Yoga for Bones therapyspotlight


Yoga doesn’t involve bouncing or jumping for the most part, but it can be helpful in maintaining strong bones, says Sherri Betz, a Santa Cruz, California, physical therapist and Pilates and yoga instruc- tor. “Poses, including the tree, chair, warrior, triangle, half moon and sun salute, need to be as dynamic as pos- sible and focus on leg strengthen- ing and spine extension.


Using Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine to Treat Migraines


by Allison Yu A


jumping program too quickly. “Proper alignment, balance and body awareness come first,” she says. “Do 20 to 25 heel raises in a row, a full squat with good alignment and a full lunge to ready the body for a jumping program.” Such strengthening safeguards against falling and injury.


Walking Isn’t It Walking, running, weight training and other repetitive exercises don’t improve bone density, says Hawkins. “Walk and do other repetitive exer- cises for cardiovascular health and general fitness. While these might help maintain current bone strength, they won’t improve bone density.” Walking reduced the risk of hip fracture by 41 percent for postmenopausal women walking four hours a week, with fewer falls due to improved strength, balance and other factors per the Journal of the American Medical Association. Numerous studies confirm that


exercise of any kind keeps us healthy, but for bone health, the answer is to start weight-bearing exercises early and sustain the practice for a lifetime.


Kathleen Barnes is a health writer and author of The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know, with Dr. Robert Thompson. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.


ccording to the Migraine Re- search Founda-


tion, “Migraine is an extraordinarily preva- lent neurological disease, affecting 39 million men, wom- en and children in the U.S. and one billion worldwide.” The organization also reports that 18 percent of American women, 6 percent of men, and 10 percent of children experience migraines. Mi- graine tends to run in families. About 90 percent of migraine sufferers have a family history of migraine. More than 90 percent of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine, which means it is a chronic disease that significantly diminishes quality of life. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the most well known alternative methods to handle this painful condition. TCM includes acu- puncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Tui-Na massage and cupping. Recently, more people have sought acupuncture for relief of chron- ic migraines. Most of these patients suffered with migraines for many years and tried traditional treatments, and many finally found promising results through TCM.


TCM uses the following three cat- egories to determine types of migraine headaches:


n Hypertension – symptoms include red eyes, dry mouth, thirst, insomnia and bad temper n Blood deficiency - patients may suf- fer dizziness and feel sleepy


n Blood stasis - the tongue may show dark red or purple spots, and the patient feels easily fatigued


Using acupunc- ture and Chinese herbal medicine to treat these differ- ent types of chronic migraines could get


better results. Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into the skin at specific locations throughout the body. This may relieve the migraine headache by stimulating the body to release serotonin and norepinephrine in order to block the path for the pain, while at the same time stimulating the brain to release endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals. Acupuncture is often combined with a prescribed Chinese herbal formula, which targets different type of migraines or even more complicated conditions. There are also some additional


ways to relieve chronic migraines: adjust one’s lifestyle to stay relaxed, and try to acclimate to a regular sleep schedule. Try a bland diet; avoid food that is too salty. It’s also important to practice self-care, such as spending quality time with friends and family. These things, combined with TCM, can help one be free from the unbearable pain of the migraine headaches.


Allison Yu is a licensed acupunctur- ist and Chinese herbalist at Austin Acupuncture Clinic. For more infor- mation, call 512-445-2222 or visit AustinAcupuncture.com.


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