By Michael Hutch PhD
Various forms of yoga have been scientifically shown to handle and perhaps even “remedy” various persistent diseases. Listed below are various medical issues that have been proved scientifically to be improved by yoga.
Asthma: Yoga breathing exercises possibly could assist sufferers of mild asthma and may help decrease their use of low-dose drug inhalers in wheezing attacks. Researchers from the Respiratory Medicine Unit, City University, Nottingham, call for added studies of ways of improving breathing mastery which they say have been largely unheeded by Western medicine. while yoga practitioners have long believed in the benefits of pranayama breathing exercises for asthmatics, this has been difficult to examine formally. But, using a Pink City lung – a device that imposes slow breathing on the user and can mimic pranayama breathing exercises – it was possible to measure the effects of controlled breathing in a hospital test. Two simulated pranayama exercises were tested: slow deep breathing and breathing out for twice as long as breathing in. In asthma, the airways become restricted making breathing difficult. It is increasing in the UK, with more than three million children and adults affected, and are responsible for 2,000 deaths annually. The doctors used standard clinical tests to measure the volume of air patients were able to blow out in a second and to test the irritability of their airways. After yoga, their airways were two times less irritable.
Parkinson’s disease: Yoga has a key purpose in management of Parkinson’s as it has emerged as a helpful alternate therapy and an ideal mode of exercise for Parkinson’s patients because of its gradual movements. Following the steps mentioned below could successfully help individuals with Parkinson’s: 1. Concentrate on controlling your breath (Pranayama) as this brand of yoga helps in moments of panic – such as feet sticking to the flooring when walking. In this form of yoga, the mind is always watchful. 2. Few yoga exercises like back strengthening postures, lots of shoulder movements, breathing practices and some meditation positively helps. 3. One of the most useful forms of yoga used for Parkinson’s is Ashtanga Yoga. It works to strengthen the body and perform increases blood circulation. 4. day-to-day practice of yoga is all-important since Parkinson’s itself does not inevitably weaken the muscles. Weakening of muscles is ordinarily caused by lack of motion. Daily exercise should be encouraged, but not enough to generate tiredness. 5. Parkinson’s also result in the loss of motility of the facial muscles. Pranayama and supplementary yoga movements could aid in relaxing those muscles and bring a smile on the face of the patient.
Diabetes: Diabetes in a lot of forms affects up to 5percent of the world population with 12 million diabetics in Western Europe alone. Of the unique ways in which diabetes presents, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is probably the most usually encountered genetic condition. NIDDM or Type II diabetes is multifactorial, depending also on environmental factors including obesity, sedentary lifestyles and nutritional imbalances. One of the studies conducted to cure diabetes was the one set up by the Yoga Biomedical Trust, founded in 1982 by biochemist Dr Robin Monro, and an Indian yoga research foundation which discovered that practicing yoga for 30 minutes a day for one month helped reduce blood glucose levels in some diabetics.The yoga patients took part in one or two 90-minute sessions a week and were asked to practise at home. The classes included the particular yoga exercises of the spinal twist, the bow and abdominal breathing. At the conclusion of the 12 weeks blood sugar levels fell significantly in all patients in the group and were slightly raised in a control group which had not joined in the yoga sessions. Three yoga students managed to cutback their medication, including one man who had not altered his drug regimen for 20 years. It is not necessarily the exercise element of the yoga therapy package which is most significant, as there is not adequate physical exercise to account for the changes, but stress decrease has a lot to do with it. Stress hormones increase sugar levels in the blood. individuals also benefit from the stabilisation of their moods which yoga brings, an increased perception of well-being and a belief of being more in mastery, which may assist with their diet control and consequently their diabetes.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Computer use and physical exercise may reduce risk of memory loss
Crack open a book and hop on a stationary bike to ward off memory loss.
The combination of moderate physical exercise and computer use may help reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment later in life, Mayo Clinic researchers found.
Individually, the effects of moderate exercise and computer use prove to significantly reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment, according to the study.
But Yonas Geda, a neuropsychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic, said, “The combined effects are better than the arithmetic sum of the individual effects.”
Mild cognitive impairment is the intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia, he said. He gave the example of people losing their keys on occasion, which would be considered a normal occurrence. Forgetting about a flight or another important event, however, may be signs of mild cognitive impairment and early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, he said.
