Walking Back to Health

Few people would think of walking as cure for many of the ailments we all accept as part of our modern lifestyle but it is now recognised as one of the best exercises you can do at any age.

* Walking helps regulate the heart.

* Walking, it is believed, can boost the immune system causing the body to produce killer cells which will destroy any germ cells they do not recognise. However to achieve this you must walk every day.

* Walking increases blood flow and raises oxygen levels in the body. This in turn stimulates the immune system and helps repair tissue damage.

* Walking burns off calories.

* Walking minimises your risk of bowel cancer (according to a report by the US Surgeon General).

* Walking makes you feel better and helps reduce stress that is part of our modern daily life.

* Walking has long been prescribed by doctors and chiropractors for people with low back pain.

These are just some of the benefits of regular walking and apart from the cost of a good pair of shoes its free!

If you suffer from low back problems you should consider including walking as part of your regular daily exercise routine. If your neighbourhood is one where you dont feel comfortable walking then think about joining a gym and get on the treadmill with your IPOD or MP3 player.

A recent study by UCLA researchers found that a group of low back pain patients who did 3 hours brisk walking per week had considerably less pain and distress than a group who were given specific low back exercises.

Before you grab your walking shoes and rush outside there are a few points to consider if you want to reap the maximum benefit from your walking.

The first is stretching. Always do a few gentle stretches before and after your walk find out from your healthcare practitioner what stretches are the most suitable for yourself.

The muscles should always be warm before stretching, and the stretch should always be gentle. Current research indicates that the stretch should be held for at least 30 seconds to be fully effective. Always ensure that your breathing is relaxed and rhythmic holding your breath will make any stretch ineffective. It is also important to stretch on both sides to maintain symmetry. As a general rule do warm up stretching exercises starting at the top of your body and work downward.

Here are some examples of suitable stretches for walking. Please note that these are for illustrative purposes only. You should consult a dedicated book or worksheet before doing these stretches.

HEAD ROLLS - rotate your head around so you end up with your ear near your shoulder then go the other way. Repeat this several times, and then do some arm circles.

HIP STRETCH - hold on to a chair and bend your right knee, keep your spine straight and upright. Lean forward slightly and keep the left leg straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

LEG STRETCH - stand erect and hold onto a wall or a chair for support. Now bend one knee behind you so that you can grasp your foot. Hold your foot against your bottom and gently push your knee gently back as far as you can.

Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat with the opposite leg.

CALF STRETCH keep your spine straight and push lightly against a wall with open palms. Place one leg forward with knee bent - this leg will have no weight put on it. Keep other leg back and straight with and heel down. Gently move your hips toward the wall until you feel a stretch. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg.

HAMSTRING STRETCH place your foot on a bench or chair with your toe pointing upwards. You should be standing far enough away such that your leg is straight. Bend forward slightly from the waist keeping one hand on the raised leg so that you feel your hamstring stretch. Hold for 30 seconds then repeat with the other leg.

Secondly is posture. There is no point in walking if your posture is all wrong. Before you set out try this simple check. Stand with your back against a closed door. Try to align your shoulders against the door. Now try touching the door with the back of your head, your buttocks and your heels at the same time. If you can manage this then your body is in the correct alignment.

Try taking your first few steps with your head held high, looking straight ahead. Keep those tummy muscles pulled in. Try to avoid leaning forward when you walk. Dont worry if you find walking like this a bit strange at first concentrate initially on holding your head high looking straight ahead after a few days you will find your are starting to walk more upright

Thirdly and equally important is footwear. If you suffer from lower back problems consider investing in a good pair of walking shoes or boots. You should wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes that provide good arch support. The best shoe for one person may not necessarily be the most suitable for another. It may even pay dividends to visit a podiatrist to see if it would be to your advantage to have heel inserts.

If you are new to walking start off gently, do not overdo it for the first few sessions. Gradually build up to walking at least 30 minutes each day this is believed to be sufficient to decrease your risk of heart disease. If you can build it up to an hour per day it is believed you will decrease your risk of breast cancer and type two diabetes.

The information in this article should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. You should always consult with your health care professional as to the suitabilty of walking or any exercises described in this article and especially for health matters that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Bill Morrison has his own website .help4urback.com where he describes his own personal experiences coping with lower back pain and sciatica. He also includes personal recommendations for people who suffer from sciatica or lower back pain including what books to buy, TENs machines, and what web sites to check out.Bipolar Family Support
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Why And How Do We Feel Pain

If one asked you to try to remember the last time you endured a situation that resulted in any kind of physical discomfort, you will probably attempt to describe the uncomfortable feeling of pain. Although this is not a memory you would like to recall, you should be familiar with the reasons that led your body experience that kind of distress and why you felt compelled to release the pain by performing another physical reaction, like screaming or crying.

According to one official definition, published by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage." Whether or not you are currently under any kind of pain treatment, because you tried, for example, to remove a hot pan from the oven without wearing your protection gloves or you accidentally cut your skin with a razor during showering, pain is not an issue you can simply ignore. Most importantly, by reading the pain definition above, you can understand that pain is not easily described or categorized, as it constitutes a rather subjective and complicated issue. Even when pain is discussed by physicians and research experts, finding one definition that could serve all purposes is challenging. Since stories and opinions tend to be rather subjective in nature as different people have reported similar incidents of pain by using a variety adjectives depending on their personal experiences and knowledge, it is probably wise to consider pain as "what is expressed by the person suffering." This can be considered a rather generic, but nevertheless commonly accepted explanation of what pain is.

