Pain Relief Newsletter January  2003 [ Send a copy to a friend ] Sights and Sounds of Nature Ease Pain Bringing nature into the hospital room meant less pain for patients having a common but uncomfortable lung procedure, new research shows.  A recording of a gurgling brook and a large mural of a mountain stream in a spring meadow helped bronchoscopy patients control their pain much more than patients not treated to any calming distractions, say scientists at Johns Hopkins University of School of Medicine.  (READ ARTICLE)   Bowen Technique and Childhood Asthma Relief Whatever the level of asthma, or similar respiratory problems suffered by young children, Bowen seems to reduce the level of attack very quickly and effectively. (READ ARTICLE) Test Predicts Whiplash Disability A test of a patient's range of neck motion after an accident can accurately determine whether that person will be disabled a year later, a new study says.  Danish pain researchers say the test could help determine who is likely to recover quickly from whiplash and who will develop a chronic condition called late whiplash syndrome. (READ ARTICLE)   Protein's Key Role in Pain Relief Identified A single protein plays a pivotal role in pain relief response to a wide variety of drugs and likely is the key to differences in the way men and women respond to pain, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin said.  The research also revealed that the protein, called GIRK2, participates in the body's built-in pain relief system that is activated by exercise. (READ ARTICLE)   Bowen Technique Helps Entire Body She had been leaning against a balcony rail which had given way 3 years before.  She landed on her head and left shoulder.  Her pain was constant.  As a result, she was always tired and was virtually an invalid. She had constant headaches, shoulder pain, low back and buttocks pain.  She was terrified of any type of bodywork.  Someone told her that the Bowen technique was very light and painless.  She was desperate.  She was taking over 16 pain killers every day.  So she decided to give it a try. The practitioner waited a full 5 minutes between each set of moves and touched her so lightly she barely felt them.  After the session she rested for about 30 minutes.  As she tried to sit up, she felt light headed and dizzy, so she had to lie down in a fetal position for another 15 minutes until it passed. When she finally stood up, she had no back, neck or shoulder pain, nor did she have a headache.  But she still had pain in her buttocks, which radiated down to her ankles.  She felt exhausted.  The next day,  she woke up pain free above the buttocks, with no headache, but the sciatic pain down her leg had gotten worse.  She called the practitioner and frantically begged for another Bowen session, but  was told she had to wait at least one week. On the 4th day after her session she called to say she was totally pain free - and that her body felt a little "strange."   She has been well ever since. Biofeedback and Pain Relief Biofeedback is a tool that helps sufferers alleviate their own pain.  By means of devices sensitive to very small changes in bodily conditions, it allows the user to monitor and fine-tune the connections between emotions and health. The mind can play an important role in treating headaches and other types of chronic pain.  Oten enough, however, our minds aren't primed to help our bodies relax, but are filled with tension and stress.  Biofeedback helps us to recognize and control such states.  Specifically, it can you to release the tension in your muscles and improve your circulation, two steps that can significantly ease may types of pain. (READ ARTICLE) Music May Soothe The Savage Backache While music is thought to soothe the savage beast, a new study suggests it might come in handy when taming that bad back as well, according to a study presented recently by Austrian researchers at the 10th World Congress of Pain.  The key may be using the music as a tool to help relax muscles and dissolve tension, according to researchers.  (READ ARTICLE)   Tylenol Can Wreak Havoc on Your Liver Doctors know the liver-damaging dangers of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, but the general public still needs to get the message, a survey of doctors reveals.  More than 95 percent of doctors in Michigan were aware that acetaminophen can wreak havoc with the liver of those who take more than three alcoholic drinks a day or who take more than the recommended 24-hour dose, the survey shows.  However, only 60 percent of the doctors knew the dangers of fasting and taking the drug. (READ ARTICLE)   No More Aching Back - BOOK REVIEW   No More Aching Back These state-of-the-art strategies from the co-author of the bestseller Oh, My Aching Back, are designed to heal, strengthen and protect your back from stress and injury.  Dr. Elisa Root's clinically proven program includes a 15 minutes daily exercise routine, self-administered first aid, what to ask and what to expect from your doctor, short and long-term solutions for pain, etc. "Accessible, sensible, reassuring... the best ways to sit, bend, lift, drive a cra, play sports, have sex, and carry on everyday activities."                                                               -Publishers Weekly Renowned orthopedic surgeon and best selling author Dr. Root explains everything readers need to know about how the back works and introduces his easy-to-follow ten-step program of clinically proven exercises designed to strengthen backs and prevent injury.  Features the latest developments in back treatment, sex, sports and the bad back, and more.                                                                         Ingram (HC: Villard) Newsletter Archives September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002