The Power of Placebo Thinking

The word Placebo is Latin for "I shall please". First used in the medicinal context in the 18th century, it was defined as "any medicine adapted more to please than to benefit the patient."

The placebo effect is one the most intriguing processes in modern medicine - the healing power of a sham therapy with positive psychological inputs.  A wide variety of things can be placebos such as pills, creams, inhalants and injections using pharmacologically inert substances.  Ultrasound examination, sham surgery or sham electrodes implanted in the brain and even the treating physician fall under the category of controversially powerful placebos.  Most people can attest that the mere expectation of relief somehow makes you feel better.  In a recent study by University of Michigan participants who were told they would receive painkillers showed an increased production of endorphins, the brain's natural pain reliever, even through they got no analgesics at all.  Painkillers and anxiety reducing drugs that are given without a person's knowledge are less effective than when a patient is put on a placebo with an assurance that the drug will work.  the power of positive thinking and reinforcement is utilized in getting he desired effect of the placebo.  A patient's recovery can be increased by words that suggest that he would be better in a few days' as opposed to the negative connotations.   Prescribing a placebo is a choice that every doctor faces almost on a daily basis.  It may be to claim a particularly fussy patient or help in relieving the anxiety associated wi5th being in an alien environment, such as a hospital.  The most common placebos utilized the world over are antibiotics for viral infections and vitamins for fatigue.  Only one out of three people are affected by the use of placebos so it is impossible to determine whether they would work ahead of time. Placebos are whether they would work ahead  of time.  Placebos are impartial for long term usage, especially in chronic medical conditions.  In the hands of unscrupulous medical practitioners placebos are used to swindle unsuspecting patients with fake surgeries and sugar pills.  This gives rise to number of ethical issues abut the use of placebos as an effective method of treating disease. 

(By Dr. Sumaiya Syed Tariq---The writer is pursuing a post graduation at the Dow University of Health Sciences)

How to Excercise your Back

You use your back muscles in almost every activity you do, so it is worth taking the time to exercise and strengthen them.
Exercising your back will improve your overall fitness and help you to add muscle to your upper body.
Exercising your back also helps to prevent lower back injury and pain, whether work-related or not. It's critical for having a healthy and pain-free back.

Steps

1. Stretch before you start with the exercises. Stretching is an important way to improve your health and fitness. Follow proper stretching techniques:
   
   • Perform balanced stretching. This means you should always stretch the muscles on both sides of your body evenly. Don’t stretch one side more than the other side.
     
   • Avoid over-stretching. Never stretch to the point of pain or discomfort. You will feel slight tension or a pull on the muscle at the peak of the stretch.
     
   • Go slowly! Always stretch slowly and evenly. Hold the stretch for about fifteen seconds and release slowly as well.
     
   • Never bounce or jerk while stretching. This can cause injury as a muscle is pushed beyond its ability. All stretches should be smooth, and slow.
     
   • Don't forget to breathe. Flexibility exercises should be relaxing. Deep, easy, even breathing is key to relaxation. Never hold your breath while you stretch.[1]
     
   
   
2. Start with proper posture before you do your exercises. A good posture means:
   
   • A straight line from your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
     
   • Head is centered.
     
   • Shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height.[2]
     
   
   
3. Start with your back exercises. Here are some easy exercises that you can do without the use of expensive fitness devices.
   
• Knee to chest exercise:
  
  1. Lie on your back on an exercise mat or firm surface.
     
  2. Hold your hands behind the thighs and pull your thighs towards your chest.
     
  3. Keep the opposite leg flat on the surface of the mat and maintain the position for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
     
  
  
• Pelvic Tilt:
  
  1. Lie on your back on a firm surface or an exercise mat. Keep your feet flat on the surface and your knees bent.
     
  2. Push the small of your back into the floor by pulling the lower abdominal muscles up and in.
     
  3. Hold your back flat while breathing easily in and out. Hold for five seconds. Do not hold your breath.
     
  
  
• Hip rolling:
  
  1. Lie on your back on a firm surface or an exercise mat. Keep both of your knees bent, and keep your feet flat on the surface.
     
  2. Cross your arms over your chest. Turn your head to the right as you turn both of your knees to the left.
     
  3. Allow your knees to relax and go down without forcing. Bring your knees back up, head to center.
     
  4. Repeat in the opposite direction.
     
  
  
• Lower abdominal exercise:
  
  1. Lie on your back on a firm surface or an exercise mat.
     
  2. Keep your knees bent and keep your feet flat on the surface.
     
  3. Flatten your back to the floor by pulling your abdominal muscles up and in.
     
  4. Bring one knee toward your chest. Hold this position for a couple of seconds.
     
  5. Lower your leg to the starting position. Then repeat on your opposite knee.
     
  6. Bring one knee toward your chest. Straighten your knee and hold for a couple of seconds. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat it on your opposite leg.
     
