Full Title: Brief report: Web-based management of adolescent chronic pain: development and usability testing of an online family cognitive behavioral therapy program.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the usability and feasibility of a Web-based intervention (Web-MAP) to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to adolescents with chronic pain and their parents. METHODS: The Web site was evaluated in two stages. In stage one, recovered adolescents and parents (n = 5 dyads), who had completed office-based CBT through a pediatric pain management clinic, completed ratings of Web site content, usability, appearance, and theme. In stage two, treatment-seeking adolescents and their parents (n = 6 dyads) completed the full-length Web program. Program usage data were obtained to assess interaction with the Web site. RESULTS: Participants rated moderate to strong acceptability of the program. Usage data indicated that participants interacted with the site and used communication features. CONCLUSIONS: Feedback from usability testing provided important information in the process of designing a feasible Web-based treatment for adolescents with chronic pain for use in a randomized controlled trial.

J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Jun;34(5):511-6. Long AC, Palermo TM. Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine, 3181 SW, Sam Jackson Park Rd, Mailstop UHS-2, Portland, OR 97239, USA. longann@ohsu.edu

Adele uses a variety of energy modalities to best assist her clients. Some approaches she uses include Reiki, advanced EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Touch for Health kinesiology, craniosacral therapy, spiritual coaching, and others. Drawing on her ability to deeply perceive into peoples' energy fields, she offers clients a blend of approaches to best meet each client's unique needs. Her consultations combine her unique background of business, intuitive energy work and spiritual relationship healing. Her innate healing ability of "seeing" inside a client's energy system enables her to guide them towards their life's path.

Adele has successfully assisted clients dealing with a wide range of issues, including: anxiety, migraines, trauma, OCD, depression, cancer recovery, thyroid issues, chronic fatigue syndrome, TMJ, colitis, insomnia, digestive issues, PTSD, whiplash, panic attacks, high blood pressure, and others. She has worked with Iraq war veterans, professional athletes, accident victims, cancer recovery patients, as well as clients dealing with emotional issues. She is known for being able to help clients open into their own inner healing wisdom in a warm and grounded way. She also provides support and spiritual mentorship to clients as they open into their own spiritual wisdom.

For more information visit http://www.safehavenhealing.net.

by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

Are you ready for another fat article? By now most people in America have been so inundated with news about FAT that there we are actually living in a FAT phobia epidemic. Confusion is everywhere. FAT or OIL is not the ENEMY the kind of oil the consumers are choosing is the problem!! You need to make wise selections. Well meaning FREE LANCE writers are looking for information to attempt to educate the public about staying thin while you eat. The food manufactures are scurrying to find an alternative for the oils they fry and cook with, keeping the taste appealing and the government off their backs while attempting keep the profit margins up for their investors. Read any of the business news papers and you will see huge players in the food industry make announcements on changing their source of cooking oils. Do you know why they are switching? Better educated consumers are demanding healthier ingredients. Education and the access to information have changed the world in which we eat and live.

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BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that response expectancies are an important mechanism of popular psychological interventions for pain. However, there has been no research on whether response expectancies and treatment credibility independently mediate hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral pain interventions and whether the pattern of mediation is affected by experience with the interventions. Also, past research has indicated that hypnotic pain interventions may be moderated by hypnotic suggestibility. However, these studies have typically failed to measure the full range of suggestibility and have assessed pain reduction and suggestibility in the same experimental context, possibly inflating the association between these variables. PURPOSE: To clarify the mediator role of response expectancies and treatment credibility, and the moderator role of hypnotic suggestibility in the hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral reduction of pain. METHODS: Approximately 300 participants were assessed for suggestibility. Then, as part of an apparently unrelated experiment, 124 of these individuals received analogue cognitive-behavioral, hypnotic, or placebo control pain interventions. RESULTS: Response expectancies and credibility independently mediated treatment. The extent of mediation increased as participants gained more experience with the interventions. Suggestibility moderated treatment and was associated with relief only from the hypnotic intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Response expectancies and treatment credibility are unique mechanisms of hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral pain interventions. Hypnotic suggestibility predicts relief from hypnotic pain interventions and this association is not simply an artifact of measuring suggestibility and pain reduction in the same experimental context. The relationship between suggestibility and hypnotic pain reduction appears to be linear in nature.

