Dr. Robbi’s Blog

For years, we’ve heard that psychological factors may profoundly affect the results of treatment for an illness. Consider the stories of “miracle cures” by terminal cancer patients who kept their spirits up and maintained that “never say die” attitude throughout treatment.

A recent study in the journal Spine suggests that pessimistic thinkers may have trouble recovering from low back pain. The authors examined the relationship between patient expectations of treatment benefits and treatment outcomes.

One hundred thirty-five patients with chronic LBP were divided into either a massage or an acupuncture treatment group. Prior to the study, patients rated how helpful they expected their treatment to be on a scale from 0-10 (10 being extremely helpful). Following 10 weeks of treatment, the functional ability of each patient was determined using a disability scale.

Participants with higher expectations for their treatment experienced less pain in 86 % of cases, while patients with low expectations only improved in 68 % of cases. Odds of improvement were five times greater for the high-expectation group than the low-expectation group after adjusting for other factors, such as physical health, age, education, etc. Patients who expected benefit from one treatment, as opposed to the other, improved more from that particular treatment.

Don’t let an illness or health concern get you down! As this evidence suggests, attitude may influence your recovery as much as the actual treatment you receive. Try to be optimistic the next time you receive treatment for any illness, and talk to your doctor about the best way to stay healthy and happy for a lifetime.

Reference:

Kalauokalani D, Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, et al. Lessons from a trial of acupuncture and massage for low back pain: Patient expectations and treatment effects. Spine, July 1, 2001:26(13), pp. 1418-1424.

Why Sleep Matters
Sleep is as important to our health and well being as food and water, but most of us don’t get enough of it. Sleep deprivation is currently one of the most pervasive health concerns in the United States. For children , sleep plays a critical role in  healthy growth and development . Beyond simply affecting children’s mood, behaviors and academic performances, insufficient sleep has also been associated with lower social skills and learning disabilities.
How Much Sleep is Enough?
When experts study sleep needs of children , they consider the amount of sleep children need in a 24-hour period, including naps. Since every child is different, sleep charts are not exact; however, there are some agreed-upon ranges for chilren of different ages.*
- Birth to 6mos.  : 10-18 hrs of sleep per day
- 6mos. - 2years : 11-16 hrs. per day
- 3yrs    : 10-14 hrs. per day
- 4-6 years: 9-14 hrs. per day
- 7-9 years: 9-12 hrs per day
- 10-12 yrs.: 8-11 hrs. per day
(* from Iglowstein I., Jenni O.G., Molinari L., R.H. 2003 Sleep deprivation from infancy to adolescences: Reference values and generational trends. Pediatrics.)
Do these numbers suprise you? Is so you are not alone. Most parents are unaware of just how much sleep their children require in a 24 hr. period.