  7. Raise your leg, keeping your knee straight. Hold for a couple of seconds. Slowly lower your leg to the floor. Repeat on your opposite leg.
     
  8. Maintain your pelvic tilt and keep your resting leg relaxed at all times. Do not hold your breath.
     
  
  
• Curl Up:
  
  1. Lie on your back on a firm surface or on an exercise mat.
     
  2. Keep your feet flat on the surface and keep your knees bent. Maintain your pelvic tilt for the curl up exercises.
     
  3. Slowly reach your arms in front of you as much as possible, curling your trunk. Slowly keep the neck muscles relaxed. Breathe normally. Slowly return to the starting position.
     
  4. Fold your arms on your chest. Tuck your chin to your chest and slowly reach your elbows to your knees, curling your trunk. Keep your neck muscles relaxed and breathe normally and return to the starting position.
     
  5. Keep your hands behind your head, and slowly curl your head to your chest and then your trunk. Relax, breathe and then slowly return to the starting position.
     
  
  
• Cat and camel:
  
  1. Kneel down on the floor and assume the "all-fours" position. Keep your head straight so that the gaze of your eyes is toward the floor.
     
  2. Slowly allow your trunk to sag as far as you can so that your back is arched. Do not pull it down, but let it relax as you lift up your face towards the ceiling.
     
  3. Round your back up at the waist as far as you can by contracting your lower abdominal muscles as you lower the top of your head toward the floor. All motion should be initiated from your lower back.
     
  
  
• Tail Wagging:
  
  1. Kneel on a mat and assume the "all-fours" position. Keep your head in a neutral position, looking down at the floor.
     
  2. Keeping your shoulders still, move your right hip toward your right shoulder as far as you can.
     
  3. Slowly return to the starting position, then move your left hip toward your left shoulder as far as you can.
     
  
  
• Hip extension:
  
  1. Assume the "all-fours" position. Bring one knee toward your head as you lower the head.
     
  2. Extend the head up and the leg out to a flat position, parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position.
     
  3. Repeat, with your other leg.
     
  
  
• Hand-knee rocking:
  
  1. Kneel on a mat in a child pose with your knees and ankles against the mat. Allow your buttocks to rest on your heels.
     
  2. Take your upper body over so you are in a crouched position with your arms stretched out in front of you.
     
  3. Relax in this position and then slowly move forward with your elbows, straight into a press-up position.
     
  
  
• Lying prone in extension:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat with your weight on your forearms.
     
  2. Lean on your elbows and stay in this position for a couple of seconds, making sure that you relax your lower back completely.
     
  
  
• Press up:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat. Place your hands, palms down, under your shoulders.
     
  2. Straighten your arms, and raise your upper torso off the floor.
     
  3. Keep your pelvis against the mat, allowing your lower back to arch. Hold for a couple of seconds. Return to your starting position and repeat.
     
  
  
• Back extension:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat. Place your arms at your sides so that your hands are by your hips.
     
  2. Raise your head and shoulders off the mat as high as comfortably possible. Hold for a couple of seconds.
     
  3. Lower your head and your shoulders. Do not tense your shoulder muscles.
     
  
  
• Arm lifts:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat. Stretch your arms over your head and go slightly out to the side (in a V position).
     
  2. Lift one arm, with your hand positioned so that the thumb points upward. Keep your thighs and your opposite arm relaxed.
     
  3. Slowly lower your arm, then raise your other arm in the same manner.
     
  
  
• Hip extension:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat. Bend your knee to a 90 degree angle so that the sole of your foot faces the ceiling.
     
  2. Lift one thigh off the mat approximately 6 inches by raising your foot toward the ceiling. Make sure that your hip bones do not leave the mat as you lift your leg.
     
  3. Slowly lower your thigh back to the starting position.
     
  
  
• Knee push up:
  
  1. Lie on your stomach on a mat. Place your hands with the palms down on the mat at the level of your shoulders.
     
  2. Push with your arms. Lift your trunk and thighs off the surface of the mat until your elbows are straight. Your knees should be bent, and your lower legs and feet should be on the mat.
     
