Westfield State Sports Medicine Blog

The Benefits of Physical Exercise on Mental Health  Introduction Nearly 1 in 5 people in the U.S. today suffer from mental health illnesses, such as depression or anxiety. Most turn to prescription medication to help with their symptoms, however recent studies show that exercise can help improve these symptoms in a natural way.  Physical Exercise has been proven to show positive effects on mental health disorders. It is important to find alternate ways to improve one's mental health in a more natural way, rather than using a medication that most likely always has a side effect. Exercise is beneficial in helping improve not only your physical health, but also your mental health as well Benefits of Exercise  Helps manage weight control Reduces risk of Heart Disease Improves mental health Strengthens your bones and muscles Improves sleep quality Most Effective Kind of Exercise for Mental Health Symptoms Aerobic: Aerobic exercise has shown to be the more effective exercise in reducing

  Introduction Depression is something that affects most people personally, either they have it or someone they know does. There are many ways depression is currently treated, oftentimes jumping right into different medications with some horrible side effects. Exercise has shown to be a very effective method for those looking for the more natural route of feeling healthier and happier.  Literature Review Evidence After looking into the topic more it was found that overall, aerobic exercise when combined with therapy worked for people just as well as medications and allows people the feeling of being in control of their mental health. This method works for children suffering depression all the way up through older adults, and the interesting part is if you are not able to complete aerobic exercise, other forms of exercise such as stretching have been shown to have significant effects as well. Getting Started For those looking to get started, implementing an exercise program that you sti

Play for Mental Health? In a climate where depression has become the leading cause of disability across the world, it has led to more research about what may be the cause and ways to decrease the likelihood of suffering from mental illnesses.   The cases of mental health problems are increasing every year and many people are found stuck looking for help.   Doctors are prescribing patients antidepressants and other medications to try to alter hormones in the body to a more normal level.  As a parent it is a  responsibility to try to set up your child for the best chance of success in their lives.  If there was a clear cut way to help your child to have less of a chance to develop mental illness surely all parents would listen right?  The  c urrent research is now showing a direct relationship between participation in youth sport and a decreased likelihood of developing depression and other mental illness.  Effects of Youth Sport The evidence was overwhelming in support that participatio

What is dementia? Dementia is unfortunately a disease many families go through. Around 50 million people worldwide have dementia and about 20 million new cases are diagnosed yearly. Patients living with dementia lose the ability to accomplish activities of daily life. They experience symptoms affecting their memory, thinking, and social abilities. It is caused by brain cell damage that ends up interfering with the brain cells ability to communicate with each other, which results in thinking, behavior and feelings to be affected. There are 7 stages to this disease starting with no impairment to every severe decline. The most common form if dementia is Alzheimers disease. Music in the brain The brains auditory cortex is responsible for holding onto musical memories, Despite the fact that dementia is such a progressive memory loss disease, its strange that this area of the brain isn't damaged by the disease. Using music therapy as a treatment helps to produce the brains feel good chem

Chronic back pain is defined as pain, muscle tension, or stiffness throughout the spine that continues for at least three months. This can develop from acute pain and requires evaluation from a medical professional to determine the cause. It is important to talk to a medical professional because of the many different possible factors that could be leading to your chronic back pain. Patients, in order to figure out the cause can be evaluated on pain levels, physical functioning, emotional functioning, coping strategies and health care utilization.  Are you feeling these symptoms?  ~If so, please read on to see what could help you!  Background Chronic back pain effects approximately 8-10% of the general population which can lead to increased medication use, and decreased mobility while increasing their risk for depression and the number of sick days used by patients. There are many different treatment programs for chronic back pain including exercise, physical therapy, cognitive behavior

Exercise as Treatment for Substance Abuse Patients Introduction Substance abuse is a global issue that is continuing to grow rapidly. Commonly known substances that fall under this category range from tobacco and alcohol, to illicit drug use. These substances can cause serious damage to one's body resulting in disability, cognitive loss, or in more serious cases premature death. Research has shown that about 70% of recovering addicts will relapse within 1 year after receiving today’s current treatments. By implementing exercise as a form of treatment or an additive to another, it can help decrease one's craving to use and benefit them in many aspects.  Risks of Substance Abuse Alcohol: Can put the user at risk for   becoming overweight or obese, developing cancer, or damage to organs such as the liver. Nicotine: Nicotine can be a huge problem on the lungs, causing difficulty with breathing and potentially leading to lung cancer. Illicit Drugs: can result in either fatal or no

       Do you struggle with some of the effects of aging? It is not an easy thing but there are ways to help with some aches and pains or when you are feeling down. Resistance training has been found to be helpful in multiple areas of individuals lives. Here are some things that can be improved by resistance training. 1. Reduction in anxiety Strength training has been found to have positive effects when it comes to anxiety. Anxiety effects 40 million people in the United States. In a study done on patients with Parkinson's Disease, those that were involved in a resistance training program reported lower levels of anxiety. They often attributed the reduction in anxiety to be able to function better.  2. Reduction in symptoms of depression Depression is also very common in the United States. 16 million reported that they had some form of depression in 2015. In a study done on older adults with type 2 diabetes they were put in a resistance training program. They were examined before