Does this therapy help leg cramps?

Date: 9th December 2008, Source: Althealth News

Dear Dr. Gott: In my local newspaper, a doctor extolled an unusual remedy for leg cramps: a bar of soap placed where the cramp occurs. What gives?

Dear Reader: This is a new remedy to me. Apparently, the doctor you mentioned has had great success with the technique of placing a bar of soap on the area that is cramping. Or, I am told, the soap can be placed under the bottom sheet near the legs.

I have had no experience with this therapy and cannot fathom why it would be effective, but I am passing it on to my readers as a potentially harmless and successful treatment for nocturnal leg cramps, a common annoyance. I would appreciate hearing from readers who have tried this technique. I'll write a follow-up when I get more information.

Dear Dr. Gott: I am concerned about my husband, who hasn't seen a doctor in years. Since his retirement, my husband has been chronically hot all the time, winter and summer, night and day. He sleeps with a fan blowing on him, lives a sedentary life, is overweight and refuses to exercise. What do you think his problem is?

Dear Reader: Overweight people are frequently quite tolerant of environmental cold; this is a normal physiological response. However, I'm concerned that your husband's preference could reflect a metabolic abnormality, such as an overactive thyroid gland. Therefore, I believe that he should see a doctor and be tested. In addition, that testing should also check for diabetes and high cholesterol, neither of which affects the perception of cold but could represent a hidden problem that should be addressed.

Dear Dr. Gott: How does a person age gracefully and successfully? Any guidelines?

Dear Reader: This is a very real and important challenge that has been addressed in several publications, most of which offer suggestions about how the elderly can look younger than they really are. In my opinion, trying to cover up the consequences of the aging process is a useless and unnecessary waste of time and money. Growing old gracefully is an attitude of acceptance, compromise and perspective. It is also a function of class, honesty and self-confidence. My advice is: be proud to look your age, give in but don't give up, carefully pick your role model. And, of course, aggressively treat any health problems.