Having a medical problem doesn't always involve getting cancer or having a heart attack. In fact, it's usually something simple and uncomplicated, like indigestion or a slight fever.

And many are the people nowadays who cringe at the thought of dealing with minor medical problems by taking synthetic chemicals from the drugstore that more often than not have uncomfortable side effects. For those people, here are a few natural cures that are safe, effective, inexpensive and recommended by experts. (Read more about Natural Cures for Workaday Woes)

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A relatively new massage technique gets at stubborn scar tissue buried deep in muscles and joints, returning people to a delightfully pain-free and flexible condition.

The technique, called Graston therapy, is usually performed by a massage therapist or chiropractor, and involves the use of specialized tools that look like handlebars, a boomerang and a thick metal tongue depressor. Specialists at Ball State University developed these and other deep-massage tools and the treatments themselves in the early 1990s. (Read more about Graston Massage Breaks Up Deep Scar Tissue)

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The widespread popularity of nanosilver products as a cure for everything from colds to conjunctivitis is being questioned by a number of scientists, who say the products could lead to serious toxic reactions and disease.

Nanosilver drinks, eyedrops and tablets are made with ultra-tiny particles of silver metal - so tiny that 800 of them fitted side by side could span the width of a human hair. Since silver is toxic to most living things, the particles are said to be able to kill harmful bacteria - hence the alleged health benefits. (Read more about Nanosilver Seen as a "Serious" Health Risk)

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New studies demonstrate that waiting may be the best alternative to back surgery.

Approximately 1.5 million back surgeries are performed worldwide. These surgeries are performed to address painful problems associated with slipped or misaligned disks. Intransient sciatica and other lower back conditions are extremely painful and can impact the quality of life of those afflicted. New research though suggests that 75% of such cases will improve on their own if left untreated. (Read more about Waiting May Reduce Need for Back Surgery)

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A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people constantly worry about numerous things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago. Half of the people surveyed this year, which is 6% more than in 2006, claimed they were more worried about their health and their family's health than about other concerning issues such as climate change or terrorist attacks. The survey finds that almost three quarters of people worry, but around 19% admit to worrying all the time or about a number of things. (Read more about Worried Sick? There Might Be Some Truth There)

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A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events." (Read more about Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems)

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Have you been to a practitioner besides your family physician? Whether chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga or homeopathy, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly common in the United States, and 72% of adults use some form of CAM therapies according to the US National Centers for Disease Control and US National Center for Health Statistics.

A recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine highlighted how chronic pain tends to be under treated because doctors worry about over prescribing medications, and being liable for malpractice or even criminal penalties. Many doctors fear entering the field of pain management at all. Many patients are also concerned about becoming dependant on medication or about the invasiveness and dangers of surgery and anesthesia. CAM therapies, which are able to treat pain and help manage diseases without medication or surgery, are rapidly growing services as people search out better, safer approaches.

So how effective are Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies? (Read more about Rapid Rise in "Complementary" Medical Services)

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Yoga may offer solutions for depression, anxiety and epilepsy.

Reports from the World Health Organization and elsewhere estimate that mental illness comprises fifteen percent of the global disease burden. Depression and anxiety disorders contribute heavily to these numbers. One treatment approach is offered by various medications designed to stimulate the brain's primary inhibitory neuro transmitter, gamma-aminobutyric (or GABA) levels. Findings released by Boston University School of Medicine report that yoga may elevate these GABA levels in the brain and may provide a way to treat these disorders. (Read more about Yoga Is a Possible Treatment For Depression)

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There's a good chance you or someone you care about has suffered with back pain that lasts a long time.

Back pain is the second leading symptom seen by doctors in the United States.

Now, one might think a powerful group of pain medicines can help relieve the agony.

But it appears, their effectiveness, at least with back pain, might be overblown.

Chronic back pain--meaning, pain that lasts more than three months--is reported in 19 percent of working adults. That's one in five!

Thambal Yima will tell you first hand how debilitating it can be. She suffered five herniated discs, and two fractures a couple of years ago. “I went through all kinds of medical treatments. I was in so much pain to get up on the examination table I would scream.”

She came in in intractable pain, certainly, sounding like someone, if there was someone, who would benefit from opioid pain medicines…drugs in the morphine family.

These are drugs like fentanyl, percocet, oxycontin, and vicodin. They are powerful pain killers. But according to new research in the annals of internal medicine, the difference in pain relief between these medicines and placebo was not significantly different long term, believe it or not. (Read more about Back Pain)

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One of the most common injuries to the spine is slipped or a herniated disk. This condition may be extremely painful and may damage surrounding muscle and nerve systems. (Read more about Slipped Disc)

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