RELIEF FROM SCIATICA

Pain or discomfort that runs from your lower back or hip, down through your buttocks and into the lower part of your leg could be a sign of sciatica, a condition that's often painful but rarely serious. Usually, it can be diagnosed and treated successfully.

Sciatica may feel dull, aching or burning. Sometimes it starts gradually, worsens at night and is aggravated by motion. It also can cause tingling, numbness or muscle weakness in the leg. The pain often results from pressure or irritation to the sciatic nerve, in the back of the leg. A displaced, or herniated, disc in the lower spine also may cause sciatica. This type of disc problem actually is quite common -- one out of every 50 people experiences it.

An exam by your doctor probably can determine if you have sciatica. He or she may check your reflexes, foot and leg strength, and flexibility. Blood tests, X-rays or MRI scans also may be recommended to help determine what's causing the condition.

Unless you have diabetes or nerve damage, apply cold to your lower back for the first day or so. Doing this for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, three to four times a day may help relieve the pain. Then, alternating heat and cold may be soothing. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if your doctor recommends it. Sciatica may disappear within six weeks of self-care. But, if the pain gets worse, making daily activities difficult, you should consult your doctor.

Certain exercises may help you to protect yourself from sciatica.
Stand tall. Line up your ears with your shoulders, align your shoulders with your hips and tuck in your buttocks. Bend your knees slightly, too.

Keep abdominal muscles strong. Lie down with your back on the floor. Put your hands behind your head and bend your knees.While pressing your lower back to the floor, lift your shoulders a few inches and then lower them. Repeat 10 to 20 times. Do one set a day.

Keep physically active. Walking and swimming are good exercises to keep yourself in shape without undue stress on your physique..

Lift properly. Bend your knees when lifting and lift with a straight back. Don't bend at the waist.

Avoid sitting or standing for long periods. If you need to be seated for a while, take regular breaks to stand and walk around. If you must be on your feet, put one foot on a footrest while standing. Switch feet throughout the day. Take pressure off your back while lying down. Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. Or, lie on your side with a pillow between your knees.

BERRY JUICE MAY BE HEART TONIC Scientists in India have developed a way to extract juice effectively for the first time from a berry which is thought to be good for the heart. Sea buckthorn is a known source of cholesterol-lowering compounds which could prevent clogging of the arteries. It is used in Tibet, Mongolia, China and Russia for health drinks. But the researchers, writing in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture,report current extraction methods produce juice of poor quality.A team at the Regional Research Laboratory in Trivandrum have solved the problem by developing an extraction technique which uses continuous high speed centrifugation to separate the juice from the solid sludge. The process was shown to retain a significant proportion of the key anti-oxidant chemicals which scientists believe can aid the circulatory system by blocking the action of harmful LDL cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol is oxidized, it sticks to the lining of blood vessels, causing them to clog up. Analysis showed that the extracted juice contained more than 40% of the original polyphenol content from the whole berry, along with 50% of the original flavonoids and 70% of the vitamin C.

ALLEVIATING THE PAIN OF SHINGLES

Chickenpox is generally an affliction of childhood, but the virus responsible for the infection can plague some people for the rest of their lives. When it strikes later in life, the result is a painful condition called shingles.

After a bout with chickenpox, the virus isn't removed from the body. Instead, it retreats to the nerves surrounding the spinal cord, where it can remain dormant for many years. A healthy immune system helps to keep the virus in check, preventing it from attacking a second time. With the advance of age or illness,however, the immune system can become less effective.

With the body's defenses weakened, the chickenpox virus can return. As it moves away from the spinal cord along nerve fibres, it leaves a trail of blisters on the overlying skin. The distinctive shingles rash can appear virtually anywhere on the
body, but it frequently arises on a single side of the torso, face, or legs. While the skin eruption can be unsightly, the pain associated with shingles can be excruciating.

In most cases, the rash and the accompanying pain will disappear in three to four weeks, but in some cases, the pain can linger for weeks, months, or even years. This condition, called post-herpetic neuralgia, affects 40 percent of shingles sufferers over the age of 60. The pain, often described as a stabbing, burning, or shock-like sensation, can be debilitating. In some cases, the skin is so sensitive that even the lightest touch can be very painful.