Normal cognitive aging involves the brain function to remain intact, while a decrease in processing speed in the brain occurs, said Dr. Diana Kerwin in the Division of Geriatrics at Northwestern University. In the absence of cognitive diseases, it is expected that people take longer to do their taxes or balance their checkbooks, she said.
People in the study who engaged in any amount of moderate exercise were 36 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than people who did not exercise.
Those who participated in any amount of computer use were 44 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than people who did not use the computer.
The joint effect of moderate exercise and computer use causes “synergistic interaction,” explains Geda, which is greater than if each exercise were performed independently.
“Exercise can help delay or prevent the onset of cognitive decline,” said Kerwin, who also is affiliated with the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disorder Center in the Neurobehavioral Clinic at Northwestern University. Exercise can also maintain healthy blood vessels and glucose levels and lower blood pressure, she said.
The 926 participants, ages 70 to 90, were evaluated in a case-control study, which meant a cause-and-effect relationship could not be drawn from the data, Geda said.
Since there is not a cause-and-effect relationship, there is a possibility that people who engage in physical and mental exercise are less likely to show memory loss or that a person with memory loss is less likely to perform mental and physical activities.
“We know as far as successful aging, one of the best activities is to remain engaged,” Kerwin said, whether it be social, cognitive, physical exercise, or a combination.
Geda recommended craft activities, such as knitting and quilting, social activities and any other moderate physical exercise to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Kerwin suggested that people participate in activities that are cognitively challenging, but also activities that they are interested in. “If people enjoy the activity, it increases the likelihood that they’ll do it,” she said.
Barbara Wijnicki, a 73-year-old Chicago resident, keeps active by taking yoga and dance classes, walking regularly and reading books.
“I always have a book to read and I think it may be helping me with my mental capactity,” she said. “I believe that just being active and being with other people is good for the brain and the mental part.”
The combination of moderate physical exercise and computer use may help reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment later in life, Mayo Clinic researchers found.
Individually, the effects of moderate exercise and computer use prove to significantly reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment, according to the study.
But Yonas Geda, a neuropsychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic, said, “The combined effects are better than the arithmetic sum of the individual effects.”
Mild cognitive impairment is the intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia, he said. He gave the example of people losing their keys on occasion, which would be considered a normal occurrence. Forgetting about a flight or another important event, however, may be signs of mild cognitive impairment and early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, he said.
Normal cognitive aging involves the brain function to remain intact, while a decrease in processing speed in the brain occurs, said Dr. Diana Kerwin in the Division of Geriatrics at Northwestern University. In the absence of cognitive diseases, it is expected that people take longer to do their taxes or balance their checkbooks, she said.
People in the study who engaged in any amount of moderate exercise were 36 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than people who did not exercise.
Those who participated in any amount of computer use were 44 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than people who did not use the computer.
The joint effect of moderate exercise and computer use causes “synergistic interaction,” explains Geda, which is greater than if each exercise were performed independently.
“Exercise can help delay or prevent the onset of cognitive decline,” said Kerwin, who also is affiliated with the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disorder Center in the Neurobehavioral Clinic at Northwestern University. Exercise can also maintain healthy blood vessels and glucose levels and lower blood pressure, she said.
The 926 participants, ages 70 to 90, were evaluated in a case-control study, which meant a cause-and-effect relationship could not be drawn from the data, Geda said.
Since there is not a cause-and-effect relationship, there is a possibility that people who engage in physical and mental exercise are less likely to show memory loss or that a person with memory loss is less likely to perform mental and physical activities.
“We know as far as successful aging, one of the best activities is to remain engaged,” Kerwin said, whether it be social, cognitive, physical exercise, or a combination.
Geda recommended craft activities, such as knitting and quilting, social activities and any other moderate physical exercise to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Kerwin suggested that people participate in activities that are cognitively challenging, but also activities that they are interested in. “If people enjoy the activity, it increases the likelihood that they’ll do it,” she said.
Barbara Wijnicki, a 73-year-old Chicago resident, keeps active by taking yoga and dance classes, walking regularly and reading books.
“I always have a book to read and I think it may be helping me with my mental capactity,” she said. “I believe that just being active and being with other people is good for the brain and the mental part.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