  3. Keep your back straight and do not let your stomach sag.
     
  4. Slowly bend your elbows, lowering your trunk and thighs toward the surface of the mat. Push away from the mat again, and straighten your arms.
     
  
  
• Push up:
  
  1. Lay on your stomach, and place your hands, with the palms down, on the floor at the level of your shoulders.
     
  2. Flex your toes so that the weight of your body is shared by your hands and the soles of your feet. Push with your arms and raise your trunk and legs off the floor.
     
  3. Keep your back straight and do not let your stomach sag.
     
  4. Bend your elbows to lower your body halfway toward the floor, then push your body back by straightening your arms.
     
  
  
• Trunk rotation:
  
  1. Assume the "all-fours" position. Reach one arm under your body toward the opposite knee. Hold for a couple of seconds. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat, with alternating arms.
     
  2. With weight on both hands, bring one knee towards the opposite shoulder. Hold for a couple of seconds. Return to the starting position, repeat with alternating knees.
     
  
  
• Full back release:
  
  1. Sit in a chair with your feet flat. Relax your shoulders and keep your head level. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your buttocks and your feet.
     
  2. Relax your neck. Curl your neck, upper back and low back slowly forward.
     
  3. Allow your hands to reach the floor so your palms are touching the floor. Hold for a couple of seconds. Go straight up slowly, so that you bring your head up last. Return to the starting position.
     
  
  
• Upper back stretch:
  
  1. Sit on a stool with your back flat against a wall.
     
  2. Lift your arms overhead. Keep your head and back flat against the wall, and hold for a couple of seconds.
     
  3. Make sure that your shoulders can touch the wall while keeping your back flat. Hold for a couple of seconds, and lower your hands to the starting position.
     
  
  
• Side bending:
  
  1. Stand up straight with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder width apart.
     
  2. Bend your trunk to one side, by lowering your shoulder, run your hand down the outside of your thigh and hold for a couple of seconds.
     
  3. Slowly straighten up. Repeat to the opposite side.
     
  
  
• Backward bending:
  
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart.
     
  2. Keep your knees as straight as possible. Place your hands on your back firmly at your waist level.
     
  3. Bend backwards at your waist keeping the knees as straight as possible. Hold for a couple of seconds. Return slowly to the upright position.
     
  
  
• Pectoralis stretch:
  
1. Stand with your legs together facing a corner. Extend your arms and place your palms against the opposite walls of the corner.
   
2. Lean toward the corner. Keep your body and legs straight and your heels firmly on the floor and hold for a couple of seconds.
   
3. Return to the starting position. Repeat, gradually increasing your distance from the corner.
   
   

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/flexibility/a/aa040703a.htm


2. ↑ http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/a/coreandposture_2.htm

nismat.org

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How to Ignore Pain and Feeling

Pain and emotions are just thoughts triggered in your head that seem too strong to overcome. When confronted with these senses or thoughts, one usually has little control over his or her action in the following sequences. Many can suppress emotions and try to hide pain, but with a controlled thought and strong will, both can be ignored completely up to a certain level. It doesn't make you invulnerable, but it makes you more durable or less fearful. The feeling is a cold one and shouldn't be taken on by those with a weak mind, body, or soul.

Steps

1. Know the pros. Everybody has natural (and necessary) mechanisms for ignoring pain and negative feelings. The harder thing to do is to let yourself feel the feelings fully, when you are ready, and deal with them. However, at times it can be important to ignore them for some time. For example, when they are too powerful for you to deal with, and you are not ready, when they interfere with a strong need, such as the need for survival, to work for money, to negotiate a tough situation with people who cannot support you with your feelings, or to protect yourself from temporary hazards.
   
2. Know the cons. Read the warnings below. Hiding your feelings can delay your progress, can inhibit healthy communication and trust.
   
3. Control your anger. Before anything else, the key is anger. As anger builds in you, it can be used to help block off thinking. Try to concentrate to be angry and to push it down.
   
4. Stop feeling whatever it is If you wish to live with no sorrow, after you can control your anger well enough, begin to talk yourself out of sadness; to just not care. This is the next step in learning - to not lose yourself in emotions and feelings. Try to stop caring and say, i control my life. Be bold be strong. Try push it out of your head. Things wont bother you if you wont let them.
   
5. Block out mental stresses and pain for physical pain. This system is a bit different because now you must endure before you can truly leave behind physical pain. This doesn't mean you have to cut yourself. You just have to accept the feeling of pain when you're hurt. Find a sparring partner, a close friend perhaps, preferably someone bigger.
   