Ann Behav Med. 2007 Apr;33(2):167-78. Milling LS, Shores JS, Coursen EL, Menario DJ, Farris CD. Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. milling@hartford.edu

William Berry has worked in the field of addiction for over 15 years. He has been a Certified Addiction Professional since 1996. He obtained a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. Mr. Berry has over 12 years experience conducting group and individual therapy.

William is also an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, conducting a social psychology course in drugs and drug abuse, and at Nova University, conducting psychology courses in substance abuse and the family, interpersonal communication, and the physiology and psychology of drugs.

For more information visit www.AddictionEducationConsultants.com

by Christy Witman

Our minds have been programmed and conditioned to think in certain ways. There are a total of nine ways that our minds automatically think, and these thoughts are very disempowering. The good news is that we all can change our thoughts and therefore change the outcomes of our lives. We must first become aware of these limiting thoughts. Once we are aware of these thoughts, we can then make the conscious decision to change them. Everything starts and ends in your mind. How your mind works determines how happy you are, how successful you feel and how well you interact with other people. It also determines how you create by working with the Universal Laws, specifically The Law of Attraction. The patterns of your mind encourage you towards greatness or they cause you to flounder in mediocrity or worse. Learning how to focus and direct your mind is the most important ingredient of success.

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Full Title: Effects of developmental music groups for parents and premature or typical infants under two years on parental responsiveness and infant social development.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of music therapy intervention on premature infants' and full term infants' developmental responses and parents' responsiveness. Subjects (n=56) were parent-infant dyads who attended developmental music groups or a control condition assessing responsiveness during toy play. All subjects were matched according to developmental age and were also matched by group for socioeconomic status and for maternal depression. Types of infant play and parent responsiveness were measured using observation of a standardized toy play for parent-infant dyads. Observations were coded with the number of seconds spent in each behavior using the SCRIBE observation program. Parents completed a questionnaire on the perception of their infant's general development, interpretations of their child's needs, the purpose of using music with their child, and their child's response to music. The infants attending the developmental music groups with their parents demonstrated significantly more social toy play (p < .05) during the standardized parent-infant toy play than infants who did not attend the music groups. While not significant, graphic analysis of parent responsiveness showed parents who attended the developmental music groups engaged in more positive and less negative play behaviors with their infants than parents who did not attend the music groups. This study demonstrates the first findings of positive effects of developmental music groups on social behaviors for both premature and full term infants under 2 years old.

J Music Ther. 2009 Spring;46(1):32-52. Walworth DD. The Florida State University, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to the treatment of child anxiety disorders. METHODS: Seventy-three children with anxiety disorders, aged 7-12 years, and their parents were randomly assigned to either an Internet-based CBT (NET) or wait-list (WL) condition. Clinical diagnostic assessment and parent and child questionnaires were completed before and after treatment. The NET condition was reassessed at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: At posttreatment assessment, children in the NET condition showed small but significantly greater reductions in anxiety symptoms and increases in functioning than WL participants. These improvements were enhanced during the 6-month follow-up period, with 75% of NET children free of their primary diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Internet delivery of CBT for child anxiety offers promise as a way of increasing access to treatment for this population. Future research is needed to examine ways to increase treatment compliance and further enhance the impact of treatment.

J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Jun;34(5):474-87. March S, Spence SH, Donovan CL. School of Psychology, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia. s.march@psy.uq.edu.au

by Ligia M. Houben, MA,CT,CG-C,ACCP, CH

Coaching has developed in recent years as an effective way to promote change in individuals. What starts as a dream for a person, coaching can make it a reality (Joseph O'Connor & Andrea Lages. Coaching with NLP, (p.3). When a person makes the decision to be coached is because he or she has the desire to change. As Napoleon Hill in his classic "Think and Grow Rich" tells us "Desire...[is] the starting point of all achievements" (pg 33). And it is this desire that inspires the person to change the direction in his or her life, but at times they don't know how change their lives or, because their own limiting messages or beliefs, sabotage any intention of growth. NLP may be that "missing link" in how to assist the client in their path to success.

