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Sometimes it’s the simplest sales approaches that prove to be the most effective. When the staff at Women’s Fitness Center in Harrisonburg, Va., began strategizing about how to boost sales during the typically slow month of December, it decided to “give” a little to the community in the hopes of “receiving” a little in return.

The goodwill formula turned into a coat-drive that not only produced much-needed goods for local charities, but increased memberships for the fitness facility. “A Warm Coat Gets You a Hot Deal” was offered in stages beginning November 30, 1995, with a kickoff “sale” on memberships. The donor of a new or used coat that day received a $65 discount off the club’s $75 enrollment fee, and the sale continued through December with a $40 discount to donors bringing in coats for men, women or children. Read more »

Q: I recently had my first child. Can you tell me how I can regain tightness in my vaginal muscles?

A: Postpartum women are often instructed to perform pelvic-floor (Kegel) exercises. Dr. Arnold Kegel, an American obstetrician and gynecologist, first described and promoted exercises for the pelvic floor in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Kegel exercises are designed to improve the tone of the muscles, ligaments and fascia that are collectively referred to as the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor controls urination and defecation, enhances the sexual response to orgasm and provides support to the pelvic organs. Many women are unaware that they have muscles in this area that can be strengthened just like their biceps or quadriceps. Read more »

The results of a Statistics Canada health survey completed in 1995 just recently published involving 17,000 Canadians, found that more than one-fifth of Alberta residents visit alternative health care practitioners. Read more »

Butterfly Stretch — Sitting on the ground, pull feet toward your body so that your calves are touching your hamstrings and the bottoms of your feet are touching. Gently lean forward. Read more »

It is not surprising that that most men with erectile dysfunction currently prefer drug therapy versus an implant or drugs injected into the penis. But are any effective drugs available? Yohimbine is an oral medication available by prescription only. Clinical studies have shown 35-50% of the patients demonstrate moderate to complete improvement. The drug is equally effective for impotence that is associated with all causes.

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Unequal Arm Length

Q.My nine-year-old nephew was born at 31 weeks gestation. During his hospital stay he was treated for osteomyelitis in the left shoulder. Recently he went through a growth spurt, and he now has a significant discrepancy in arm length. Read more »

Dermatologists can often help women avoid problems during pregnancy. According to Dr. Barbara Reed, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, “several medications used to treat skin, hair and nail conditions have been known to result in birth defects.

A good rule is to avoid every drug which is not necessary to maintain health during pregnancy”. These drugs include isotretinoin often prescribed for severe nodular acne can cause low set ears and cardiac problems in a fetus.

The anti-fungal agent fluconazole has been associated with birth defects along with minoxidil during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

Over the counter agents also pose a threat such as ibuprofen, aspiring and nutritional supplements. The best rule of thumb is for women to work with their physician when they decide to become pregnant.

Finally pregnancy can cause changes in the skin such as melasma or darkening of the skin, pruritic and urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy which is a benign rash arising in the third trimester and Pemphigoid Gestationis which is a rare itchy spread of blisters on the trunk.

Are you a label reader? Did you know that it is just as important to read the labels for what you put on your skin as it is for what you eat? Our skin is the largest vital organ of the body and it reacts in different ways to what we put on it. Read more »

Q.The genes for breast and ovarian cancer are in my family. I learned this when my aunt, against her provider’s advice, had the genetic testing done. From what I understand, if my OB-GYN finds out this gene is in my family and notes it in my records, I could risk losing insurance coverage if I ever change providers. Read more »

This rapidly executed sketch shows a hunting scene, a theme often portrayed by Delacroix. In the center, the rearing horse dominates the composition, and in the general commotion we can just make out lions, horses and horsemen, particularly on the right hand side. Read more »