Using a special scanner that accurately measures bone, fat, and muscle tissue, and an accelerometer that measures movment every minute, the UI team tested the body fat and activity level of 333 kis at ages five, eight, and eleven. The kids wore accelerometers to record their activity level for up to five days, affording much more reliable data than relying on kids or parents to track minutes of exercise.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven, even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity. The average five-year-old in the study got thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. For every ten minutes on top of that, kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages eight and eleven.
Although further investigation is needed to determine what happens to the bodies of the active kids that keeps them in better shape down the road, Janz said that it could be that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or that something occurred metabolically that offered some protection even as they became less active.
However, as exciting as this study is, weight moderation is not the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have noticed in my own practice that active kids have fewer common childhood health problems, such as catching colds and the flu. chiropractic treatment is, of course, exceptionally beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that occurs during activities, especially those that necessitate “cross pattern” motor movements of the larger muscles, i.e., right hand/left leg and left hand/right leg, such as crawling, running, climbing, and skipping, also boosts the autoimmune system and keeps kids healthier.
A large number children nowadays are overweight and unhealthy. Though part of the problem is an unhealthy diet, inactivity is also a major contributing factor. If you have a five-year-old who prefers to watch television or play video games rather than to participate in more active play, help your child to get up and get moving into healthier activities. Moderate to vigorous activity will not only benefit your child now, but will aid in building a healthier future. You can bank on it!
Camarillo Chiropractor Believes A Balanced Lifestyle Is The Key to Good Health and Longevity
Last week I read an article on sciencedaily.com regarding a study carried out on aged mice raised to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of caffeine in decreasing memory loss. The article started with the angle that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.” It went on to report on a sequence of studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that showed that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
However, before you make a decision to add an extra cuppa to your daily routine, let me add that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were at least two articles reporting on studies that showed the non-beneficial effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”
Nearly every point of view, I’ve noticed, especially when it has to do with age-related health issues, can be corroborated, or at least given credence, by other related studies. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits naturally aren’t, of course, the only ones. But, it did get me to considering about the reasonableness that there will never be any “one thing” that will with absolute certainty assist we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We aren’t raised in unnatural confinement We are actively engaged in life. And, moreover, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously none of us has been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.
Our body is a splendid, involved system that is based on homeostasis (balance). Consequently good health is cultivated by a healthy, balanced approach to living, instead of our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing under the illusion that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unhealthy things we have done to our bodies.
I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic, that every single day we have an opportunity to make healthy choices for our body, to decide what will assist us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what genuinely “feels” beneficial and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, I just wanted to pass along a little something for you to keep in mind the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.
Camarillo Chiropractor: You Don't Have to Suffer From Foot Pain
We all know that movement is good for the whole body, right? From our head to our toes, our good health is determined by how much physical activity we get on a regular basis. So, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, aren’t our feet made for walking? Yes, but they weren’t designed for abuse. The average, healthy person takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not including activities such as running and aerobic exercise. But, often those steps are made by people walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and bad posture. In addition, a large number of people wear badly-designed, poorly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space incorrectly on feet that are inhibited from functioning correctly cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in a number of places in our feet, but in other parts of our body. For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in a pair of high heels, that person is not only likely to develop foot and ankle problems, but will probably experience problems of the back, knees and legs.
One of the most well known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderful, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.
There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One such factor is short and tight calf muscles. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.
Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.
Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is frequently not easy to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management is best suited. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.
Camarillo Chiropractor Asks: Do You Have "Boomeritis"
You know the old saying, “You’re only as old as you feel,” right? And though in general this adage may be true, specifically the young/old feeling seems to vary from day-to-day as we age, especially among baby boomers where sports and athletic activities are involved. In fact, orthopedic surgeons are seeing a “tidal wave” of 45- to 64-year-olds suffering from exercise-related injuries they’ve dubbed “boomeritis,” reports Dr. Ray Monto, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). “You can’t beat yourself up the way you did when you were 20 because it takes longer to recover,” he said.
According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission exercise-related injuries and injuries sustained through the use of exercise equipment sent more than 166,000 people in the 45-64 age group to the emergency room, clinic or doctor’s office in 2008. Though middle-aged people today are a lot more active than their parents were, and are basically more fit and athletic longer into their lives, older athletes need to take a few precautions to protect themselves from injuries like rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and stress fractures.
Though most of the injuries in the Consumer report appear to be due to people not giving themselves enough time to rest up after tough workouts, Monto and AAOS offer a number of helpful tips to avoid exercise injuries: Check with your physician before starting any type of exercise program (your doctor can make sure you’re healthy and offer advice on sports and activities that fit your fitness level). Don’t do the same workout day after day (this will help to avoid repetitive stress injuries and eliminate chronic injury patterns). Work on your flexibility (it’s crucial to stretch and warm up before a workout, and cool down and stretch again, the AAOS advises). And, be sure to schedule days off into your exercise regimen, especially after a particularly intense workout.
So, Baby Boomers, even though you may feel young, it’s still wise to take extra precautions to protect your body when you’re active. After all, wisdom comes with aging.
Full article by Anne Harding (Reuters health)
ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, June 22, 2009.