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There are compelling reasons to empower nurses. Powerless nurses are ineffective nurses. Powerless nurses are less satisfied with their jobs and more susceptible to burnout and depersonalization. This article will begin with an examination of the concept of power; move on to a historical review of nurses' power over nursing practice; describe the kinds of power over nursing care needed for nurses to make their optimum contribution; and conclude with a discussion on the current state of nursing empowerment related to nursing care. Empowerment for nurses may consist of three components: a workplace that has the requisite structures to promote empowerment; a psychological belief in one's ability to be empowered; and acknowledgement that there is power in the relationships and caring that nurses provide. A more thorough understanding of these three components may help nurses to become empowered and use their power for better patient care.

Online J Issues Nurs. 2007 Jan 31;12(1):2. Manojlovich M. Medical Intensive Care Unit, University of Michigan Health System, MI, USA. mmanojlo@umich.edu

We hypothesize that stasis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs commonly and is detrimental to health. Physiologic factors affecting the normal circulation of CSF include cardiovascular, respiratory, and vasomotor influences. The CSF maintains the electrolytic environment of the central nervous system (CNS), influences systemic acid-base balance, serves as a medium for the supply of nutrients to neuronal and glial cells, functions as a lymphatic system for the CNS by removing the waste products of cellular metabolism, and transports hormones, neurotransmitters, releasing factors, and other neuropeptides throughout the CNS. Physiologic impedance or cessation of CSF flow may occur commonly in the absence of degenerative changes or pathology and may compromise the normal physiologic functions of the CSF. CSF appears to be particularly prone to stasis within the spinal canal. CSF stasis may be associated with adverse mechanical cord tension, vertebral subluxation syndrome, reduced cranial rhythmic impulse, and restricted respiratory function. Increased sympathetic tone, facilitated spinal segments, dural tension, and decreased CSF flow have been described as closely related aspects of an overall pattern of structural and energetic dysfunction in the axial skeleton and CNS. Therapies directed at affecting CSF flow include osteopathic care (especially cranial manipulation), craniosacral therapy, chiropractic adjustment of the spine and cranium, Network Care (formerly Network Chiropractic), massage therapy (including lymphatic drainage techniques), yoga, therapeutic breath-work, and cerebrospinal fluid technique. Further investigation into the nature and causation of CSF stasis, its potential effects upon human health, and effective therapies for its correction is warranted.

Altern Ther Health Med. 2009 May-Jun;15(3):54-60. Whedon JM, Glassey D. The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA.

by Robert W. Fletcher

Having struggled for many years to find more effective ways to work with the hearing impaired and the visual impaired I came upon the concept of use what works and discard what doesn't work. I had struggled in my youth in learning to read and in the early '60s had become acquainted with a remedial reading teacher from the Granite School District in Utah. With the help of Evelyn Wood, and using the techniques in her reading dynamics program, I was able to accelerate my reading abilities to a more except level.

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OBJECTIVE: Mind-body therapies (MBT) are used by 16.6% of adults in the United States. Little is known about the patterns of and reasons for use of MBT by adults with common medical conditions. METHODS: We analyzed data on MBT use from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey Alternative Medicine Supplement (n=31,044). MBT included relaxation techniques (deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation), yoga, tai chi, and qigong. To identify medical conditions associated with use of MBT overall and of individual MBT, we used multivariable models adjusted for sociodemographic factors, insurance status, and health habits. Among users of MBT (n=5170), we assessed which medical conditions were most frequently treated with MBT, additional rationale for using MBT, and perceived helpfulness. RESULTS: We found a positive association between MBT use and several medical conditions including various pain syndromes and anxiety/depression. Among adults using MBT to treat specific medical conditions, MBT was most commonly used for anxiety/depression and musculoskeletal pain syndromes. More than 50% of respondents used MBT in conjunction with conventional medical care, and 20% used MBT for conditions they thought conventional medicine would not help. Overall, we found high rates (68-90%) of perceived helpfulness of MBT for specific medical conditions. DISCUSSION: MBT is commonly used by patients with prevalent medical conditions. Further research is needed to determine the reasons for widespread use of MBT for treatment of specific medical conditions and to evaluate the efficacy of MBT.

J Psychosom Res. 2009 Jun;66(6):511-9. Bertisch SM, Wee CC, Phillips RS, McCarthy EP. Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center, Boston, MA, USA. sbertisc@bidmc.harvard.edu

by Christel Autuori, RDH, RYT

Life is challenging in this twenty first century. We multitask and are on call, 24/7, tied to our computers, cell phones, and palm pilots. We are on the run constantly, having learned that doing is more valuable and productive than merely being, and that making the most of life means doing as many things as possible all at the same time. We are trying to do it all and have it all, but we find ourselves increasingly tense, disillusioned, disconnected, frustrated, and exhausted. The tension and stress gets stuck in the body, with negative effects, and contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, insomnia, anxiety, hypertension, headaches, and ulcers. We know this is not good for us, and that we need to slow down, but have no clue how to do it--or how to find the time for it!!