Although the exact cause is unknown, experts speculate that it is likely the result of nerve damage caused by the virus. After a case of shingles, the affected nerves may become more excitable, firing off pain signals more easily and more frequently. In some individuals with post-herpetic neuralgia, the pain is so severe that it interferes with their normal daily life. More than 60 percent of patients with the condition
experience difficulty sleeping, and half say that their enjoyment of life is significantly diminished.

In May 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine to prevent shingles for adults aged 60 and over. Clinical trials showed that use of the vaccine reduced the risk of developing shingles by half, and decreased the likelihood of developing post-herpetic neuralgia by two-thirds.

While the vaccine may help prevent shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia, it isn't considered to be a treatment for either condition. Patients with active cases of shingles shouldn't be vaccinated until their symptoms have resolved. In the meantime, prescription antiviral medications can help reduce the severity of shingles, as well as the likelihood of developing post-herpetic neuralgia. Although these drugs were previously believed to work best when started within 72 hours of developing symptoms, newevidence has shown that they can be beneficial even when taken later in the course of the illness.

In addition to antiviral drugs, prescription pain medications are an important part of the medical management of shingles. Recent research suggests that aggressive pain control, started early in the treatmentperiod, can reduce the likelihood that patients will develop post-herpetic neuralgia.

In the past, many patients turned to over-the-counter remedies or prescription drugs for relief, with varying results. In 2004, a new drug called Lyrica received FDA approval for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia. In clinical studies of patients with post-herpetic neuralgia, individuals taking the drug experienced significant reductions in pain as early as a week after beginning treatment. Over a period of several weeks, up to half of patients taking the highest approved dose reported at least a 50 percent reduction in pain.

MOTION SICKNESS
Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the inner ear, eyes, and other parts of the body that sense motion. For example, when you feel turbulence on a plane, your eyes don't see what's happening to cause the motion. Your brain gets one message from your inner ear, which senses the turbulence, but an opposing message from your eyes, which see only the apparently unmoving interior of the plane. The same thing happens when you're sitting in the backseat of a car.

You may be able to prevent or at least reduce motion sickness by making sure your eyes see what your inner ear feels. When riding in a car, either drive or sit in the front seat. On board an airplane, choose a seat over the wings where you're least likely to feel motion. Ask for a window seat and look out. If you're traveling by ship, request a cabin in the forward or middle of the ship or on the upper deck; spend as much time as possible on deck watching the horizon.

Acupressure wristbands are the modern version of an old Chinese fisherman's remedy of stimulating the acupressure points that control nausea. They have plastic pegs that press on acupressure points on the inner surfaces of the wrists. Proper placement of the wristbands is critical so follow package directions carefully.

Another useful remedy is ginger, which is effective for motion sickness and doesn't cause drowsiness as a side effect which some prescription drugs do. Mix a half teaspoon of ginger powder in a glass of water and drink it 20 minutes before travel or take two capsules of powdered ginger. Pack some ginger snaps or ginger candy and keep ginger ale on hand when possible to help quell mild nausea caused by motion sickness.

BENEFITS OF ECHINACEA
When you feel a cold coming on, reach for echinacea (Echinacea purpurea). Its antibiotic and antiviral properties make this native American plant an ideal first-line treatment for colds and flu, sore throat, and other simple infections. It can also help you through times of low resistance by enhancing the immune system. Available in tincture, capsule, tablet and extract form, look for combination echinacea products (containing both augustifolia and purpurea species) standardized to 4 percent echinacosides. For best effectiveness, begin taking echinacea when symptoms first appear and continue until the illness runs its course. Echinacea should not be used continuously for more than 10 days. Those with autoimmune diseases should use it cautiously, and for the shortest period possible. Try one dropperful of tincture in water four times a day, or two capsules of freeze-dried extract four times a day. Children under 10 can take half the adult dosage.