Mental Attitude: Teaching the Mind to Treat Insomnia. Changing bad sleep habits and clearing the mind with medication may offer drug-free alternatives to traditional insomnia treatments. Researchers say insomnia is not a nighttime-only affliction but a 24-hour problem of hyperarousal. Teaching deep relaxation techniques during the day can help improve sleep at night. Insomniacs who started medication showed improvement in sleep quality and quantity. They also took less time to fall asleep, woke fewer times and had fewer symptoms of depression. Ramadevi Gourineni, MD, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Health Alert: Poll: Majority of Americans Support Medical Malpractice Reform. 54% favor making it harder to sue doctors and hospitals for making mistakes taking care of patients, while 32% are opposed. The rest are undecided or don't know. Limits on jury awards in malpractice cases could reduce the federal deficit by $54 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, because doctors caring for Medicare and Medicaid patients would order up fewer tests to guard against being sued. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Diet: For Heart Health, Look to the Sea. A heart-healthy diet includes fish twice a week. Why? Fish is low in saturated fat and high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower levels of trigylcerides, a type of fat in the blood. They may also help lower cholesterol, slowing the growth of plaque in arteries. The best fish: salmon, tuna, trout and sardines. Also, don't drop the filets in the deep fryer - you'll negate the health benefits. American Heart Association
Exercise: Just Walk. One of the easiest ways for most people to work in exercise is to walk. Wearing a pedometer adds extra motivation by keeping you working toward a goal. This works particularly well for people who have a sit-down job or live a sedentary lifestyle. You could aim for 10,000-15,000 steps a day, starting with 5,000 steps (or less) and working your way up. Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Chiropractic: Mechanical Causes of Back Pain. A mechanical problem is due to the way your spine moves or the way you feel when you move. Perhaps the most common mechanical cause of back pain is a condition called intervertebral disk degeneration, which means that the disks located between the vertebrae of your spine are breaking down with age. As they deteriorate, they dehydrate, lose their elastic cushioning and weaken. When stress is applied to the back, the surrounding soft tissue can inflame and cause pain. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Wellness/Prevention: 80% Chance of Back Pain!. How can you be part of the 20% who do not get low back pain? Take care of your back by daily stretching, watch how you lift, avoid repetitive trauma and get routine chiropractic adjustments. Prevention is the key to decreasing your risk of debilitating low back pain. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
