Author: Joe Brady

September 15, 2023 Joe Brady

We are off to Harvard! After working in this field for the last thirty years Jacqui and I are tickled to receive some recognition for all of our efforts, and yours. Here is a great big shout-out and thank you to all of our students, colleagues, and participants in our research. We really have all…

July 8, 2023 Joe Brady

NIH HEAL Initiative Workshop on Whole Joint Health When people have pain in their joints, it’s often assumed that the cartilage in the joint is to blame, and that damage to cartilage is a progressive and irreversible process that can only be managed until the joint needs to be replaced. But the situation is both…

May 29, 2023 Joe Brady

Physical inactivity is a pervasive problem in the United States, with serious consequences for health and well-being. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this problem has only gotten worse, with many seniors experiencing isolation and a lack of opportunities for physical…

May 9, 2023 Joe Brady

May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Did you know researchers have studied several mind and body practices for osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis? Research studies have evaluated the effects of tai chi on osteoarthritis, with most studies focusing on osteoarthritis of the knee. In general, the results have been favorable. Guidelines issued by the American College…

April 26, 2023 Joe Brady

A Whole Person Approach to Lifting the Burden of Chronic Pain Among Service Members and Veterans Posted on March 28th, 2023 by Helene M. Langevin, M.D., National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Chronic pain and its companion crisis of opioid misuse have taken a terrible toll on Americans. But the impact has been even greater on U.S….

April 7, 2023 Joe Brady

How much do we know about the effectiveness of complementary health approaches for chronic pain? A growing body of evidence suggests that some complementary approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help to manage some painful conditions. What do we know about the safety of complementary health approaches for chronic pain? Chronic pain is pain…

March 16, 2023 Joe Brady

We know that exercise is good for you. We also know that meditation is good for you. What happens when you put those two together? Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are sometimes called “meditative movement” practices because they include both meditative elements and physical ones.  Tai chi originated in China as a martial art. It…

March 6, 2023 Joe Brady

Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. Qigong has both psychological and physical components and involves the regulation of the mind,…

February 26, 2023 Joe Brady

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) has created an updated fact sheet on chronic pain and complementary health approaches to include new scientific evidence.  Chronic pain (pain that lasts for a long time) is a very common problem. National survey data from 2019 showed that about 20 percent of U.S. adults had…

February 5, 2023 Joe Brady

Did you know that some complementary health approaches have been studied to see whether they can help control heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels? Here’s what the research shows: Cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart or blood vessels) are the number one cause of death in the United States….