Drug-free alternatives for arthritis By Russell Brokstein, D.C.       In our country, lower back pain is the second most common reason patients seek the help of a medical doctor. Physical therapy by itself rarely provides long-lasting corrective results.A recent study conducted under the leadership of Dr.Scott F. More ... Cause for alarm: What parents miss when childproofing       As new parents prepare for the arrival of their baby, they'll likely make safety a top priority.They put poisons out of reach, cover up unused electrical outlets and install safety gates.But experts say parents may miss the deadliest threat in the home for small children. More ... Focus on fiber to help lower your cholesterol       An easy way to lower or maintain your cholesterol may be to focus on fiber - and there are plenty of tasty ways to incorporate healthy fiber into your diet. Fiber facts Dietary fiber, found in plant foods, is generally defined as any part of a plant not digested by human enzymes secreted into ... More ... Subluxation: the next household word By Peter Joffe, D.C.       Twenty years ago, if someone said the word cholesterol,most people would have said,"What is that?"But today cholesterol is a household word.We all know that cholesterol and monitoring our cholesterol levels is vital for maintaining the health of our heart, since heart attacks are the No.1 killer o... More ... Skin cancer prevention: Broccoli has its day in the sun By Carol L. Kornmehl, M.D., FACRO       As the population ages,more people, especially those with light complexions, are being diagnosed with and treated for skin cancer.There are three main types of skin cancer:basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma.The most favorable kind is basal cell and melanoma is the most serious form. More ... Baby Boot Camp program offered at Southard Grange       Southard Grange No.218, located at 4860 Route 9 south,Howell, is offering Baby Boot Camp onTuesday andThursday mornings,10-11 a.m. Baby Boot Camp is a stroller-based fitness program designed for prenatal and postnatal women. More ... American Lung Assoc. encourages you to see yourself among the many 'faces of influenza'       Health experts recommend annual influenza vaccination for more than 220 million people in the United States.Despite this recommendation, influenza immunization rates fall far short every year.Approximately 1 to 5 million residents in the region of Delaware,New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virgini... More ... FDA: Use the Nutrition Facts Label to make healthy food choices       Since the late 1980s, adult obesity has steadily increased to the point at which more than 65 percent of all Americans are now overweight and over 30 percent are obese.Also, 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are overweight - nearly double the rate of two decades ago. More ... There is new hope for struggling readers By Dr. S. Moshe Roth       Working with a child who is having difficulty with reading and learning can be challenging, frustrating and emotionally draining. Imagine that you are working with your child and watching him read the same paragraph for the third time. More ... Diabetes comes in different forms       No one ever wants their doctor to utter the word"diabetes."Unfortunately, such a diagnosis is more common than you might think, as 2005 alone witnessed 1.5 million new cases of diabetes in people over the age of 20.According to theAmerican DiabetesAssociation (ADA),7 percent of the U.S. population... More ... Enjoy the pleasures of the holiday season in moderation By Joe Stein       Ican't believe it - The L.L.Bean Christmas catalogue arrived in early October. Like the small tropical depression destined to become a tsunami, the whirlwind of the holiday season is already upon us.Will our ship of fitness and wellness sink in the storm of holiday hazards? More ... Understanding the relationship between depression and dementia is focus of program       While depression and dementia have many similar symptoms, recent research shows that older adults can develop both conditions at the same time. Understanding the differences and similarities between depression and dementia will be explored during an Alzheimer's DiseaseAwareness Day event being he... More ... New diabetes resources engage physicians, patients       Eat right. Exercise. Monitor blood sugar.Take medication regularly. This is the advice physicians give the more than 20 million Americans affected with diabetes.Yet implementation of these recommendations is often far from ideal,putting patients at greater risk for damage to the heart, kidneys, ey... More ... Seniors: Discuss immunizations and screenings with your doctor By Loretta Kaes       It's probably not at the top of your todo list,but if you're a senior citizen, it is important to get the proper immunizations to prevent diseases,as well as a full schedule of tests to screen for the presence of diseases.Prevention at any age,of course, is the first line of defense in the battle ... More ... Eye exams help students succeed       Although 80 percent of what children learn comes through their eyes,many do not have a comprehensive eye exam during the school year.According to a recent survey byVSP Vision Care, two-thirds of children under 18 haven't had an eye exam in the last year,and more than half have never had a comprehe... More ... Free health fair to be held at Atlantic Club Nov.10       Jersey Shore University Medical Center,Neptune, is sponsoring a free Health Fair on Nov.10, at theAtlantic Club in Manasquan.The event,open to the public and toAtlantic Club members, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More ... First Alert offers easy-to-use lead testing kit for the home       With the multiple toy recalls announced every month since May by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) due to high levels of lead,many parents are left wondering if their child's favorite toys are safe. More ... Road to wellness leads Bayshore employees to better health       'As health-care workers,we know what's healthy and what's not when it comes to diet and exercise, but in a stressful hospital environment, it's not always easy to do what's best when it comes to our own personal health and well-being," said Ramonda Clark,R.N., M.A., M.Ed. More ...