“Failure is the key to success; Each mistake teaches us something.” Morihei Ueshiba
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Diabetes Linked To Shoulder & Hand Pain and Disability
A recent study by Shah et al. found that about two-thirds of patients attending a diabetes outpatient clinic reported shoulder pain and/or disability. They had significant restrictions in shoulder movement, decreased shoulder strength and hand grip strength. In addition to this, they had a greater likelihood of decreased sensation and limited mobility of the hand….
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The 5 Habits of Highly Healthy People
Since 1979 Professor Peter Elwood and his team of researchers from Cardiff University School of Medicine have tracked the lifestyle habits of 2500 men aged 45-59 (at the start of the study). They found that men that followed 5 habits had 70% less chance of developing diabetes, 60% reduced incidents of heart attacks and strokes, 40% fewer cancers,…
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Side Planking Reduces Scoliosis
Dr Loren Fishman et al. studied a group of 25 patients with scoliosis. They taught the patients how to perform the side plank, which is a static exercise performed in Yoga and Pilates. The patients were then asked to perform the exercise once a day for as long as possible. They were instructed to only perform…
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Low Level Physical Activity Benefits Knee Osteoarthritis
It’s well known that increasing the time spent doing moderate intensity physical activities has wide ranging benefits on health. Guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. What about those unable to engage in moderate or vigorous physical activities due to health issues? Could light physical activity work too? A study…
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Breathing Exercises Help Treat PTSD
A study by Seppala et al, published in last month’s issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, looked into the effects of yogic breathing on war veterans with post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). They found that after the course of controlled breathing exercises the test subjects had reductions in PTSD scores, anxiety symptoms, respiration rate, startle signs and…
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“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” Buddha
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Yoga Improves Mental Function
Gothe et al. from the University of Illinois recently conducted a study to look into the effects of hatha yoga on cognition. They recruited 118 senior citizens (mean age of 62) and randomly assigned them to one of 2 groups: a hatha yoga intervention group and a stretching/strengthening control group. Each group took part in…
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Acupunture Mechanisms Revealed
Research on mice by da Silva et al has revealed new mechanisms underpinning the workings of acupuncture. They injected carrageenan into the calf muscles of mice. This created an inflammatory response with associated pain and swelling. Manual acupuncture of Spleen 6 (an acupuncture point in the lower leg) reduced pain, heat and swelling of the…
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The Brain Can Learn To Decrease Pain
New research led by Raymonde Scheuren from the University of Luxembourg has brought some new insights into the world of pain. It’s generally known that a pain present in one part of the body can be attenuated by painfully stimulating a different part of the body. This is known as diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) and…