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.
The anxiety and pain reducing powers of Adele: Two recently published studies show that providing patients with a set of headphones and allowing them to listen to music may help alleviate their pain and anxiety during certain medical procedures.
More-nutritious breast milk for preemies: A Stanford team led by neonatologist William Rhine, MD, recently published the second of two papers confirming that moms who used hands-on pumping had higher fat content in their milk than women relying on electric pumps alone.
The science of willpower: In a just-published book based on her popular Stanford Continuing Studies course, Stanford health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, PhD, took a closer look at the science of willpower and examined the latest research on the topic. She shares some of her thoughts in this Q&A.
CDC binge-drinking study demonstrates cell phones' value in research: Keith Humphreys, PhD, discusses the value of surveying cell phone users in medical research, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest findings showing 38 million Americans engage in binge drinking. This year’s survey was the first to include cell phones and, as a result, the number of binge drinkers jumped.