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Full Title: Effects of music therapy on autonomic nervous system activity, incidence of heart failure events, and plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels in elderly patients with cerebrovascular disease and dementia.

Music therapy (MT) has been used in geriatric nursing hospitals, but there has been no extensive research into whether it actually has beneficial effects on elderly patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and dementia. We investigated the effects of MT on the autonomic nervous system and plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels in elderly patients with CVD and dementia, since these are related to aging and chronic geriatric disease. We also investigated the effects of MT on congestive heart failure (CHF) events.Eighty-seven patients with pre-existing CVD were enrolled in the study. We assigned patients into an MT group (n = 55) and non-MT group (n = 32). The MT group received MT at least once per week for 45 minutes over 10 times. Cardiac autonomic activity was assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). We measured plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels in both the MT group and non-MT group. We compared the incidence of CHF events between these two groups. In the MT group, rMSSD, pNN50, and HF were significantly increased by MT, whereas LF/HF was slightly decreased. In the non-MT group, there were no significant changes in any HRV parameters. Among cytokines, plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the MT group was significantly lower than those in the non-MT group. Plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline levels were significantly lower in the MT group than in the non-MT group. CHF events were less frequent in the MT group than in the non-MT group (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that MT enhanced parasympathetic activities and decreased CHF by reducing plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels.

Int Heart J. 2009 Jan;50(1):95-110. Okada K, Kurita A, Takase B, Otsuka T, Kodani E, Kusama Y, Atarashi H, Mizuno K. Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.

Object Cell therapy has shown preclinical promise in the treatment of many diseases, and its application is being translated to the clinical arena. Intravenous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has been shown to improve functional recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Herein, the authors report on their attempts to reproduce such observations, including detailed characterizations of the MSC population, non-bromodeoxyuridine-based cell labeling, macroscopic and microscopic cell tracking, quantification of cells traversing the pulmonary microvasculature, and well-validated measurement of motor and cognitive function recovery. Methods Rat MSCs were isolated, expanded in vitro, immunophenotyped, and labeled. Four million MSCs were intravenously infused into Sprague-Dawley rats 24 hours after receiving a moderate, unilateral controlled cortical impact TBI. Infrared macroscopic cell tracking was used to identify cell distribution. Immunohistochemical analysis of brain and lung tissues 48 hours and 2 weeks postinfusion revealed transplanted cells in these locations, and these cells were quantified. Intraarterial blood sampling and flow cytometry were used to quantify the number of transplanted cells reaching the arterial circulation. Motor and cognitive behavioral testing was performed to evaluate functional recovery. Results At 48 hours post-MSC infusion, the majority of cells were localized to the lungs. Between 1.5 and 3.7% of the infused cells were estimated to traverse the lungs and reach the arterial circulation, 0.295% reached the carotid artery, and a very small percentage reached the cerebral parenchyma (0.0005%) and remained there. Almost no cells were identified in the brain tissue at 2 weeks postinfusion. No motor or cognitive functional improvements in recovery were identified. Conclusions The intravenous infusion of MSCs appeared neither to result in significant acute or prolonged cerebral engraftment of cells nor to modify the recovery of motor or cognitive function. Less than 4% of the infused cells were likely to traverse the pulmonary microvasculature and reach the arterial circulation, a phenomenon termed the "pulmonary first-pass effect," which may limit the efficacy of this therapeutic approach. The data in this study contradict the findings of previous reports and highlight the potential shortcomings of acute, single-dose, intravenous MSC therapy for TBI.

J Neurosurg. 2009 Jun;110(6):1189-97. Harting MT, Jimenez F, Xue H, Fischer UM, Baumgartner J, Dash PK, Cox CS. Departments of Pediatric Surgery and.

by Marta J. Luzim, MS

Everyone wants to be happy. As children, and still as adults, we want to believe Jiminy Cricket's lullabuy, "When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are, when you wish upon a star your dreams come true."

