Skip to main content

Maintaining Memory and Balance

Tomorrow, I am giving a talk to a group of local seniors on how to maintain memory and balance. I chose this topic 6 months ago and did not give it much thought at the time; just was thinking that these are the most pertinent challenges of aging. Now as I prepare for the talk, I realize the gravity and importance of this topic. Seniors fear falling and losing their cognition as much as any single thing with the possible exception of death itself.

So what wisdom can I pass on; wisdom that will really matter. Pharmaceuticals are notoriously ineffective for both these issues. No supplement is even marginally helpful. Eating healthy may be helpful but certainly is not bullet-proof. No one really understands what causes Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or any of the other disease states that take away the mind and brain and the spirit of seniors.

What then can we (me as a doctor, seniors and everyone who has an aging parent) do to help? First, we must look at the situation with clear eyes and fresh thoughts. There are very real things people can do to avoid these dreaded consequences and even to promote a "good" end of life. The problem is the answer is not in a pill, supplement or quick-and-easy solution. There is very real research about how to prevent these complications. For example:



This study beautifully demonstrates that even people with mild to moderate dementia can reverse the process with gentle exercise, social connection and mindful awareness. If people with already established disease can improve, then what are the possibilities and power for those looking to prevent the disease. This is truly ground-breaking research and just the work and method we are doing at Pando Health Groups

In addition, balance has been shown for many years to be improved and maintained with regular exercise and more recently, with other disciplines ie Tai Chi for Balance and the Feldenkrais Method (Awareness Through Movement) and other exercise programs for balance. This further demonstrates the remarkable benefits that seniors attain when they stay active and engaged with healthy lifestyles. It really does not matter what the activity; it is the ongoing routine of exercise and movement of any kind that works. People should do what they like and what they enjoy. It is a basic fact of life -- healthy habits come out of pleasure and ease NOT discipline and external pressure. 

So, there it is. The world's most dreaded fears -- falls causing injury, dementia and cognitive loss -- CAN be prevented. We have the power. The power is not in a pill, your doctor or anything outside of you. Communicating openly and continuing a daily routine of pleasurable movement can keep you upright, mentally healthy and happy. Let's do this!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IT'S HAPPENING

Wow, the information available on CCSVI on the internet is truly amazing! I have to admit: I did not research this topic as well as I could have. I did not read the study from Poland before my procedure. I did not realize all the excitement combined with incredible knowledge that is coming out of Georgetown. I am just reading them now and I can hardly contain myself. There is so much data available on CCSVI from around the world. I acted more on a deep gut feeling that CCSVI was real and was my path to healing. I was a little desperate as I felt myself sliding over the last year and didn't feel right with the auto-immune drugs. CCSVI just made sense to me; really good sense. Now reading the data, I am so excited for huge numbers of people to get healed/opened/freed! After doing a little research, it seems that nearly all people with definite MS have CCSVI. It also seems that people with MS who have the procedure have less flairs over time and a better quality of life. Some get a lo...

The Future of Primary Care (and the Future is Now)

What do people need from their primary care doctor/practice? These are our goals at Pando: To deliver all of these  with a kind heart .         (1) Rapid access               a. In person when necessary               b. Via phone or email on an ongoing basis         (2) Diagnosis, Treatment and Monitoring of acute and chronic problems with the current  BEST  practices         (3) Close Follow-up after acute illnesses, ER visits; referral to superior specialty care when needed         (4) Preventive Care               a. Prophylactic Medicines, Screening Tests (Mammograms, Colonoscopy)               b. Lifestyle Advice, Behavior Change Advice and Guidance with follow-up support         (5) Meeting of non-medical needs ...

Placebo

Someone recently asked me in response to my blog as well as to the success of the Liberation Procedure, "Is it just placebo effect"? This is truly a loaded question. After my initial defensive reaction, I gave it deeper thought. Placebo is truly a giant word and concept. It has negative connotations("he is just better because of the placebo effect") but it has immense power and strength. In research studies, experimenters often compare a new treatment with a placebo. In order for the treatment to be accepted, a new therapy has to be better than placebo. In most studies placebo does remarkably well ie 30-40% benefit. So 30-40 per cent of people get better with a sugar pill or an inert substance. This speaks strongly about several points. First, approximately one third of people get better with no intervention with placebo or time or just believing that they will get better. This has enormous power. Harnessing the power of this safe intervention can be amazingly hea...