Improve Chronic Low Back Pain with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga is great for working on flexibility and core stability, correcting posture, and breathing—all of which are necessary for a healthy back.” – Sasha Cyrelson Low Back Pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects between 6% to […]
Improve the Symptoms of HIV Infection in Children with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It’s about going deep under the waves—the hurricane that’s HIV—and finding a stillness. As debilitating and emotional as HIV is, yoga helps me transcend it so that I can rediscover myself. Then I remember I am not […]
Improve Chronic Low Back Pain with Mindful Movement Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai chi helps with back pain in several ways. It strengthens the muscles in your abdomen and pelvic area that are crucial to supporting the lower back; it improves your balance and flexibility; and it makes you more […]
Improve Cancer-Related Symptoms in Cancer Survivors with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In terms of the evidence that’s out there and the scientific literature, practices such as tai chi have been found to help improve patients’ quality of life. There are some studies showing that these types of mind-body practices […]
Improve Osteopenia and Osteoporosis with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “There are many ways that tai chi helps people with osteoporosis. An excellent study showed tai chi slowed down the loss of bone density approximately three fold.” – Paul Lam Bone is living tissue that, like all living tissues, […]
Reduce Spinal Degeneration in the Elderly with Tai Chi Practice By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai Chi has been studied as a form of therapeutic exercise and has been shown to improve balance and prevent falls in the elderly. It can also be a safe and effective way to improve leg strength, […]
Improve PTSD Symptoms Related to Childhood Sexual Abuse with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “DBT-PTSD significantly reduced the women’s PTSD symptoms, including depression and anxiety. In addition, the women’s PTSD symptoms were still improving six weeks after they completed the treatment, suggesting that they may have learned skills during the study that helped […]
Reduce Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation (which is the ‘formal’ practice of mindfulness) actually changes the way the mind perceives pain (2) so that it’s more bearable. It is a natural and effective way to ease physical pain.” – Melli O’Brien We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Reduced Pain by Improving the Capacity for Pleasure By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It felt good to realize [through mindfulness] that I can co-exist with my pain. Being mindful helped me realize that in my angry reaction to my back pain, I was neglecting my whole body. I […]
Reduce Low Back Pain with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “For most of our lives, we take our backs for granted. But at some point in just about everyone’s life, our backs revolt and remind us that they need love and attention too. Thankfully, for many of us, the pain is […]