The five most-read stories on Scope this week were:
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.
Aging stem cells have clinical implications, say Stanford scientists: A Stanford study by graduate student Wendy Pang, MD and stem cell biologist Irving Weissman, MD, examines the clinical implications of aging hematopoietic stem cells.
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 at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.
How should parents talk to their kids about weight control?: The Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program was profiled in an NPR story about how parents can sensitively address weight problems with their own children.
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.