What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

When most people hear the term “mainstream medicine”, they probably have a pretty accurate intuitive understanding of what it means. It refers to the standard care that patients receive in doctors’ offices and hospitals across the United States. However, there is also another term in modern healthcare—“complementary and alternative medicine”—that

The Fitness Logic of Cross-Training

There’s a very prevalent misconception in the amateur fitness logic ranks that mastering one type of exercise will result in whole-body fitness. An avid runner may think she’s reached the pinnacle of health, while a weight-trainer may believe he’s fit enough to do just about anything. However, this same runner

Chiropractic Care and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

After years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, large numbers of U.S. servicemen and women have returned home with a wide range of physical and psychological injuries. While the American media has done a great deal to raise awareness of many of the challenges they face, from traumatic brain injuries

Ending the Vicious Cycle of Chronic Back Pain and Depression

Back pain can be crippling. It’s difficult to get out of bed, you can’t take part in the activities you used to enjoy, and you may feel like you’re trapped. Depression can be much the same—and it certainly doesn’t help to suffer both simultaneously. One very real danger of chronic

One Fish, Two Fish, Good Fish, Bad Fish? Making the Right Seafood Choices for You and Your Family

There’s no question about it — seafood has become complicated. Issues ranging from genetically modified organisms, potentially toxic herbicides and pesticides and long-term soil depletion to growth hormones, antibiotics and the living conditions of farm animals make it more important than ever (and more difficult) to shop thoughtfully for groceries.

Use it or Lose it: Five Tips for Maintaining Your Sense of Balance Beyond Middle Age

If you are middle-aged (40-60, by some definitions) or older, here’s 15-second self-test for you. Do you often find yourself needing to sit down or steady yourself against a table when putting on your shoes or stepping into pants? Do you increasingly need to use the armrests of your chair

Soluble Versus Insoluble Fiber: What’s the Difference?

Dietary fiber is a very important component of any healthy diet. Technically, fiber refers to the portions of plants that are edible but that resist digestion. Increased dietary fiber has been shown to protect the body against many diseases (including heart disease), to improve blood sugar levels, and to prevent

Growing Up Healthy: Musculoskeletal Milestones in Baby’s First Year

One of the primary concerns for parents with a newborn is ensuring that the baby grows and develops normally. This is extremely important, since growth in the first year has a significant impact on the overall health and well-being of a child in later years. For parents, this means paying

Endurance Sports Provide a Boost to the Body’s Nervous System

It’s well known that training in certain sports can improve a person’s endurance. If you’re a runner, for example, you know that as you continue to run every day or according to whatever training schedule you follow, you gradually develop the ability to run further, faster, and for longer periods

What Is “Swayback” and How Can It Be Treated?

“Swayback” is the common term for excessive lordosis (aka hyperlordosis). It is a spine disorder that involves an extreme inward curvature of the lumbar area—that is, just above the hips. Swayback (also called saddle back, due to the fact that some horses can experience a similar condition) makes the backside