When
talking to folks at the Center, I find many are using what was once considered
non-traditional medical practices. In fact in the U.S more than 30 percent of
adults, use health care approaches developed outside of mainstream Western, or
conventional, medicine. Two of the most common practices are natural products
such as herbs, vitamins and minerals, and probiotics; and mind and body
practices including the most popular practices: chiropractic and osteopathic
manipulation, meditation, massage therapy and yoga.
But when I
hear of these non-traditional methods, I often describe them as “alternative”
or “complementary” medicines, often interchanging the terms because I really
didn’t know the difference. But while searching various websites for reasons I
have since forgotten, I found this rather straight forward explanation on the National
Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) website.
If a
non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it’s
considered “complementary.” If a non-mainstream practice is used in place of
conventional medicine, it’s considered “alternative”.
Today with
the growing research on the effectiveness of various “complementary” and “alternative”
practices, modern medicine no longer ignores the benefits of many of these
non-western medical approaches. For example, MCMC was an early adopter when
they opened the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in 1996, offering stress
management, exercise, nutrition counseling and an array of non-traditional
therapies to address the whole patient and their health needs.
If you
are considering a complementary practice, I have learned there are several
things to consider. Do your homework. Find out how effective the practice is
and make sure it is safe. (For supplements, drug interactions and possible
contamination are two concerns.) The NCCIH website (nccih.nih.gov.) is a good
place to start. Also talk to your health care provider to make sure there are
no conflicts with your current medications; and to make sure you are not missing
a more serious and preventable health condition.
Like any
decision concerning your health, decisions about whether to use a non-mainstream
practice are important. Make sure you understand the benefits, but also the
possible risks.
Last
chance to remind you of the Southern Fried Chicken Dinner sponsored by Dave
Griffith Motors this Friday night, February 5th, from 4:30 – 7:00 PM
at the Center. Tickets are $15.00 per person and $7.50 for children 12 and
under, and can be purchased at the Center or at the door on Friday. We hope
this becomes a regular event on your calendar as the Baby Back Rib Dinner is on
the first Friday in October.
Cuba
has been in the news since President Obama started liberalizing travel
restrictions in 2011 and recently reestablished diplomatic ties. Last fall, Sandy
Haechrel and Susan Gabay took advantage of this thawing in relations by
spending eight days in Cuba on an educational People to People Exchange. Among the many sites they visited were the cities
of Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, and Trinidad; the Cienfuegos Province Botanical
Gardens and Cienaga de Zapata National
Park; the Bay of Pigs; and Hemingway's winter home; as well as schools, senior
housing, and many art and music venues. They will be sharing their experiences
and impressions with a slide show at the Center’s 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on
February 9th.
At
the Center on February 9th starting at 6:30 PM, Martin and Friends will
be performing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Everyone is welcome and
donations are always appreciated.
Many
folks remembered the Palmer Method and its uniform system of cursive writing. But
this week’s winner of a free quilt raffle ticket is LaVerna Bolton Harmier, who
started school in 1926 at Fairfield School, a one-room school near Wrentham,
graduated from Dufur High School in 1938, retired from teaching in 1982, and is
now living with her daughter in Portland. She learned the Palmer method as a
child, and also taught it to her students, so she knows from experience.
Since
next Sunday is the Super Bowl (when you can watch really expensive advertisements
for really large companies scattered between really big guys banging their
heads together), you know what this week’s “Remember When” question is about.
In
the 1970’s, what football team won four Super Bowls and included future all-stars
Terry, Franco, Joe, Mel, and Lynn. Email your answer to
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it with a
steel curtain.
Well,
it’s been another week losing my note pad with my to-dos that I didn’t want to
forget. Until we meet again, keep moving, keep laughing and keep making the
best of every day.
“If
it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight.” George
Gobel
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