Balance Integrative Care

Perimenopause & Depression: Risk, Symptoms and Causes Mounting evidence is showing that during perimenopause, and possibly after, women can be at a higher risk of developing clinical depression​​.

Mind-Body Therapies From Traditional Chinese Medicine: Evidence Map - PubMed Background: The mind-body therapies of traditional Chinese medicine include several intervention types and combine physical poses with conscious relaxation and breathing techniques. The purpose of this Evidence Map is to describe these different interventions and report related health o...

Effects of Tai-Chi Chuan Practice on Patterns and Stability of Lower Limb Inter-Joint Coordination During Obstructed Gait in the Elderly - PubMed Losing balance or tripping during obstacle-crossing is one of the most frequent causes of falls in the elderly. As a low speed, low impact exercise, Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) can be promising in helping the elderly develop strategies for improved balance, inter-joint coordination, and end-point control du...

Does tai chi improve psychological well-being and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease and/or cardiovascular risk factors? A systematic review - PubMed International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), CRD42016042905. Registered on 26 August 2016.

Pilot study of tai chi and qigong on body composition, sleep, and emotional eating in midlife/older women - PubMed Weight gain and related adverse changes in body composition are prevalent among midlife and older women and contribute to chronic disease (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, depression). Tai Chi (TC) and Qigong (QG), forms of Meditative Movement, demonstrate improved physical/psychological symptom...

Vitamin B9 | Folic Acid | Folate | Andrew Weil, M.D. Vitamin B9 also know as folic acid or folate, is abundant in leafy greens such as spinach, is essential for optimal brain and nerve function.

Qigong for Muscle Strength and Static Postural Control in Middle-Aged and Older Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial - PubMed In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of a Qigong exercise program on the muscle strength and postural control in middle-aged and older postmenopausal women. This is a randomized clinical trial (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03989453) conducted on 125 women who were initia...

How Much Time In Nature? | Healthy Living | Andrew Weil, M.D. How much time in nature is needed to get health benefits? A new study came up with an estimate - 120 minutes (two hours) - per week.

Favorite Tunes May Boost Brain Health | Weekly Bulletins | Andrew Weil, M.D. Listening to personally meaningful music may benefit the brain in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease.

Effect and mechanism of Tai Chi on blood pressure of patients with essential hypertension: a randomised controlled study - PubMed Tai Chi can improve the blood pressure of patients with hypertension by decreasing the serum Ang II level and increasing the serum NO level.

Balancing "hands-on" with "hands-off" physical therapy interventions for the treatment of central sensitization pain in osteoarthritis - PubMed Traditional understanding of osteoarthritis-related pain has recently been challenged in light of evidence supporting a key role of central sensitization in a subgroup of this population. This fact may erroneously lead musculoskeletal therapists to conclude that hands-on interventions have no place....

Depression may sometimes be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in some older adults because sadness is not their main symptom. They may have other, less obvious symptoms of depression or they may not be willing to talk about their feelings. It is important to know the signs and seek help if you are concerned. Visit http://go.usa.gov/xvKpk to learn the signs and symptoms of depression.

Tai chi effects on balance in older adults: the role of sustained attention and myokines - PubMed Thus, 10 weeks of tai chi practice induced improvements in balance, which was related with improved sustained attention, and increased myokines levels, whereas decrements in balance under pandemic conditions were related with weight gain in older adults.

Fast-Food Joints Linked To Diabetes Risk | Andrew Weil, M.D. The presence of fast-food restaurants in a neighborhood might raise residents’ risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

An outpatient Tai Chi program: Effects on veterans' functional outcomes - PubMed Preliminary findings provide evidence of the effectiveness of a 12-week Tai Chi program to improve functional outcomes for older veterans with mild to moderate gait and balance problems.

Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Yoga Practice on Physical Fitness in the Elderly - PubMed The purpose of this study was to meta-analyze the effects of yoga intervention on physical fitness in the elderly. The following databases were systematically searched in 25 March 2021: Cochrane, PubMed and Embase. A total of 656 papers was identified through key word combinations, finally, 12 studi...

The Feasibility of Tai Chi Exercise as a Beneficial Mind-Body Intervention in a Group of Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors with Symptoms of Depression - PubMed Depression is prevalent among one-third to two-thirds of acute and chronic stroke survivors. Despite the availability of pharmacotherapies and/or psychotherapies, depression persists, even for 5-10 years after stroke, reflecting limited treatment responses and/or adherence to this conventional care....

How to Exercise With Chronic Pain Working out may seem like the last thing someone in pain wants to do. But it can bring relief.

Topical analgesics for acute and chronic pain in adults - an overview of Cochrane Reviews - PubMed There is good evidence that some formulations of topical diclofenac and ketoprofen are useful in acute pain conditions such as sprains or strains, with low (good) NNT values. There is a strong message that the exact formulation used is critically important in acute conditions, and that might also ap...

How Trees Help You Stress Less Research suggests that being around trees is good for our mental and social well-being.

Effect of qigong exercise and acupressure rehabilitation program on pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19: a randomized controlled trial - PubMed Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: ChiCTR2000029994.

Is Weekly Frequency of Yoga Practice Sufficient? Physiological Effects of Hatha Yoga Among Healthy Novice Women - PubMed Beneficial physical and physiological health outcomes of yoga practice are well-supported by empirical data. However, whether weekly frequency of training is sufficient to evoke positive changes, is still an open question. The present intervention study investigated the effects of 10 weekly sessions...

Use of the Move to Emptiness Technique, A Mind-Body Exercise for Treating Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report - PubMed MET may be an alternative to commonly used trauma-focused treatments. It is safe and easy to learn for therapists and patients.

Precision Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Initial Promise for Severe Depression For many people struggling with depression, antidepressants and talk therapy can help to provide relief. But for some, the treatments don’t help nearly enough. I’m happy to share some early groundb…

Tai Chi and Yoga for Improving Balance on One Leg: A Neuroimaging and Biomechanics Study - PubMed The one-leg stance is frequently used in balance training and rehabilitation programs for various balance disorders. There are some typical one-leg stance postures in Tai Chi (TC) and yoga, which are normally used for improving balance. However, the mechanism is poorly understood. Besides, the diffe...

The Difference Between Healing and Fixing in the Practice of Mindfulness We often hear that mindfulness doesn’t “work” when we use it as a means to an end. Here, Genevieve Tregor explains why mindfulness loses its impact when we use it in small "bandage" doses instead of weaving the practice into our daily lives.

How Multidisciplinary Care Benefits Chronic Pain Patients - U.S. Pain Foundation Multidisciplinary care is the best way for people with chronic pain to find relief—here's what you need to know.

A comparison of the effects of exercises plus connective tissue massage to exercises alone in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial - PubMed This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a 6-week combined exercise program with and without connective tissue massage (CTM) on pain, fatigue, sleep problem, health status, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Patients were randomly allocated into Exercise (n = 2...

The Effects of Qigong for Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - PubMed Qigong can effectively reduce blood pressure levels. Longer-term engagement in the practice has an even better effect in hypertension patients. However, the conclusion of this study still needs to be verified by more high-quality studies.