Coping with arthritisOne in five adults and nearly 300,000 children in the United States suffer from arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are one of those people, clinical psychologist Jane L. Delgado believes that better understanding of the condition will help you cope with it more easily.

In the first part of her book "The Buena Salud Guide to Arthritis and Your Life," she covers the cartilage and joint damage that leads to arthritis and how a healthy diet and low-impact exercise can ease the discomfort. She suggests seeing your physician regularly, getting enough sleep and keeping a health journal to track your good and bad days.

The second part of the book looks at specific conditions such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. She also provides a wellness journal where you can track your visits to the doctor, your prescriptions, exercise, diet and sleep.

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Skyping with therapistsOnline communication is common in the business world, but could it be the next wave in mental-health counseling?

Video therapy sessions are on the rise, and some researchers believe that it can be as effective as in-person therapy. It can also allow patients and therapists to continue working together even if one moves across the country.

In "The Doctor Will Skype You Now" from the May issue of Women's Health, Mary Alvord, president-elect of the American Psychological Association Media Psychology Division, says, "Nothing about the therapists' clinical training or skill level changes when their care is delivered via the Internet."

However, the same problems that plague normal online communication -- buffering and dropped connections -- can interrupt therapy sessions and ruin the momentum, according to the article. Another, more serious concern is the inability to sense nonverbal cues, such as body language, that might help the therapist better understand the patient.

Among the positives? The average cost for a video therapy session is about $20 lower than an in-office session, according to the article.

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