Last week I stopped in at a favorite Sarasota coffee spot to meet a friend and I got the usual… tall bold with room for milk. I love going there because of the good vibes, and it's a blast striking up conversations with the baristas or someone waiting on line.

Would you consider using acupuncture on your pet? It seems that more people than ever are turning to natural health care for their beloved animals. Acupuncture has been used on pets for many years, and has been shown to be effective alone or in combination with conventional treatments. It is often chosen as an alternative to pain medications, which can have side-effects and harm the liver or kidneys. Acupuncture is also used after surgery, not only for pain relief, but to help expedite recovery. Often skeptical pet owners will decide to give acupuncture a try because "it can't hurt", and are then pleasantly surprised with the results. Acupuncture has been successful in treating a host of conditions including disc problems, arthritis, and dermatological disorders, to name just a few.

Acupuncture may not be the treatment of choice for all pets, however. The release of adrenaline in an anxious pet may counteract the benefits of this treatment. That's why it is always best to thoroughly discuss treatment options with your veterinarian. We are lucky to have a good number of holistic veterinarians in the Sarasota area, as a quick Google search will reveal.

So have you ever tried acupuncture on your dog, cat, horse, or cow? Yup, even cows can be treated with acupuncture! We'd love to hear your story. Were you one of those pleasantly surprised skeptics......or not?

If you scored 10 or more points, you should have your hearing tested.

Center For Sight performed more than 30 free cataract surgeries for uninsured people on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Most of the patients were from Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

If you think you can’t get osteoporosis because you’re a man, think again. Although women are at greater risk, here are the statistics for men as they age:

Ø Up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Ø Each year, about 80,000 men will break a hip.

Ø Approximately two million American men already have osteoporosis. About 12 million more are at risk.

Ø Men over 50 are more likely to get osteoporosis than prostate cancer.

Here’s what  puts men at risk? Family history, steroid medicines, lack of exercise, loss of muscle, smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, low testosterone levels.

It is important to find out if you have osteoporosis and it’s a simple test – just contact your physician for information.

Whether you have osteoporosis or not, be proactive with proper supplementation such as sufficient calcium and vitamin D, as well as getting regular exercise and effective strength training.  

Information Source: National Osteoporosis Foundation (http://www.nof.org)

Sarasota Urgent Care is now open and accepting walk-ins.