The Healing Power of Animals
Patients loved my dog Missy, a gentle Border Collie I often took into my family practice office. Having her there was therapeutic for them and for me. The companionship of animals has provided humans with a powerful healing bond for thousands of years. No wonder animal assisted therapy (AAT) has become a way to enhance […]
Stress and Oral Health
Stress and poor oral health are interrelated. The presence of oral disease and dental disorders can cause stress from low self-image, which can have a negative effect on well-being and personal happiness. Stress, chronic anxiety and depression can lead to self-neglect, including neglect of dental hygiene. For many people, dental self-care is not a high […]
‘Soft Belly’ Meditation
The breath is an important ally for connecting and integrating mind and body. Our breath has the dual nature of being regulated by both voluntary and involuntary mechanisms. We really take the involuntary, automatic quality of the breath for granted. Thank goodness we don’t have to remember to breathe each breath. Breathing happens automatically while […]
Journal Writing for Health and Healing
Writing can help you access inner wisdom that can be used for health and healing. Journal writing is a simple, inexpensive, convenient form of self-care. Research shows that emotionally expressive journal writing can lower high blood pressure, reduce arthritis pain, asthma severity and cancer pain, promote wound healing and enhance immune function in HIV/AIDS. Journaling […]
The DASH Eating Plan
Would you like to lower your blood pressure without drugs in just 2 weeks? High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as a pressure equal to or greater than 140/90. It can lead to stroke, kidney failure and heart failure. Pre-hypertension is defined as a pressure greater than or equal to 120/80 and may also increase […]
Mindful Eating
‘When walking, walk. When eating, eat.’ ~Zen proverb This classic mindfulness instruction is being shown by modern research to have many health benefits. Mindfulness meditation usually focuses on the breath, bodily posture, physical movement, thoughts and emotions. The goal is to enrich life by living in the only time we truly have- the present moment- […]
Promoting Good Stewardship in Medicine
First, do no harm! Second, relieve suffering! Third, contain cost! “Primum non nocere”, the historic ethical mantra of medicine, is getting a much-needed 21st century update in the form of the Choosing Wisely Campaign. Twenty five medical specialty societies, representing over 500,000 US physicians, have already created specialty-specific “Top 5 Lists” of tests and procedures […]
Stress at Work
Profitability, stress management and satisfied workers characterize the healthy workplace. Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. While many of us need a certain amount of stress to fuel our productivity, […]
Things Physicians and Patients Should Question
First do no harm! This historic ethical mantra of medicine is getting a much-needed 21st century update in the form of the Choosing Wisely Campaign. Twenty six medical specialty societies, representing over 500,000 US physicians, have created specialty-specific lists of procedures that are sometimes overused, may add avoidable cost to health care and can potentially […]
Less Medicine Can Be the Best Medicine
“First, do no harm” This Hippocratic ideal guides the practice of medicine. Both physicians and patients share this goal of good medicine. This means using appropriate tests to determine a correct diagnosis, using appropriate treatment for the diagnosed condition, avoiding harm caused by testing and treatment, and doing all this as economically as possible. Both […]