Mobile Digital Health

By Nancy Smith

Today’s medical announcement would be astounding if it wasn’t almost intuitive; the results clearly demonstrate that lifestyle behaviors do contribute to stroke risk independently of the intermediate risk factors.

We are all aware that the following four behaviors are beneficial to one’s health. Physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking, and the daily consumption of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day can only have a positive impact. The strength of that impact was recently bolstered by a defining EPIC (European Prospective Investigation of Cancer) study conducted in England.

20,040 men and women ages 40 to 79 had a physical exam and completed a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire upon enrolling in the study. This data determined which participants smoked, drank, were physically active, and whether they ate their fruits and vegetables. The risk of stroke for those who did not practice any of the above mentioned behaviors increased twofold compared with individuals who adopted all four.

“These results provide further incentive and support for the notion that small differences in lifestyle can have a substantial potential impact on risk,” the authors concluded.

Touch and massage can relieve pain and improve mood in cancer patients.

A study comparing the results of touch therapy and massage therapy found that both relieved pain and improved mood, but massage was twice as effective. Furthermore, there was an increase in pain relief as treatment continued over time.

The results are important, suggesting a non-medical way for cancer patients to receive pain relief.

It’s been long known that touch has a soothing affect on the human body, but there have been few studies supporting it.

Touch therapy consists of a therapist placing their hands on specific spots on the body and applying light pressure for a few moments. The treatment comes out of the holistic healing movement and has not garnered much support among those in the medical field.

Massage therapy is more vigorous, including pressing, rolling, and finger pressure at trigger points. Though not common in the hospital, massage therapy is a commonly offered as part of a physical rehabilitation program. Now, it may become an option for patients receiving painful treatments for debilitating diseases.

Barely half the hospitals in the USA have palliative care programs.

If you aren’t sure what palliative care is, that’s part of the problem.

Palliative care is a care program that includes management of pain and other debilitating symptoms and increased communication and care coordination between physician and family. Palliative care increases the quality of life for patients with complex prognoses . . . Greater palliative care has been linked to lower death rates, fewer intensive care admissions during a patient’s final months, and lower overall expense per patient.

The statistics speak, and palliative care has been increasing around the nation, but it is still almost unavailable in many rural hospitals and the south. The trend is upward, but the problem is still widespread.

The best way to receive palliative care is via hospice care, delivered in specialized institutions, such as nursing or assisted living facilities. Such facilities are smaller, more specialized, and less hectic than hospitals, permitting them greater latitude in customizing the service their patients receive.

Palliative care utilizes a broad range of services for one goal: relieve suffering and increase quality of life. When paired with standard medical treatment, the results is a more comfortable treatment and faster recovery.