February 2007 | Mindful Living
Alt Medicine in the Mainstream
Lower back pain? Consider seeing a shrink
Don’t pop that Aspirin. Put the cap back on that Bengay tube. According to a study published in last month’s issue of Health Psychology, if your lower back hurts — and given that 15-45 percent of adults suffer from severe lower back pain and that more than 70 percent will suffer over the course of their life — it probably does, you might be better off with psychological treatment than anything else.
New findings pooled from the results of more than 22 clinical studies show psychological therapy to be an effective treatment for lessening chronic back pain. The report finds that psychological treatment will cause an actual drop in chronic lower back pain. “The largest and most consistent effect was a reduction in pain intensity,” said Dr. Robert D. Kerns, who led the analysis.
This is particularly big news given that in the past psychological therapies have been used to teach sufferers how to live with pain, rather than actually lessening it. The therapies, which were showed to be more effective than “no treatment” or “treatment-as-usual” included hypnosis, biofeedback, and relaxation; behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies; and supportive counseling. These treatments worked alone and as part of a multi-disciplinary approach.
Not only is there an actual reduction in pain with psychological treatments, but this goes hand-in-hand with myriad other benefits of a pain-free back, which all raise quality of life: less depression, less work disability, and less pain-related interference with daily life.
So, move over, Vicodin. There’s a new (old) game in town, and it wants you to “open up” and say, “ahhhhh.” —Lina Swislocki
From Curbside Recycling to Chic Countertops
The curious journey of local soda bottles might keep granite safely nestled in the earth
Do you know where the countertop in your home came from? Chances are, it’s made from a non-renewable resource like granite, probably mined in a country lax in its environmental and human rights regulations, or from petro-chemicals. That is, unless it’s Vetrazzo.
Made in East Bay’s Richmond, Vetrazzo is both the product and name of a company that makes countertops by taking crushed glass bottles and suspending the shards in a proprietary mixture of cement and some secret ingredients. Reusing the bottles in this way, rather than melting them down, saves that much more energy. Thus, Vetrazzo, which is as strong as concrete and as easy on the eyes as a mosaic, not only does the world a world of good, but gets people talking.
“Vetrazzo is the perfect way to bring green building to people who wouldn’t normally do [it],” says Scott Barrett, Vetrazzo’s vice president of marketing.
Countertops aren’t the only way Vetrazzo is spreading green. They work out of a manufacturing plant in Richmond that was designed in the 1930s as one of the first “daylight factories”: the west- and east-facing walls are all windows, and the ceiling is lined with skylights. “During the day, you hardly have to turn the lights on,” Barrett says. And Vetrazzo chose to keep production in California and pays its employees a living wage.
Recently, Vetrazzo was given a state grant of $1.3 million to expand the product line. In addition to the countertop slabs, the new line will include smaller pieces that can be used for anything from trivets to garden pavers. Although only distributed in California right now, the new product line will help make Vetrazzo available throughout the West Coast, the U.S., and, ultimately, the world. —Lina Swislocki
A Letter From Kettle Chips
One day, after finishing off a bag of Kettle potato chips (we love that they’re all-natural and almost as ubiquitous as evil corporate chips) we paused between the trashcan and the recycle bin, hovering in hesitation. And then sent in this email, garnering the response below. Kettle reminds us that even a company rooted in sustainability and environmentalism has needs that remain unmet by the green economy. There’s a lot of great minds in the Bay Area, can anyone get out the chemistry set? We’ve got a customer for you.
Hi,
Are your chips bags recyclable? I’m in San Francisco.
Thanks,
Todd Spencer
Hello Todd:
Thank you for contacting us regarding the packaging we use for Kettle™ brand Potato Chips. We are very happy to hear you enjoy our products.
I’m sorry to say that the packaging material we currently use is not recyclable or made from recyclable materials. This is due to the many tasks we ask it to perform to ensure our products arrive at stores throughout North America in the best possible condition. Specifically, it must protect our chips from light, moisture, and air, while also sealing well enough to withstand the expansion pressure of being packaged at sea level and possibly being air shipped. Unlike most companies, we ship from only one location all over the world, requiring heavy-duty packaging.
We do not know of any materials that are currently available that will meet all of the above requirements. We are continually on the lookout for materials that are more easily recycled and are currently exploring options to achieve this goal for all Kettle™ brand products.
Thanks again for writing us and please contact me if I can be of any further help.
Janet Wilson, Public Affairs, Kettle Foods
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