A Day Above Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PjlBrr-jcQ

Mayo Clinic Minute: A New View of Distracted Driving

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiCtbViQwic

Can Pharmacists Manage Some Chronic Conditions?

But it's not clear if they could reduce symptoms more or help you live longer than your doctor can

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160425/pharmacists-can-manage-some-chronic-conditions-effectively-study-suggests?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Music Might Give Babies' Language Skills a Boost

Small study suggests an effect, but just how long it may last is unclear

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20160425/music-might-give-babies-language-skills-a-boost?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The psychology of low back pain

Follow me at @srinipillay

Low back pain is the second most common cause of disability in the U.S. Over 80% of people will experience an episode of this pain at some point in their lives. The most common reasons for low back pain are disc injuries, sciatica, lifting heavy objects, or some other non-specific back injury.

Yet even though back pain is incredibly common, not all people respond in the same way to this often-disabling condition. In fact, even if two people have the same level of pain, their responses to that pain can be very different. These differing responses are due in part to different people’s psychological attitudes and outlooks.

Even when you have low back pain that is being medically treated, it helps to understand the psychological factors that impact your pain — and your brain. It also helps to know what you can do about this.

Why chronic back pain is connected to “your head”

When your physical movement is limited, this can cause psychological distress, and the psychological distress can, in return, worsen the pain. Your personal health beliefs and coping strategies can influence both your level of distress and course of the pain. For instance, if you are anxiety-prone, expect the worst, and have catastrophic thinking, this can make the pain far worse. That’s because those psychological vulnerabilities can change your brain and intensify the pain.

Often, if you have these pre-existing psychological attitudes, you also have abnormalities in the regulation of your brain’s chemistry (particularly dopamine), and the usual brain functions in emotional control, anxiety, and attention are also disrupted. As a result, you can’t control your distress; your become anxious; you expect the worst; and you can’t focus on anything else. The pain becomes all-consuming.

But it’s not just pre-existing attitudes that worsen back pain. The pain itself can rewire your brain. When pain first occurs, it impacts your pain-sensitivity brain circuits. But when pain lasts, the related brain activity switches away from the “pain” circuits to circuits that process emotions. That’s why emotions like anxiety often take center stage in chronic back pain. And it’s why emotional control becomes that much more difficult.

What you can do to tame chronic back pain

Fortunately, some psychological therapies can be really helpful with back pain. They help lessen pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities, change how you perceive the pain, and also alleviate the psychological factors (such as anxiety and anticipation) that maintain your pain.

The treatment with the greatest supporting evidence (for all chronic pain syndromes, not just back pain) is mindfulness. A recent study demonstrated that a technique called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can help to reduce back pain and also improve emotional control by increasing brain blood flow to the frontal lobe. A full eight-week course in this technique may even improve anxiety and depressive symptoms as well. Practicing mindfulness involves activating a brain relaxation pathway by deliberately ignoring mental “chatter” and focusing on your breathing. When you do this, an “unfocus” circuit, called the default mode network, is activated. However, in some chronic pain patients, this circuit is disrupted. In these cases, MBSR may not work.

There are other forms of psychological treatment that can be helpful as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be especially helpful. You can attend group or individual sessions either in person or via computer. Even a single episode of back pain can benefit from psychological treatments. CBT can also prevent an acute injury from progressing to chronic back pain.

Hypnosis may help relieve the pain as well. CBT and hypnosis have weaker evidence to support their effectiveness for back pain than MBSR does, but they are worth trying if MBSR fails.

Depending on the cause, low back pain can be treated with progressive muscle relaxation too. This is a technique in which you learn how to decrease your anxiety by becoming more aware of how you can tense and then relax your body.

And there is also some evidence that combining psychiatric medication with psychotherapies may be more helpful than either treatment alone.

But it’s not simply “mind over matter”

So while it’s clear that low back pain can be “in your head,” that doesn’t mean that you have to trivialize it. In this day and age, “mind over matter” makes little sense. “Mind” includes “matter,” especially when you consider that the physical “matter” of the brain plays a major role in mindset changes. This is especially true when it comes to the brain-based changes related to low back pain. To that extent, changing your mindset and brain biology can help your brain — and lessen your pain.

Related Post:

• Bad weather isn’t to blame for your aching back
• Acetaminophen may do little for acute back pain
• Early scans for back pain add cost but offer little benefit…
• The “right” goal when managing pain
• Complementary therapies for neck pain

The post The psychology of low back pain appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Srini Pillay, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/psychology-low-back-pain-201604259537

Babies who eat rice cereal have higher arsenic levels: study

Infants frequently fed rice cereal had three times more arsenic in their urine than babies who never ate rice

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/babies-who-eat-rice-cereal-have-higher-arsenic-levels/

Bed bugs drawn to certain colors, study says

Researchers have discovered that bed bugs seem to favor some colors -- and avoid others

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bedbugs-drawn-to-certain-colors-study-says/

Does listening to music help babies learn faster?

New study suggests music can influence babies' abilities to process speech sounds

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-listening-to-music-help-babies-learn-faster/

Babies Fed Rice-Based Cereals Have Higher Arsenic

To avoid potential harm, experts recommend consuming a variety of grains early in life

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20160425/babies-fed-rice-based-cereals-have-higher-arsenic-levels-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Baby-Led Weaning

What is baby-led weaning? WebMD explains what it means to feed your baby the BLW way.