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

Phrenological thinking was influential in 19th-century psychiatry. Originally it was based upon the idea that personality traits could be determined by examining bumps on the head. Phrenology was eventually discredited as a pseudoscience. However, the concept of relating specific brain function to specific behaviors did not totally go away. In the 1860s, Paul Broca discovered left temporal speech centers. And in 1874, Carl Wernicke revealed that an area near the Broca's Area affected receptive speech. This led to a renewed interest in the belief that specific brain substrates relate to particular functions of the mind. This was further promoted in the 1950s when Wilder Penfield was able to locate memory centers in discrete brain locations. This is the foundation of the theory of localization – which extremists view as a justification for cognitive rigidity. However, over the past few decades researchers have debated the relevance of localization as compared to a more dynamic view of the brain's plasticity – which posits that the environment can cause cognitive reorganization.

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Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait able to modulate many behavioural/physiological processes and associated with peculiar functional characteristics of the frontal executive system. This review summarizes experimental results on hypnotizability-related differences in sensorimotor integration at a reflex and an integrated level (postural control) and suggests possible interpretations based on morpho-functional considerations. In particular, hypnotizability-related differences in spinal motoneurones excitability are described, and the role of attention and imagery in maintaining a stable upright stance when sensory information is reduced or altered and when attention is absorbed in cognitive tasks is discussed as a function of hypnotic susceptibility. The projections from prefrontal cortex to spinal motoneurones and the balance between the activation of the right and left cortical hemisphere are considered responsible for the hypnotizability-related modulation of reflex responses, while the differences in postural control between subjects with high (highs) and low (lows) hypnotic susceptibility are considered a possible consequence of the activity of the locus coeruleus, which is also involved in attention, and of the cerebellum, which might be responsible for different internal models of postural control. We suggest a highly pervasive role of hypnotic susceptibility in human behaviour through the modulation of the integration of perception and action, which could be relevant for neurorehabilitative treatments and for the adaptation to special environments.

Cogn Neuropsychol. 2008 Oct-Dec;25(7-8):1065-76. Carli G, Manzoni D, Santarcangelo EL. Department of Physiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

General

Full Title: Progression to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): could it be prevented by manual therapy and exercise during the 'at risk' stage (stage 0)?

A number of predisposing factors are recognised as increasing the risk of developing chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). There is increasing recognition that COPD may be an inflammatory disease with systemic consequences. However, the trigger for the transition from 'at risk' (stage 0) to COPD state remains unclear. The current approach to intervention for the 'at risk' group is risk factor avoidance. We propose that if interventions shown to improve chronic respiratory symptoms in COPD sufferers could be applied to the 'at risk' group, then moderation or even reversal of the changes typical of this transition becomes a possibility. Exercise training has been shown to be beneficial at all stages of COPD. Mobility of the chest wall influences lung function. We hypothesise that the application to 'at risk' individuals (stage 0) of therapeutic interventions known to improve chronic respiratory symptoms and cardiovascular function in mild/moderate COPD (stages 1 and 2) could delay progression of the disease (i.e. manifestation of mild/moderate COPD). If the hypothesis were confirmed, the potential to delay or even prevent the onset of COPD would be feasible.

Med Hypotheses. 2009 Mar;72(3):288-90. Engel RM, Vemulpad S. Department of Health and Chiropractic, Macquarie University, Bldg E7A 222, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia. rengel@els.mq.edu.au

by Isa Gucciardi, PhD

From the shamanic perspective, one of the primary causes of imbalance is soul loss. Soul loss can be caused by any type of trauma: emotional, physical, spiritual, or psychological. And trauma can be the result of many things including verbal or physical attack, surgery, abuse, or a sudden loss. From a shamanic perspective, when trauma occurs, a soul part can become frozen outside of time. When this happens, the soul part does not evolve with the person as they continue their life. If this situation is not addressed, many problems can occur, including depression, addiction, and even chronic illness.

