I’m a big fan of tai chi and yoga; they are a wonderful exercise for young and old — especially tai chi for the elderly. They also provide terrific and sustaining lifestyle changes to deal with stress. The Mayo Clinic website just published a nice series of articles about tai chi and yoga that can help beginners.… Read the rest
All posts by Richard Saint Cyr MD
Running Barefoot: Better Than Sneakers?
All you runners spending a paycheck on the latest running gear may want to know that mounting evidence suggests barefoot is better. There’s a fascinating review in the latest Scientific American (Observations: Running barefoot is better, researchers find) that reviews the latest medical literature, including a recent article in Nature that analyzed stress patterns of barefoot runners.… Read the rest
Indoor Plants: Natural Air Purifiers
Are you aware that certain plants can act as natural air purifiers? Indoor air pollution is a serious problem in many communities, especially in cities. But there are also issues with indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde or varnishes that can also cause problems.… Read the rest
Ear Wax: What Works Best?
Every once in a while, children and adults feel a lot of pressure or pain in their ears, and thick wax clogs their ear canal and needs to be removed. Doctors can try to scoop or rinse it out, but many over-the-counter drops can soften it up.… Read the rest
Air Pollution: Do Your Schools Have Action Plans?
Air pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas. Many people may not realize that over the last five years there is a lot of new research proving more serious health effects at lower levels than we had previously thought.… Read the rest
Food Allergy in Kids: Are We Over-Diagnosing?
Food allergies in children, as a diagnosis, are more common than before. But are we over-diagnosing? The main issue is that the tests we perform, especially the blood tests for allergens, may show a positive “in vitro” allergy but “in vivo”, AKA in real life, there may not be a clinically significant allergy.… Read the rest