April 17, 2011

Best Stretch for a Stiff Back


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April 17, 2011 
Ahhhhhh Stretch for a Stiff Back
Prescription Drugs to Avoid Like the Plague
You Don't Have to Suffer from Vaginal Atrophy
Blast Away High Cholesterol. Lose 67 Points in Just 28 Days
Fascinating Facts...
  The Best of Mainstream and Natural Medicine
Tamara Eberlein, Editor

Ahhhhhh Stretch for a Stiff Back

Q: By the end of the day, I feel stiff and hunched over from sitting at my desk for hours. Can you suggest a good way to stretch out my back?

A: The draping stretch feels great -- and promotes good posture -- because it pulls the shoulders back and stretches the chest muscles. It requires a large inflated exercise ball, available at sporting-goods stores for about $20. (As with any new exercise, get your doctor’s OK before beginning.)

Your goal is to lie backward over the ball so that your back is somewhat arched yet fully supported. To get into position, sit on the floor with your knees bent and the ball nestled against your rear end and lower back. Carefully raise your hips and step your feet away little by little until your mid-back, upper back and the back of your head are resting on the ball. Your feet should be flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart... knees bent at about 90 degrees... neck relaxed and tilted back (not too far)... and arms hanging out to the sides. Allow your body to relax as you drape over the ball in this position, enjoying the stretch along your spine. Hold for a minute or two... repeat daily.

Source: Arthur H. White, MD, is a retired orthopedic spine surgeon based in Walnut Creek, California, and author of The Posture Prescription: The Doctor’s Rx for Eliminating Back, Muscle, and Joint Pain (Three Rivers).


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Prescription Drugs to Avoid Like the Plague
Some drugs are just so bad, you should avoid them at all costs. If your physician won’t prescribe a safer alternative -- or let you use a natural remedy -- then run (do not walk) to one who will. What kinds of drugs?

  • Widely used antibiotic so dangerous to your kidneys that up to 28% of those who use it develop some impairment.
  • This former rat poison is now touted as a cure-all for everything from dental problems to bone loss. Banned in Japan and Europe, it’s unavoidable here in the US -- unless the proper precautions are taken.
  • Widely prescribed drug for high blood pressure that is so dangerous, it should be used only as a last-ditch effort if nothing else works for you.
  • Popular osteoporosis drug is just a rehashed version of an older one that built bone of such poor quality, breaks actually increased. Not to mention side effects such as permanent damage to the esophagus and kidneys, stress, diarrhea, constipation, fever, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, rashes, headaches, and muscle pain.

Read on...

You Don't Have to Suffer from Vaginal Atrophy

Despite the dictionary’s definition of atrophy as "wasting away," vaginal atrophy (VA) does not mean that anything is withering down there. Instead, VA involves the thinning and inflammation of vaginal walls due to reduced estrogen.

You may never have heard of this condition. But in fact, up to half of postmenopausal women experience VA symptoms, such as vaginal and vulvar irritation and itching (some women say it’s like having sandpaper between their legs!)... vaginal discharge... decreased lubrication and elasticity... pain and bleeding with sexual intercourse... a burning sensation when urinating... and open cracks or sores in the vaginal wall. Symptoms generally appear within five years after reaching menopause and worsen over time.

Despite how common and how uncomfortable VA is, a recent report from the International Menopause Society said that only about 25% of affected women seek medical help. Embarrassment is one common reason cited for keeping silent. But this means that many women are suffering unnecessarily even though VA treatments are available, I was told when I contacted Baylor College of Medicine gynecologist Anuja Sanghvi Vyas, MD, who specializes in vulvovaginal disorders.

What’s behind VA...

The estrogen drop that causes VA most often is due to menopause. However, it also can be caused by birth control pills or drugs that treat uterine fibroids or endometriosis... breast-feeding... chemotherapy or radiation therapy... or severe stress or depression (which can cause the ovaries to shut down temporarily, affecting hormone levels).

