More Strain, Less Pain

            If the ache in your groin has you groaning, hit the gym: Exercise may help relieve chronic prostatitis, an inflammatory condition that causes severe pain in the pelvic area.  Researchers reporting in the Journal of Urology had 97 men with prostatitis perform either 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise or a placebo regimen consisting of stretching and mild calisthenics, 3 days a week.  At the end of the study, 40 percent of the cardio crew reported less pain, while the men who worked up less of a sweat noticed no improvement.  Lead author Gianluca Giubilei, Ph.D., says that exercise triggers an increase in endorphins, which may help fight the pain of chronic prostatitis.

Beat the Heat

            Train your brain to halt heartburn.  In a new study in Psychosomatic Medicine, 64 people with acid reflux were either taught DIY strategies for coping with anxiety or given conventional psychological therapy.  After 3 months of training, people who learned to self-manage stress suffered 60 percent less heartburn than those who’d camped out on the couch.  The mental techniques were even more effective than drugs.  “Teaching patients to reduce stress also reduces a physical manifestation of that stress—heartburn,” says lead author Jane Hutton, M.D., adding that distraction is especially effective, because it diverts attention from your discomfort.

Pop For The Post-OP

            A new University of Texas study shows that melatonin may be the perfect supplement for surgery.  In the study, patients who took 15 milligrams (mg) of melatonin 50 minutes before surgery required up to 35 percent less anesthesia than those given a placebo.  This led to fewer side effects, such as nausea and fatigue.  “Melatonin prestimulates receptors in your brain that react to anesthesia, so the drugs don’t have to work as hard,” says Keith DeOrio, M.D., the Men’s Health alternative-medicine advisor.  If you’re scheduled for surgery, ask your M.D. about taking 2 mg melatonin for every 22 pounds you weigh.