Patient Daily Living

For natural pain relief from everyday, chronic aches, try far infrared heat therapy—as close as a new heating pad.

As we get older and chronic conditions surface—whether it’s high blood pressure, another form of heart disease or diabetes, for instance—taking medication becomes vital.

The ancient practice of Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga which uses herbs, oils and lifestyle advice to correct physical ailments.

Years ago doctors were mainly concerned about vitamin D deficiency in children. Foods were fortified with vitamin D to prevent the bone disease called rickets. Now we know that rickets was only the tip of the iceberg and that seniors are also at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. According to a recent study in the journal Age and Ageing, vitamin D deficiency may contribute to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, hip fractures, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis and poor general health in seniors.

Though it is 5,000 years old, many people have not heard of the ancient art of Ayurveda, which can be a boon to the aging process. And unlike many modern medications, this alternative approach doesn’t have unpleasant side effects. Ayurveda utilizes herbal remedies, spices, dietary guidelines, oil therapies and lifestyle advice to achieve effects that may be subtle in the beginning, but eventually can lead to profound improvements and aging well. Once people learn a little about the principles of Ayurveda, it usually begins makes an enormous amount of sense to them, according to Beth Biegler, a Manhattan Ayurvedic practitioner who studied with famed Vasant Lad, founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico.

Losing the ability to drive can be stressful for the elderly. Helping elderly parents transition from driver to passenger takes a great deal of compassion and planning.

There is no "magic pill" for your brain. It is part of a whole ecosystem that includes your body and all your surroundings—that means the artificial flavors, dyes and additives in your favorite junk food and the chemicals in the hair spray you just inhaled.

Brain health is today's hottest health topic. While research gives us more and more answers about what we can do to safeguard our brain health and significantly lower our risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's, the average person has little idea what exactly they can do.

More than 85 percent of people who could benefit from using a hearing aid do not actually use them, often because of cost or lack of access to a hearing health professional. Innovations can help you overcome these hurdles.