In fact, the way we experience pain is a very complicated procedure performed by our neural system. The feeling of pain can be caused by the heat, the pressure or the chemical substances our tissues release when they are injured. Different factors influence the cells of our neural system and their reaction is reported as cases associated with pain. But, one should keep in mind that pain can be as a rather useful tool in many occasions. Since pain acts as a warning mechanism that our body uses to signify the fact that we are in danger or we have experienced some kind of injury, it provides us with the necessary time to react and reduce the harmful stimulator. On the other hand, pain can be caused by tissue damage -like joint inflammation known as coxitis or any kind of tumor- that we cannot avoid by performing a simple action, like, for example, releasing the hot pan we touched.

People have to deal today with two kinds of pain incidents. The first is described as a sharp pain that appears suddenly and feels almost like a stab or a sting. Usually this kind of pain has a short duration and is gradually reduced on its own or because of adequate medical treatment. The second kind of pain is known as chronic pain. That is because it continues to resurface regardless of the treatment used and is characterized by a long and usually unknown duration.

Overcoming occurrences of pain is very important for medical scientists, who have researched extensively and produced a variety of pain relievers in their effort to reduce the severity and the duration of such incidents. If a medicine or a treatment does not help the suffering party deal with pain, there is a great variety of different methods that can be used and one must always ask for a change in his/her treatment in order to find the most effective method in fighting the cause of pain. Talking to an expert, like a doctor, one can find the appropriate drug and/or treatment to overcome pain. A useful idea is to keep a record of the drug's use and outcomes. By sharing this personal journal with a doctor it is possible to assist in the monitoring of the selected treatment's progress and tremendously contributing in successfully defeating pain.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for forahealthyman/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for 4kidsandteens/ and thenursingcenter/Bipolar Help Group
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The Truth About Insomnia

Everyone experiences sleeplessness or insomnia at one point in their lives. It may be once or twice in an entire lifetime (transient), a daily occurrence, a serious sleeping disorder (chronic), or it may be a recurrent problem (intermittent). It can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, social status and race.

Insomnia is lack of sleep due to the inability to initiate and/or failure to maintain sleep and the feeling of being unrefreshed the following day. Insomnia can be brought about by different factors. The most common of which are:

* Emotional factors: Stress, depression and psychological disorders.

* Environmental factors: Extremes in temperatures, noise, noxious smell and unfamiliar places.

* Medical disorders: Hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, arthritis, ADHD, Parkinsons disease, asthma, kidney disease, heart problems, etc.

* Use of caffeine, alcohol, nicotine.

* Change in sleep/wake cycle: Jet lag, shifting work schedules.

Insomniacs are often irritable and fatigued. They exhibit poor work performance and excessive drowsiness in the daytime. They have trouble concentrating, may appear dazed and confused most of the time, and gets a bit too forgetful.

Just by looking at the effects of sleeplessness, we know this warrants treatment. The first step would be to have yourself evaluated and see if there is an underlying disease process thats causing your insomnia. In transient insomnia, treatment may not be necessary because our sleeping patterns have a way of going back to normal. But if it is becoming chronic and is affecting your activities of daily living, proper treatment is certainly called for.

Resorting to sleeping pills to treat sleeping problems is only beneficial if you are going to use it temporarily. The risk of developing drug dependence is always there if you try using it to cure insomnia. Here are some tips that will help you sleep easier at night:

* Maintain a clean, comfortable and well ventilated bedroom conducive for sleeping. Avoid working, eating, or watching shows on TV inside your bedroom. That way, your mind will associate bedroom with sleeping.

* Set a specific bedtime and wake-up time even on weekends to get your body accustomed to a regular sleep/wake cycle. Turn off the lights when you sleep and expose yourself to day light when you wake up, this can help with sleep/wake cycle you are trying to establish. Avoid daytime naps to make it easier for you to sleep at night.

* Stay away from alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. Coffee, cola, tea and chocolates are caffeine-containing foods.

* Watch what you eat. Avoid heavy meals, spicy foods and sweets for dinner. A glass of warm milk without sugar will help.

* Regular exercise in the daytime will help you sleep soundly at night. Body massages and a warm bath before bedtime also helps.

If you think you need more than the conventional methods mentioned above, try these alternative treatments commonly used to treat insomnia:

* Hypnosis CDs. These are currently gaining popularity. These CDs contain soft music and ambient sounds that promote relaxation.

* Meditation. Whether though guided imagery or yoga, the intent is to soothe the mind and body and relieve stress and promote relaxation.

* Accupuncture. This is a branch of oriental medicine that tries to treat insomnia by primarily dealing with the imbalances in the internal organs that is causing the sleeping problem.

* Home remedies. Onion is a highly effective treatment for sleeplessness. Slice it, hold it under your nose, smell it, then climb to bed. Just try it. Keep a jar of it at the bedside in case you wake up in the middle of the night. Tart cherry, another natural cure for insomnia, is also making a name for itself. It contains the substance, melatonin, which helps improve quality of sleep. A cup of lavender tea and chamomile oil for aromatherapy is also relaxing. California poppy, passionflower and valerian are herbs that can make you sleep as well. They act on our body like benzodiazepines. But be careful, they are just as addicting.

The next time you find yourself tossing and turning in bed, try not to reach for that sedative and save yourself the trouble of going through withdrawal syndromes. There are other ways of keeping yourself sharp and radiant the next day. And if the insomnia continues, see your doctor. A physical or psychological disorder might be causing it. The best way to deal with a problem is to understand what is causing it and start from there.

Damien Johnson provides advice for sleep disorders such as Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, and overall better sleep habits at StopSleepDisorders.Lithium Treatment For Bipolar Disorder
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