Sound Medicine -- March 9, 2002
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- Barbara Lewis and Dr. Kathy Miller talk to physicians and researchers
about:
Robot dogs and human-animal bonding-
Cementing the spine for pain relief
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Springing into exercise
Robot dogs and human-animal bonding
Can a robotic dog be man's best friend? Purdue University's animal-human
bonding researcher Dr. Alan Beck is part of a National Science Foundation
grant studying relations people form with mechanical mutts -- such as
Sony's Aibo -- and how they compare with those formed with live, "carbon-based"
dogs. He describes his research methods and the interesting ways children
distinguish between live and robotic dogs. Dr. Beck also talks about
the mysterious affinity people have with nature, and how animal companionship
can be therapeutic.
Dr. Alan Beck is a biologist at the Purdue University Center for the
Human-Animal Bond.
- Resources
 Center
for the Human-Animal Bond at the Purdue University School of Veterinary
Medicine.
Cementing the spine for pain relief
Osteoporosis causes 700,000 vertebral fractures in the United States
every year. These fractures can cause chronic pain, but a simple, minimally
invasive procedure called vertebroplasty (ver-TEE-bro-plasty) provides
pain relief. A cement-like material is injected into the vertebra, reinforcing
and stabilizing it.
Dr. Andrew DeNardo is an interventional neuro-radiologist who performs
this outpatient procedure on women and men with osteoporosis. He describes
the procedure, the bonding material, and the happy results.
Dr. Andrew DeNardo practices at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
- Resources
- Both
doctors and the general public will appreciate the technical description
of vertebroplasty at the YourSurgery.com
Web site. The text explains the procedure step by step and includes
illustrations.
- The
Spine-health.com
Web site provides lots of information on back pain, including news,
clinical trials listings, animated illustrations, and a section devoted
to spine specialists.
Spring into exercise
With spring less than two weeks away, many of us are looking at our
winter bodies and considering an outside exercise plan. Don't overdo
it the first time out!
Today we get sensible and practical advice on the subject from Beth
Wathen, program director for the Indiana University Center for Weight
Management. She talks about preparing for charitable walks/runs, strategies
for increasing your workout intensity, and ways to find time and motivation
to exercise.
- Resources
- About.com's
exercise center provides exercises and workouts for beginners
to advanced, fitness calculators, and information about weight loss
and exercise.
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and Wishard Health Services.
Upcoming topics:
Pylometrics, the power exercise
Nighttime heartburn
Call or email us questions about these topics.
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Health Quiz — Dogs who help people
For thousands of medically compromised people, assistance dogs offer
independence, security and renewed zest for life. Which of the following
tasks do assistance dogs manage for their owners:
a. retrieving medications when they need to be taken
b. dialing 911 in an emergency
c. predicting epileptic seizures
d. alerting their owner to alarms
e. all of the above
What's the answer?
Medical Mystery —
Turning gray overnight
You've heard people say, "His hair turned gray overnight."
Can it really happen?
Find out!
Weekly Notebook — Eat healthy servings. Your eyes may not
be gauging proper serving sizes. They are smaller than you think!
• 1/2 cup of pasta, rice, or cereal is the size of a computer
mouse.
• 1 muffin is the size of a large egg.
• 1 medium fruit is as large as a tennis ball.
• 3 ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
• 1 ounce of cheese looks like a matchbox.
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is as large as a golf ball.
• 1 teaspoon of margarine is only a thumb-tip.
Sources: The Central
Indiana District Dietetic Association and the Dietary
Guidelines Alliance
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