Be Well

"10-17% of soldiers returning from the Iraq War experience PTSD in the year following deployment."

Source: The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 25th Annual Meeting November 2008.

The Veterans Administration seems to get a lot of criticism in the press. Underfunding and management issues are both problems. But there are many good people working in the VA who try to do their best for our vets. For example, acupuncture is now being deployed to treat veterans suffering from PTSD and pain, because it is safer than drugs, and it works better. If you are a vet dealing with PTSD or pain, or know someone who is, and are interested in acupuncture treatment — you may find this conversation helpful.

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The majority of headaches (cephalalgia) are benign and self-limiting. A 2007 global health survey conducted by The Nielsen Company has found that headaches, colds, sleeping problems and back aches are the most common ailments. According to Nielsen, headaches are the top complaint for people in the U.S. and around the world - and may explain why analgesics are the largest category in over-the-counter drug market sales.

When headache pain is severe or frequent, medical treatment may be needed. Conventional treatment of an uncomplicated tension-type headache is usually symptomatic, with over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen), or ibuprofen. Some specific types of headaches, such as chronic tension-type, migraines or cluster headaches, demand other, more suitable treatment. It may be possible to relate the occurrence of a headache to particular triggers (such as stress or particular foods), which can then be avoided. Other non-drug therapies can be effective in stopping or reducing headache occurrences. If you suffer with headache pain or know someone who suffers — this conversation may be of help.

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Back pain (dorsalgia) is one of humanity's most frequent complaints. In the U.S., acute low back pain (also called lumbago) is the fifth most common reason for visits to doctors. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year. If you have a pain in the back, or know someone who does — this conversation is for you.

"Acupuncture is one of the most time-tested treatments known to mankind. If the value of a treatment were based solely on how long it has been around, and how long people have thought that it was helpful, then acupuncture would probably be the most effective treatment known to humankind."

Dr. Scott Fishman, Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of California.

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Sometimes stress is experienced positively. For example, eustress can prompt the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals. The term "stress," is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. Also used as a euphemism, "I'm just stressed out". Stress covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be described as stressful.

The Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates described a syndrome of melancholia as a distinct disease with particular mental and physical symptoms; he characterized all "fears and despondencies, if they last a long time" as being symptomatic of the ailment. It was a similar but far broader concept than today's depression; prominence was given to a clustering of the symptoms of sadness, dejection, and despondency, and often fear, anger, delusions and obsessions were included.

If you, or someone you love, needs a little help dealing with stress or depression — this conversation may help. Good news! This problem is fixable.

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