The five most-read stories on Scope this week were:
A conversation about the merits of stretching: Michael Fredericson, MD, head team physician with the Stanford Sports Medicine Program, discusses the role of flexibility in injury prevention and fitness performance and what the scientific evidence indicates about the effectiveness of stretching.
Research shows remote weight loss interventions equally effective as face-to-face coaching programs: Remote weight loss interventions, such as online or phone counseling by health coaches, are as equally effective as programs requiring face-to-face contact, according to findings presented this week at the American Heart Association's annual meeting.
Can yoga help women suffering from fibromyalgia?: A study recently published in the Journal of Pain Research shows that practicing yoga boosts levels of the stress hormone cortisol and could help ease some symptoms of fibromyalgia such as pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness and depression.
Stanford study shows effects of chemotherapy and breast cancer on brain function: A Stanford study found that when asked to perform certain tasks, women who have undergone chemotherapy had significantly less activation of a part of the brain known to play a critical role in planning, attention and memory than did healthy women and breast cancer patients without such treatment.
Formerly conjoined twins get ready to head home: Formerly conjoined twins Angelina and Angelica Sabuco are nearly ready to go home to San Jose, Calif. following their Nov. 1 separation surgery at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
