healthbriefs
Mindful Meditation Relieves Inflammation A
new University of Wisconsin-Madison study shows that meditation, a proven reducer of
psychological stress, can also lessen stress-caused inflammation and thereby relieve the symptoms and pain of certain diseases. Long-term stress has long been linked to inflammation, an underlying cause of many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, bowel disease, asthma, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Meditation study volunteers were divided into two groups—an eight-week mindfulness meditation course or a stress reduction program of supportive nutri- tion, exercise and music therapy that did not include meditation. The meditation group focused attention on the breath, bodily sensations and mental content while seated, walking or practicing yoga. Immune and endocrine data was collected before and after training in the
two methods and meditation proved to be more effective. Melissa Rosenkranz, a neuroscientist with the university’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and lead author of the report, concludes that, “The mindfulness-based approach to stress reduction may offer a lower-cost alternative or complement to standard treatment, and it can be practiced easily by patients in their own homes whenever needed.”
Tanning Beds Invite Melanoma A
s summer tans fade, some might feel tempted to use tanning beds to keep a
“healthy glow”, but they may be less than healthy. A recent multi-country meta-study published in the British Medical Journal con- firms that exposure to a tanning bed’s intense doses of ultraviolet light significantly increases the risk of cutaneous melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.
Of the 64,000 new melanoma cases
diagnosed each year in Europe, more than 5 percent were linked by researchers to tan- ning bed use. Users experience a 20 percent increased relative risk of all types of skin cancer compared with those that have never used one. This risk doubles if indoor tanning starts before the age of 35, and the risk increases with every ses- sion.
HAPPY LIFE, HEALTHY HEART F
18 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
eelings matter when it comes to protecting a person’s physical health. Researchers at Boston’s Harvard School of Public Health reviewing more than 200 studies pub- lished in two major scientific databases found a direct correlation between positive psychological well-being and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart
attacks and strokes. They concluded that positive feelings like optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with the reduced risk, regardless of a person’s age, weight or socioeconomic or smoking status.
F
MASSAGE AND MAINSTREAM MEDICINE
rom assembly lines to corporate headquarters, Americans are discov- ering the magical benefits of massage. At corporations such as Boeing and Reebok, headaches, back strain and fatigue have all fallen since the compa- nies started bringing in massage thera- pists for seated workplace massage. Ballerina Julie Kent, a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, in New York, calls her weekly sessions "as essential as stage makeup or pointe shoes." Some doctors are now prescrib- ing massage to help patients manage stress and pain, and a few HMOs have begun sharing in the cost. Recent results from the 16th annual consumer survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) reveal that more consumers are incorporating massage therapy into their regular health and wellness regimens to assist with med- ical conditions. In fact, 75 percent of individuals claim the primary reason for receiving a massage in the past 12 months was medical (43 percent) and stress-related (32 percent). Medical reasons include pain relief, soreness, stiffness or spasms, injury recovery, migraines, prevention and general well-being. “The findings from this year’s sur-
vey display a growing sense of aware- ness among consumers about massage being an effective tool for a variety of health conditions,” says Cynthia Ri- beiro, AMTA president. “Physicians are recommending massage therapy to their patients for stress-related tension, pain relief and injuries, as well as to help maintain overall health and wellness.” Released in conjunction with
National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, the survey results indicate that 87 percent of individuals view mas- sage as being beneficial to overall health and wellness.
Resource: Julie McGee, licensed occupational therapist, JLM Therapy, 239-207-4301. See ad, page 49.
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