Ignoring VA is a bad idea, Dr. Vyas said, because it increases your risk for bacterial and fungal vaginal infections and for chronic urogenital problems, including incontinence. So, if you have any of the symptoms above, don’t be shy about telling your doctor. Diagnosis is based on your reported symptoms, medical history, pelvic exam, test of the vaginal pH (which becomes higher, or more alkaline, with VA) and a vaginal smear evaluation... plus tests to rule out other conditions, such as infection. Estrogen levels themselves are not routinely tested, Dr. Vyas said, because there is a wide range of levels through which women are symptomatic.

To ease VA symptoms...

Relieve chronic dryness by applying a vaginal moisturizer (Replens, K-Y Liquibeads) every few days. It helps the cells of the vaginal wall retain water and reduces vaginal pH. Do not douche -- it could raise pH and promote infection.

Increase comfort during intercourse with a water- or silicone-based lubricant (Eros, AstroGlide) applied to the vaginal opening and your partner’s penis before penetration. Olive oil and saliva are also effective lubricants. Important: Products with mineral oil or petroleum jelly should never be used inside the vagina -- they strip the mucous membrane, exacerbating irritation... and can damage most types of condoms.

Have sex more often. This won’t boost estrogen, but it can improve vaginal elasticity and promote lubrication by increasing blood flow.

Ask your doctor if a diet rich in soy is right for you. Soy foods contain phytoestrogens (substances with estrogen-like properties), which theoretically could ease vaginal symptoms. No clear data shows that soy does help VA, Dr. Vyas noted, but it may be worth a try to add some soy milk, soy cheese, edamame, tofu or other soy products to your daily diet.

If you smoke, quit. Smoking cessation can help relieve VA symptoms by increasing blood flow to the vagina.

If the steps above are not sufficient to relieve VA...

Talk to your doctor about prescription vaginal estrogen therapy. About 80% to 90% of VA patients who use topical estrogen report improvement within a month or so of starting treatment.

"Many women resist hormone therapy because the oral form is linked to increased risks for breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. But with the topical form used for VA, a low dose of estrogen is delivered locally to the vagina, minimizing the risk for such serious side effects," Dr. Vyas said.

Topical estrogen is available as a vaginal cream, used daily for several weeks, then one to three times weekly... a vaginal silicone ring, left in the vagina for three months... and vaginal tablets, used daily at first, then tapering to twice a week. Cautions: Some women who use topical estrogen experience side effects such as vaginal bleeding, breast pain and/or nausea. Since estrogen is linked to some types of cancer, VA patients with a history of cancer should talk to their oncologists before trying vaginal estrogen.

VA patients who opt for vaginal estrogen typically use the treatment for months to years. Unfortunately, there is little data on the long-term effects of using vaginal estrogen for more than one year. "Discontinuing vaginal estrogen is a personal choice," Dr. Vyas said. "Symptoms tend to recur, but for some women they can become more tolerable with use of lubricants alone."

Source: Anuja Sanghvi Vyas, MD, is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She specializes in the treatment of vulvovaginal disorders.


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Blast Away High Cholesterol. Lose 67 Points in Just 28 Days

The big drug companies don’t want you to know about the alternative cures that can make their drugs obsolete. The alternative medicine believers think drugs and surgery are bad ideas. Guess what? They’re both dead wrong. Finally, a maverick M.D. has dared to identify the world’s best cures from both sides of the medical aisle. These are the real forbidden cures you want...


Learn more...

Fascinating Facts...

42%... Americans in the private sector workforce who do not get any paid sick days. Source: National Partnership for Women & Families.

46%... Drug-induced liver injuries (potentially life-threatening side effects of medication use) that are caused by antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs. Source: The journal Gastroenterology.

58%... Adults who do not realize that diabetes kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Source: American Diabetes Association.


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Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades.
An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son.
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