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This randomized clinical trial compared cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with minimal parent involvement to CBT with active parent involvement in a sample of 119 youths (7-16 years old; 33.6% Caucasian, 61.3% Latino) with anxiety disorders. The dynamics of change between youth anxiety and parent variables (positive-negative behaviors toward the child, conflict in the parent-youth relationship, and parental anxiety) in both treatment conditions over pretreatment, posttreatment, and 12-month follow-up were also examined. Results indicated that youth anxiety was significantly reduced with both treatments and that the dynamics of change may not solely flow from parent to youth but also from youth to parent. Findings highlight the need for research on directionality and mechanisms of change to move from evidence-based treatments toward evidence-based explanations of treatment outcome. Copyright 2009 APA

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Jun;77(3):474-85. Silverman WK, Kurtines WM, Jaccard J, Pina AA. Department of Psychology, Child and Family Psychosocial Research Center, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, USA. silverw@fiu.edu

S. L. Shapiro and colleagues (2006) have described a testable theory of the mechanisms of mindfulness and how it affects positive change. They describe a model in which mindfulness training leads to a fundamental change in relationship to experience (reperceiving), which leads to changes in self-regulation, values clarification, cognitive and behavioral flexibility, and exposure. These four variables, in turn, result in salutogenic outcomes. Analyses of responses from participants in a mindfulness-based stress-reduction program did not support the mediating effect of changes in reperceiving on the relationship of mindfulness with those four variables. However, when mindfulness and reperceiving scores were combined, partial support was found for the mediating effect of the four variables on measures of psychological distress. Issues arising in attempts to test the proposed theory are discussed, including the description of the model variables and the challenges to their assessment. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

J Clin Psychol. 2009 Jun;65(6):613-26. Carmody J, Baer RA, L B Lykins E, Olendzki N. University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. james.carmody@umassmed.edu

Mark Gorkin, MSW, LICSW, "The Stress Doc" ™, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, is an acclaimed keynote and kickoff speaker and "Motivational Humorist" known for his interactive, inspiring and FUN speaking and workshop programs. In addition, the "Doc" is a team building and organizational development consultant for a variety of govt. agencies, corporations and non-profits and is AOL's "Online Psychohumorist" ™. Mark is an Adjunct Professor, No. VA (NOVA) Community College and currently he is leading "Stress, Team Building and Humor" programs for the 1st Cavalry and 4th Infantry Divisions, Ft. Hood, Texas. A former Stress and Conflict Consultant for the US Postal Service, the Stress Doc is the author of Practice Safe Stress and of The Four Faces of Anger.

For more information visit www.StressDoc.com.

by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

I would like to take you on a journey back in time. Let's go back about forty five years ago for some of you, for the others ask those closest to you these questions.

• Did grandma complain of getting hot during the day or night?

• Did grandma have all of her organs when she passed on; her gall bladder and uterus were they removed?

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Previous studies on the role of hypnotizability in postural control indicate that the body sway of subjects with high or low hypnotizability to hypnosis is differentially modulated by eye closure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hypnotizability also modulates the postural response to electrical vestibular stimulation and to head rotation in nonhypnotized individuals. The center of pressure (CoP) displacements were monitored in highs and lows standing on a stabilometric platform with closed eyes during basal conditions and electrical vestibular stimulation in 3 different positions of the head. Results showed that the CoP stimulus-locked displacements as well as the CoP mean position, area, and mean velocity were similar in highs and lows, but only in lows did the head position modulate the mean velocity. This finding might reflect a difference in sensory-motor integration between the 2 groups.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Apr;56(2):170-84. Santarcangelo EL, Scattina E, Orsini P, Bruschini L, Ghelarducci B, Manzoni D. University of Pisa, Italy. enricals@dfb.unipi.it

by Coach Cary Bayer

"You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mr. In-between.
-- Johnny Mercer

More than half a century ago, Broadway's Tin Pan Alley offered the above advice to Americans who wanted to succeed in love and business. It's also true today for those today who want to succeed in life and the healing arts of massage, chiropractic, hypnotherapy, psychological counseling, medicine, energy medicine, nursing, social work, and other integrative healing modalities.

Most such healers think of their massage work as a "practice." If you want to "practice" massage, say, call me, and I'll be glad to let you practice on my back. If you want a massage business-or a business in any of the professions above--call me, but for a different reason: I'll show you how to change the attitudes about money and business kicking around in the cellar of your subconscious mind that hold you back from success in your chosen field.

A powerful way to accomplish this transformation is by rewiring your mind through affirmations. It's critical to release the negative thoughts preventing your success. In coaching more than150 licensed massage therapists, as well as dozens of healers in a variety of other fields, I've discovered four such common thoughts.