6. Focus. Now you must realize a truth in life. It's a truth that you will need to focus on. All your feelings come from thoughts and impulses in your head that tell you something is wrong or right, like a burn or a tickle. What you must do is realize that with enough pushing and controlled thought, you can change wrong to right, sorrow into happiness, etc. With pain, all you do is tell yourself it doesn't hurt. It seems simple, but is harder than one can truly imagine.
   
7. Inspiring Quotes."" Will help you too. Try to look up inspiring quotes on google, they make you feel better. Try listening to songs that have strong lyrics. Know that this wont be forever.
   

Tips

• Don't be overconfident. Don't try to breeze through such a drastic change in one's self. Be safe about how you do this - no cutting, stabbing, or poking yourself intentionally. Life is full of pain and all you need to do is wait for it.
  
• Also, for the first and second steps, it might seem as though there isn't a lot of description to it. That is because only your own mind and way of thinking can judge how long it takes and how you must go about following those steps.
  

Warnings

• This will drastically alter a person. The life it gives you can be a cold one. Don't ruin something good and don't do anything stupid when trying this. If one goes through with this change, be prepared. In fact, in my opinion, no one should ever try this if there are doubts in their minds.
  
• Do not think only about yourself- think about the other people you WILL hurt, such as your loved ones.
  
• Remember, though you will not feel pain or sadness, you will not feel happiness or joy either. Life is pain. If you subtract pain, you subtract joy.
  
• Do not be fooled into thinking that this way of life is peaceful!
  

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How to Empty your Mind

Emptying your mind is very powerful when you have a problem. Now, learn how to!

Steps

1. Sit somewhere quiet. Total silence is not necessary – but music, television noise, or people talking will be distracting.
   
2. Sit comfortably. Sitting in a chair is fine. Sit reasonably upright, but do not strain to achieve any particular posture.
   
3. Wear loose, comfortable clothes. Loosen your belt if it is tight.
   
4. Close your eyes almost all the way, so that a little light enters but you cannot see anything clearly.
   
5. When thoughts come – let them come. When thoughts go – let them go. If you find yourself involved in a stream of thoughts, let go of your involvement with them. Keep letting go of involvement. Remain uninvolved. Just let go. Whatever happens – let it be as it is.
   
6. If you feel good – do not hold on to those positive thoughts. If you feel bad – do not reject those negative thoughts. Especially important: if you feel nothing in particular – do not drift into numbness and lack of presence.
   
7. Remain alert. You probably will feel refreshed and empty minded.
   

Tips

• Do this in a dark, quiet room.
  
• You should keep your eyes closed.
  
• You can do this in your bed or a couch, but if you think you will fall asleep, don't lay down.
  

Warnings

• You may feel strange when you first start. But don't be alarmed- this is all part of the process.
  

• Closing the eyes for a long time may make you feel sleepy.Focus on brain and make sure you empty your mind without thinking any life's petty ordeals.
  

Things You'll Need

• A couch or bed
  
• A thought you'd like to get rid of (Optional)
  
• A dark place (optional)
  
• No distractions
  

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How to Control Food Addiction

Are you gulping down food every 5 minutes? Do you want to know how to stop this addiction and lose weight? If so, read on.

Steps

1. To start off, you will have to admit to yourself that this is unhealthy and must stop. If you want, you can ask a family member to guard the fridge, so if you get a temptation to eat, they will stop you (unless they have an addiction themselves).
   
2. Next, drink water whenever you have the urge to eat. Believe it or not, one glass of water really helps your appetite go down.
   
3. Talk to anyone with a cured addiction for food, and ask them how they stopped eating. They will probably mention that it is very hard to stop yourself.
   
4. Meditate and see how many days you can keep up without eating extra junk(main meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner don't count).
   
5. Finally, after a few weeks, or a couple of months, hopefully your addiction will be gone!
   

suck on sugar free hard candy
stay busy
plan your meals ahead of time.
Don't keep foods you like to eat in the house

Tips

• In the first few days, it will be EXTREMELY hard, so drink plenty of water and keep away from the fridge!
  
• Your family members might want to set up an alarm on the fridge to keep you from eating.
  
• Do try to have a bigger breakfast, that will keep you full in the afternoon until your lunch!
  

suck on sugar free hard candy
stay busy plan your meals ahead of time.
Don't keep foods you like to eat in the house

Warnings

• Do not try this when you are fasting. It can be overly dangerous, and might make you pass out (everyone needs to eat sometimes).
  
• The alarm on the fridge may contain lasers so try this at your own risk.
  
  

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