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Showing posts from October, 2014

Stretch to ease screen-time-related neck and shoulder pain

A study from the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Microsoft showed that holding a tablet too low in your lap can place the small, interlocking bones at the top of the spine (the cervical vertebrae) and the neck muscles into an unnatural posture. This can strain muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and spinal discs. How can you limit the damage? The first step is simply to become aware of your posture. If you spend a lot of time on a handheld phone or using a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet, pause occasionally to notice how your body is situated. Is your back curved? Shoulders hunched? Head bent downward? Chin jutting forward or head slumped toward one shoulder? Legs crossed, hiking one hip higher than the other? Good ergonomics, regular posture checks, and flexibility exercises designed with the deskbound in mind can help correct these problems. Ergonomics for computers, phones, and tablets If you use a laptop or desktop computer: C

How to sleep well despite chronic pain

Chronic pain and insomnia are an unhealthy combination. According to the National Sleep Foundation, chronic pain disturbs the slumber of one in five Americans at least a few nights a week. Whether it’s from a bad back, arthritis, or headaches, chronic pain puts you in double jeopardy: the pain robs you of restful sleep and makes you more fatigued, and thus more sensitive to pain. But you can start to break this vicious circle. “For chronic pain conditions, what you need is good sleeping habits from the beginning — things that will last,” says Dr. Padma Gulur, a pain medicine specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. That means relying on the brain’s natural sleep drive as much as possible. Try “relaxing distraction” Dr. Gulur recommends “relaxing distraction” to her patients. Some relaxation techniques use basic rhythmic breathing meditation; others focus on guided imagery, in which you imagine being in a calm, peaceful location. Find something that

Differences between mild forgetfulness and more serious memory problems

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Mary's story Mary couldn't find her car keys. She looked on the hook just inside the front door. They weren’t there. She searched in her purse. No luck. Finally, she found them on her desk. Yesterday, she forgot her neighbor’s name. Her memory was playing tricks on her. She was starting to worry about it. She decided to see her doctor. After a complete check-up, her doctor said that Mary was fine. Her forgetfulness was just a normal part of getting older. The doctor suggested that Mary take a class, play cards with friends , or help out at the local school to sharpen her memory. What is mild forgetfulness? It is true that some of us get more forgetful as we age. It may take longer to learn new things, remember certain words, or find our glasses. These changes are often signs of mild forgetfulness, not serious memory problems. See your doctor if you're worried about your forgetfulness. Tell him or her about your concerns. Be sure to make a follow-up appointment

Basics of Ayurvedha made easy.

Ashtanga Hrudaya Sutra Sthana Chapter 1: Basic Principles of Ayurveda Ashtanga hridayam is an Ancient Ayurvedic text book. It is one of the basic text books that every Ayurveda student reads in the first year. Here, we are covering the details of the First chapter. Chapter name: Ayushkameeya Adhyaya  “Desire for long life” 1.  Salutations  to The Unique and Rare Physician, who has destroyed, without any residue all the diseases like Raga (lust, anger, greed, arrogance, jealousy, selfishness, ego), which are constantly associated with the body, which is spread all over the body, giving rise to disease, delusion and restlessness. This salutation is done to Lord Dhanwantari. 2. Purpose of life: Essential quality to learn Ayurveda आयु : कामायमानेन धर्मार्थ सुखसाधनम् । आयुर्वेदोपदेशेषु विधेय : परमादर : ॥ āyu: kāmāyamānena dharmārtha sukhasādhanam | āyurvedopadeśe ṣ u vidheya: param ā dara: || To achieve the purpose of life, that is ·          Dharma – following the