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Barbara Goulding writes poetry and articles and is featured in some of the YSR e-magazine publications online. She currently is a Reiki Master and received her certification in 2006. Barbara is trained in many other healing modalities such as Kundalini Reiki, Elemental Reiki, and many to numerous to list. Barbara loves to help others and enjoys studying a vast ray of subjects to further her growth. Making a difference in this world is what she seeks to accomplish in this life.

For more information visit: healingispersonal.blogspot.com/, http://heavenshealinghands.ning.com

Full Title: Exposure-based cognitive-behavioral treatment of PTSD in adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder: a pilot study

In an open trial design, adults (n=20) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated via an 11-week cognitive-behavioral intervention for PTSD that consisted of education, anxiety management therapy, social skills training, and exposure therapy, provided at community mental health centers. Results offer preliminary hope for effective treatment of PTSD among adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, especially among treatment completers (n=13). Data showed significant PTSD symptom improvement, maintained at 3-month follow-up. Further, 12 of 13 completers no longer met criteria for PTSD or were considered treatment responders. Clinical outcomes for other targeted domains (e.g., anger, general mental health) also improved and were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Participants evidenced high treatment satisfaction, with no adverse events. Significant improvements were not noted on depression, general anxiety, or physical health status. Future directions include the need for randomized controlled trials and dissemination efforts.

J Anxiety Disord. 2009 Jun;23(5):665-75. Christopher Frueh B, Grubaugh AL, Cusack KJ, Kimble MO, Elhai JD, Knapp RG. The Menninger Clinic and Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 2801 Gessner Dr., Houston, TX 77080, United States. frueh@hawaii.edu

by David Quigley

If you are overweight you may be tired of everyone telling you that losing weight is just about eating less food and or consuming fewer calories. You may have tried every diet old and new. But, sometimes it seems that our bodies have found a way to turn a plate of lettuce into a pound of fat! Many people who attempt weight loss discover sooner or later their efforts are complicated by metabolic programming that keeps weight on the body regardless of how one changes their eating habits.

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By Iain B. McIntosh BA (Hons), MBChB, DGMRCP, DRCOG, FTTMRCPS(Glas)

Fears and phobias are common. Fear and anxiety can be the psychological stimuli to drive personal behaviour. Phobias however may prove an annoying inconvenience or a major disability. Fear is a normal condition of life and a response to a real or imagined threat. Minor fears are within the cultural norm, with a continuum of fear between mild and intense phobia- a morbid response disproportionate to causative stimulus. Phobias can be simple and specific, or be associated with panic reaction and wider ranging agoraphobia.

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There is a need to further our understanding of the neurophysiological effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation on brain activity as it pertains to both musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal complaints. This paper aims to provide a basic overview of the most commonly utilised techniques in the neurosciences for functional imaging the brain (positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computerised tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography), and discuss their applicability in future chiropractic research. Functional neuroimaging modalities are used in a wide range of different research and clinical settings, and are powerful tools in the investigation of neuronal activity in the human brain. There are many potential applications for functional neuroimaging in future chiropractic research, but there are some feasibility issues, mainly pertaining to access and funding. We strongly encourage the use of functional neuroimaging in future investigations of the effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation on brain function.

JCCA J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2009 Mar;53(1):59-72. Lystad RP, Pollard H. Postgraduate Student, Department of Health and Chiropractic, Macquarie University.

Postural control in subjects with high (Highs) and low (Lows) susceptibility to hypnosis is differentially affected by changes in visual and neck tactile/proprioceptive input. The aim of the present experiment was to investigate whether imagery of the visual and tactile sensory modalities also induces different modulation of postural control in Highs and Lows. Fourteen Highs and 16 Lows were included in the study; they were recorded while standing upright with eyes closed during visual and tactile imagery tasks and during mental computation. Their posture and movement were recorded with an Elite System and their experience was assessed after each task in a structured interview. Visual imagery was judged "easier" than tactile imagery by Lows, while Highs performed both tasks easily and judged the tactile imagery less effortful and more vivid than Lows. No difference was observed for the mental computation. The Highs' body sway was not affected by the cognitive tasks, while Lows showed a task-related modulation of body sway. The results are in line with the hypothesis of lower vulnerability of Highs to the effects of tasks interfering with postural control and of different sensory-motor integration in Highs and Lows.

