January 19th, 2010 by admin

It’s hard to go anywhere on the internet without encountering some of these ads for products to produce “enhancements”. The English language is a wonderful tool for describing something indirectly. Pity the poor marketer stuck with a language that only has one word meaning erection. Life would soon become so boring for all concerned. With English, the current in-word is enhancement. This manages the capture the idea you can take something relatively ordinary and, with a little help, make it extraordinary. The usual hook for all these magic products, whether they come as pills, liquids or creams, is that they transform a man into a sexual stallion who will be able to keep a woman satisfied the whole night through (and then some if she’s not physically damaged). They are always described as natural. It’s strange how we are supposed to trust something more because it’s made out of grasses, berries, cactus and roots ground together, and doubt anything with artificial chemicals inside. But you will always see lists of Latin names for different plants and extracts, impressing us with the magic of names and labels. The final preparation will be shipped to us at high price but, we are assured, results are guaranteed. Read the rest of this entry »

January 19th, 2010 by admin

In a culture caught up in the can-do mentality, the idea of treating pain through the mind is viewed with some suspicion. People have been taught to believe drugs and formal invention by a trained specialist are the routes to an effective cure. This is the American way. If the body is broken, you fix the body. There’s no need for any New Age, touchy-feely talk. Indeed, people who persistently complain of pain but have no obvious injuries or disease, can find themselves attacked as malingerers trying to game the benefit system.

Family, friends and neighbors can rapidly run out of sympathy if you seem to be a freeloader. Against this background, the healthcare service does offer a limited range of counseling and support options. These services are not pushed more agressively because the high number of staff required to run these services drives up the operating costs. The hospital does not make as much profit as from other services.

There is a substantial volume of evidence from research studies around the world to prove a clear link between a patient’s attitude and a patient’s awareness of pain. Those who are relaxed and have a positive outlook on life have lower sensitivity to pain. Those who are anxious, stressed and shading into depression are more likely to experience more intense pain. For patients to get benefits from psychological counseling, they have to invest time and money. This is not an easy cure that might come from the simple act of swallowing a pill. It requires people to make an effort. Put all this together and you see the problem. Because many private health plans do not include the cost of counseling and family budgets are under strain with the current recession, most believe they cannot afford this approach.

The focus is on the cost now, not the cost of drugs spread over years. In the long term, people will save money but it requires investment now. If this means a little extra debt, it’s well worth it. The most recent research published in The Journal of Pain shows that even one hour of meditation training produces a reduction in the level of pain felt. The full range of treatment options are meditation training, distraction and relaxation. The evidence clearly shows that people feel less pain while actually meditating. Even after meditation, the effect of pain relief continues, i.e. people perceive the pain differently. Similarly, people who train their minds to relax or focus their attention on different factors in the environment also experience pain relief. The level of pain remains unchanged. The focus in all three options is to treat the emotional response to it. Read the rest of this entry »