Creating a Healthy Environment in Shanghai
Upon coming to Shanghai nearly 25 years ago, the environment was quite different. There were millions of bicycles, but very few cars. The air pollution stemmed from factories and people using coal for heating. Fireworks, street food and fires added to the bad air quality. Today, the problem is quite different. The government has made a lot of progress in controlling industrial pollution. The days of barely being able to see...
Breathe Freely: Natural Allergy Solutions
Are red, watery eyes and a swollen nose your trademark spring look? Many allergy sufferers dread the coming spring. Life becomes round after round of antihistamines and nasal sprays. Shanghai’s damp, dusty (and polluted) environment is a nightmare for many allergy and asthma sufferers. Ancient Chinese Wisdom: The Root Causes of Allergies TCM interprets allergies as a disharmony in the body. It is often diagnosed as a “wind” influence accompanied by another...
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental health issue worldwide, affecting some 40 million adults in the U.S. alone. Many expats in Shanghai struggle with anxiety. It is perhaps unsurprising given the fast-paced lifestyle, high pressure jobs and other stressors many of us face. However, anxiety is just a symptom. It is the tip of the iceberg, the manifestation of what is going on inside of us. It may show an emotional...
The Science Behind Emotions and Pain
Patients frequently wonder: “Why do I have this pain?” or “Why can’t I heal?” Often, this has to do with the complex interplay of emotions and stress in the body. The Physiological Response to Trauma The body can deal with physical trauma better than non-physical trauma. As a species, our bodies are highly evolved to handle illness and injury. However, when we suppress or deny emotional pain, stress, and other non-physiological trauma...
HPV: Awareness, Prevention and Treatment
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. The American Social Health Association estimates that about 75–80% of sexually active Americans will be infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime. Over 170 types of HPV have been identified and many people have subclinical varieties (never show symptoms). Unfortunately, certain types of HPV are potentially cancer causing. Because this virus is so common and often asymptomatic, HPV has lead to...
Nutritional Science News: “Mediterranean Diet Strongly Tied to Reduced Alzheimer’s Pathology”
A November 20, 2018 article on Medscape.com from Deborah Brauser discusses strong evidence from a recent study in Australia linking the Mediterranean diet to reduced signs of Alzheimer’s disease development. The new research suggests that “adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MeDi) is linked to a reduction over time in Aβ-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, a biomarker of cerebral Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology”. The lead author of the study, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, PhD, shared...
Addressing Back Pain
The majority of people getting physiotherapy treatments suffer from low back and cervical spine pain (and related conditions like sciatica, tinnitus, headaches), mostly due to a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting too long at the office and commuting, with little movement and exercise, causes many of them to have muscle imbalances. Almost everyone experiencing this type of pain has weak core muscles. Some things you can do every day to keep muscles balanced...