Drug rehab and the American justice system by Sarah Michaels
in Health (submitted 2009-12-02)
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A recent study conducted by The Miriam Hospital, Brown University and The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights highlights the correlation between drug abuse and the prison population and the need to rethink the addiction treatment program options available to prisoners. Data from the study showed that more than half of all people currently incarcerated in American prisons have a history of substance abuse, including more than 200,000 prisoners who are dealing with heroin addiction.
Despite the high number of prisoners with heroin addictions, the report says that only half of all federal and state prison systems offer a medical drug rehab program for heroin addiction. This is despite multiple reports which show that opiate replacement therapy (ORT) has marked social, medical and economic benefits as part of an overall drug rehabilitation program. "Pharmacological treatment of opiate dependence is a proven intervention, is cost-effective and reduces drug-related disease and reincarceration rates, yet it remains underutilized in U.S. prison systems," said Amy Nunn, ScD, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of medicine (research) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. "Improving correctional policies for addiction treatment could dramatically improve prisoner and community health as well as reduce both taxpayer burden and reincarceration rates."
Unfortunately, financial burdens on the prison system are causing many federal and state prison systems to cut back on their drug and alcohol rehabilitation. In October 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported on the cutbacks to drug and alcohol treatment programs available to prisoners. According to the article, state officials "plan to chop $250 million a year from rehabilitation services, more than 40% of what the state now devotes to them and a quarter of the $1 billion it is slicing from its prison system."
There are some alternatives to the standard treatment models that are showing success. In some areas, prisoners with addiction problems are sent to an outpatient drug rehab facility such as a therapeutic community as a transitional step to help them get sober as a key step to becoming vital, contributing members of their community.
Massage Therapy - Miraculous Demand & Fantastic Supply by David Woods
in Fitness (submitted 2009-11-20)
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''I don't fear death because I don't fear anything I don't understand. When I start to think about it, I order a massage and it goes away.'' Hedy Lamarr
Massage has been well known to cure the disease of exhaustion and fatigue. Long regarded a recreational indulgence, the world is now waking up to the therapeutic potential of massage in the treatment of many an ailment. In wake of this phenomenon, the number of hospitals offering massage therapy in the US increased by 30 percent in just the two years from 2004 to 20061. Blending into mainstream healthcare, this dramatic shift has spurred the industry to shape up professionally and demand more from professional massage therapy. In light of this trend, massage therapy education and professional certification have become especially relevant and that very well may be the reason why we have seen well established massage therapy colleges across the USA come into the limelight. Did you know! - There are over 300 accredited massage schools and programs in the United States!1
Exactly what is it about massage therapy that has become increasingly attractive in these last few decades? To answer that question, both sides of the equation; i.e. supply and demand; need to be explored in overview.
Demand Side
''Massage is the only form of physical pleasure to which nature forgot to attach consequences.'' Robert Brault
From the surgical point of view, the use of massage as a treatment is widely becoming a hot alternative for medical establishments in light of its distinct feature of being less invasive than most other procedures. Its efficacy of treatment is tremendous for treatment of arthritis, muscle injury, erectile dysfunction and other organ related maladies. Doctors and patients/consumers both would prefer the idea of a less risk-more result procedure.
Interesting Fact: - More than half of massage therapists (69 percent) receive referrals from healthcare professionals.1
Furthermore, massage has few if any side effects and keeps the harms of toxins at bay (by discouraging drug/medicinal dependency). Interesting Fact: - Over 1.6 million Americans use alternative medicine for insomnia or trouble sleeping according to scientists at NCCAM!1
''The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good health lies in successful adjustment to changing stresses on the body.'' Harry J. Johnson
Social dynamics in the fast lane require people to be constantly prepared and on edge; all the more vulnerable to stress! Such is the requirement and the eventual reason behind the downward trend of performance. A massage a week does wonders at keeping the body and mind running smoothly and ever ready to keep up with increasing physical and mental challenges.
Interesting Fact: - In July 2008, 45 percent of women and 21 percent of men reported having a massage in the past five years!1
The Supply Side
As if the aforementioned demand factors were not enough to warrant a healthy boost in the supply side of the equation, there may yet be more reasons behind the flourishing number of budding health professionals enrolling themselves in massage therapy schools.
Interesting Fact: - It is estimated that there are 265,000 to 300,000 massage therapists and massage school students in the United States.
''All we have to do is preserve our personality, to live our own life, be captain of our own ship, and all will be well.'' Dr. Edward Bach
The working dynamics are most attractive for massage therapists in the sense that the timings and environment are virtually at the behest of their own wishes!
Interesting Fact: - More than 75 percent of massage therapists are self employed; having the ability to choose their clients, make their own schedule and work as many or as few hours as they want!1
Working conditions are most comfortable in this industry. It gives the massage therapist the luxury of having a secondary line of work with a less demanding timetable!
Interesting Fact: - The average massage therapist works not more than 19 hours a week!1
Massage therapists who excel in their field become hot picks for sports clubs and training facilities that are always looking to provide safe and quick therapeutic treatment to their athletes in training. Consequently, massage therapists have the opportunity to work with some of the best athletes in the world for the simple reason that these athletes make regular use of massage therapy for preparation and rehabilitation!
Conclusion
In summation, it is now quite apparent why these last few decades have seen a miraculous increase in demand and a fantastic response from the supply side in the massage therapy industry!
References:
American Massage Therapy Association. AMTA Industry Survey www [dot] amtamassage [dot] org/news/MTIndustryFactSheet.html
Martin Ashley. Who hires hire massage therapist school graduates? www [dot] naturalhealers [dot] com/qa/massagecareers.html
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork www [dot] ncbtmb [dot] org/consumers_massage_facts.php
Elizabeth Quinn. Does therapeutic sports massage improve performance or recovery? sportsmedicine [dot] about [dot] com/od/injuryprevention/a/Sports_Massage.htm
Tim Gorman. Massage Therapies for Arthritis Have Been Proven To Be Effective In Providing Arthritis Pain Relief ezinearticles [dot] com/?
Massage-Therapies-for-Arthritis-Have-Been-Proven-To-Be-Effective-In-Providing-Arthritis-Pain-Relief&id=437411
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