Exp Brain Res. 2007 May;179(2):147-54. Carli G, Cavallaro FI, Rendo CA, Santarcangelo EL. Department of Physiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

by David Kohlhagen LPC, NBCCH

I think that our clients have little understanding of what hypnosis is and what it is not. Even within the profession there is no universal definition. Our understanding of what can be achieved with hypnosis--and indeed even what hypnosis is--is experiencing a growth spurt due to studies in epigenetics, genomics, bioinformatics, activity-dependent gene expression, mind-body communication and healing, and new models like Ernest Rossi's "implicit processing heuristics." Even we professionals can be excused for being more than a little dazzled, giddy, and perhaps even confused by the ever-expanding possibilities of hypnosis.

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The aim of this article is to review the literature on Tai Chi and meditation. A coherent construct is developed that includes a comparative analysis and conceptual synthesis of existing theories. The authors discuss a set of assumptions that justify this synthesis; they also argue that this construct would facilitate greater understanding of Tai Chi from the perspective of meditation. Such synthesis may bring "additional" benefits to Tai Chi practitioners as they could recognize that this mind-body technique holds the essence of meditation. Within the scope of this article, the evidence shows a majority of common features when concerning Tai Chi and meditation. These mutual similarities should be taken into account when performing this type of mind-body medicine by patients and/or therapists. Finally, the authors suggest that this inspiring compilation of movements and mindfulness can be used for practical purposes.

J Holist Nurs. 2009 Jun;27(2):103-14. Posadzki P, Jacques S. University of East Anglia, School of Medicine, Health Policy.

The healing power of music has been recognized since ancient times. The use of music has been documented in diverse cultures worldwide, for ailments ranging from pain and cancer to depression and posttraumati stress disorder. The various models of music therapy are based on different theoretical traditions, including behaviorist, humanist, and psychodynamic approache This article describes the music therapy approach known as the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) therapy, reviews its research base, and presents a first-person account of the experience of GIM treatment.

J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2009 Jan;47(1):29-33. Beebe LH, Wyatt TH. University of Tennessee College of Nursing, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA. lbeebe1@utk.edu

Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome which is not due to tissue damage or inflammation and is thus fundamentally different from rheumatic disorders and many other pain conditions. In addition to widespread pain it is associated with a range of other symptoms such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, cognitive disturbance, stiffness and depressive symptoms. A number of multidisciplinary therapeutic programmes involving education, exercise and cognitive therapy have been shown to be effective in bringing relief. The various medications that are currently being developed for the treatment of fibromyalgia are based on different mechanistic approaches. In particular, serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) such as duloxetine and milnacipran and alpha2-delta receptor ligands such as pregabalin have been shown, in a variety of placebo-controlled studies, to bring significant relief from pain and other symptoms. The complex symptomatology of fibromyalgia will, however, continue to require a multidisciplinary approach including education and exercise in addition to drug therapy to achieve the most efficient management of fibromyalgia. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hum Psychopharmacol. 2009 Jun;24 Suppl 1:S3-10. Spaeth M, Briley M. Rheumatologische Schwerpunktpraxis, Gräfelfing/München, Germany. dr.spaeth@mac.com

In this article, we studied how meditation affects the characteristics of the cardiovascular system, mainly based on blood pressure waveforms (BPW). Four parameters derived from BPW include the rising slope (h(1)/t(1)), normalized height of T wave (h(3)/h(1)), normalized height of V(3) valley (h(4)/h(1)) and normalized height of D wave (h(5)/h(1)), where t(1) and h(i), i = 1, ... ,5 are quantitative features of the BPW waveform pattern. A larger value of h(1)/t(1) reflects better heart ejection ability and aorta compliance. A larger value of h(3)/h(1) may infer an arterial system with good elasticity. The decrease (increase) of h(4)/h(1) parameter indicates the decrease (increase) of peripheral resistance of vessels. A larger value of h(5)/h(1) indicates better artery elasticity and aortic valve function. In comparison with the control group, Zen-meditation practitioners have more after-meditation h(1)/t(1), h(3)/h(1) and h(5)/h(1) increase, with more h(4)/h(1) decrease, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The observation allows us to infer that Zen meditation may effectively improve relevant characteristics of the cardiovascular system.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Mar;6(1):107-12. Liu CY, Wei CC, Lo PC. Department of Electrical and Control Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Road, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan, R.O.C. pclo@faculty.nctu.edu.tw.