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/baby-led-weaning-food?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Check your 2015 Open Payments data

Dentists have until May 15 to review and, if necessary, dispute reports from manufacturers and group purchasing organizations concerning 2015 payments and transfers of value before the information is posted publically June 30 on the Open Payments website.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/check-your-2015-open-payments-data

ADA supports April 30 Drug Take Back Day

For the fifth year in a row, the Association has signed on to support the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative, a yearly campaign that asks consumers to turn over their unused prescriptions for safe disposal.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/ada-supports-april-30-drug-take-back-day

The surprising cause of one woman's paranoia about husband's fidelity

A woman who suddenly became paranoid about her husband decided to seek medical help, which is when doctors took a closer look at her brain

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surprising-root-case-behind-one-womans-paranoia/

Crank up the good foods, don't banish the bad?

For heart health, a lack of healthy foods is the problem, not so much eating unhealthy foods, research suggests, but some experts reject the notion

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/crank-up-the-good-foods-dont-banish-the-bad/

Silenced by autism, a young man finds his voice

Benjamin Alexander can't speak, but through his writings, he is determined to be heard

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/benjamin-alexander-silenced-by-autism-a-young-man-finds-his-voice/

Is temporarily turning blue ever normal for babies?

Doctors say the terrifying event is more common -- and probably less dire -- than one might think

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/temporarily-turning-blue-sometimes-normal-for-babies-doctors-say/

Many Americans turn to prayer for healing

Laying on of hands, prayer groups and prayer chains for the sick are more common than you'd think

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/many-americans-turn-to-prayer-for-healing/

Focus on Healthy Foods for Heart Health

Fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths seen among those who follow Mediterranean-style eating plan

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/20160425/focus-on-healthy-foods-not-avoiding-bad-ones-for-heart-health-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

More Kids Being Poisoned by Detergent Pods

Parents of young kids should not have these products in the home, experts say

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160425/more-kids-being-poisoned-by-detergent-pods-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Fact Sheet: Trans-Pacific Partnership: New Opportunities for U.S. Agriculture in Vietnam

Secretary Vilsack traveled to Vietnam today to meet with his counterparts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, among others, to discuss the details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Vietnam remains one of the fastest-growing markets for U.S. food and agricultural products, with U.S. exports totaling $2.3 billion in 2015.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/04/0096.xml&contentidonly=true

Guidelines on Breast, Genital Surgery for Teens

Leading ob/gyn group says growing interest in procedures prompted recommendations

From: http://teens.webmd.com/news/20160422/new-guidelines-issued-on-breast-genital-plastic-surgery-for-teen-girls?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Guidelines Aimed at Protecting Workers from Zika

One advisory: Let employees who feel nervous about travel to endemic areas stay put

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160422/businesses-should-be-mindful-of-zika-danger-to-workers-cdc-says?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Your Rights, One Voice: Kiara’s Story

Safer on Her School Bus

Kerry Harrison of Bellingham, Washington, can rest a little easier now when her daughter rides the school bus. Kiara, who is 11 years old and has type 1 diabetes, recently faced an episode of low blood glucose while riding the bus. Although she keeps glucose tabs in her backpack, on that particular day, Kiara didn’t have enough available. The bus driver pulled over and a fellow student gave Kiara a juice box to help. Kerry took this as a warning sign—it might happen again, and she needed a plan to help her daughter in case it did.

In January 2016 Kerry contacted the American Diabetes Association® for guidance.

She wanted to ask the school district to keep a supply of glucose tabs or other fast-acting sugar source on its buses for similar situations of hypoglycemia. One of the Association’s legal advocates explained that students with diabetes must be allowed to carry and access their own supplies while on school buses. But, she also said that the law does not specifically require school bus drivers to carry such supplies. So with this request, Kerry would be asking the school district to go above and beyond what the law requires.

Kerry decided to push for more than the law required.

She was looking out for the best interests of her daughter, as well as other children who have diabetes. So, after she received information and guidance from the legal advocate, Kerry contacted the school district and asked them to make glucose tabs available on their buses.

After considering her request, an assistant superintendent contacted Kerry with the answer that she wanted to hear.

• At the beginning of the school year, the school district would stock the first aid kit of each school bus with a supply of individual snack-sized Skittles. The candy would be supplied by parents.

• When a student needed fast-acting glucose for medical reasons, his or her own supplies would be the first source. But, if required, the Skittles in the first aid kit would be available as a back-up.

• During medical emergencies, the bus drivers would follow appropriate procedures to ensure the safety of all students on the bus.

Kerry sent a note to the legal advocate: “Good news. We won. Thank you for your help. If anyone else has the same issue, I am happy to share and help with the process.”

Through her advocacy Kerry proved that you can win in real life, without having to win in court. She also signed up to be a Diabetes Advocate for the Association. As an advocate, she will take action and voice support for diabetes-related legislation, programs and funding. Thank you, Kerry!

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The American Diabetes Association leads the effort to prevent and eliminate discrimination against people with diabetes at school, at work and in other parts of daily life. If you need help, call 1-800-DIABETES or visit http://diabetes.org/gethelp.

 Through our nationwide Safe at School program, the Association is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. Visit our Safe at School website for information and resources.

Give the gift of fairness — donate now to help people with diabetes facing discrimination, just like Kiara.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2016/04/25/yrov-kiaras-story/

Anti-Smoking Drugs Don’t Risk Mental Health: Study

Meds like Chantix and Wellbutrin may be safer to use than smokers often realize, research suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20160422/no-link-between-anti-smoking-drugs-mental-health--issues-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Laundry detergent packets pose increasing risk to children

An increasing number of small children are ingesting these products, resulting in serious and even fatal consequences

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/laundry-detergent-packets-pose-increasing-risk-to-children/