Chairwoman: Caterina Tanzella
Address: Via Paruta 32 – 35126 Padua (Italy)
Opening time: from Monday to Friday
9.00-12.30 / 15.30-19.00
Phone: +390498025069
+393472787010
Fax: +390498037465
E-mail: associazione@volontadivivere.org
URL: www.volontadivivere.org
Fiscal code: 80040220289
Postal current account: 14469357
Support bank: Banca Antoniana Popolare Veneta
Legal status: 2037 of 03-04-1990
Municipal register registration: 125-PD
Provincial register registration: 26/A
Regional register registration: PD 0050
The Association “We and the cancer. Will to live” ONLUS, borned in the 1979, follows sociomedical aims, because it is a psycho-physical rehabilitation Centre for oncological patients and, specifically, for breast cancer operated women.
For this reason, the Association has founded a lot of specific, continuative and free services, for numerous patients.
The Association is autonomous, apolitical, not to make money. It has looked for create a precise reference Centre for any psychological, physical or other one problem. This kind of help makes less traumatizing the return to normal life and it also removes and positively varies wrong life habits, whether those psychological ones or those relative to natural hygiene.
The Association is managing by volunteers (for the 80% cured patients), who are training to a specific assistance for cancer patients. Every volunteer, according to own inclinations, holds useful parts for a good course of the Centre. The activities include: assistance to new-operated women whether in hospital or at home, organization of conferences, coordination of services, administration, work of secretariate and publishing trade (the Association has published three books), training and information about prevention and precocious diagnosis of female cancers.
With the volunteers work together also technicians and experts, who are paid by the Association, to assure the continuity and quality of the services offered; these experts are psychologists, physiokinesitherapists, teachers of yoga and nutritionists.
The Association communicates with its members by a three-monthly report and collaborates with the institutions and others at local, national and European level.
From experience accumulated during various decades, we have observed that, for a patient, finding a datum point in own territory supports a better quality of life also for the recovery; for this reason,

during the last three years, the Association has promoted the birth of other seven similar groups, in the Provinces of Padua, Venice, Treviso and Vicenza.
The association has the recognition of legal status and it is also registered on municipal, provincial and regional registers of voluntary apprenticeship. It is member of the “National Federation of the breast operated women Association” (FADOS), of the Movement “Opinion Europe Woman” and also of the European Conference “Reach to Recovery”.
The engagement of the Association develops on two parallel levels:
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 to assist an ever-increasing number of patients, offering free services for their rehabilitation to lead tenaciously actions of sensitization about health education, especially for the importance of cancer precocious diagnosis
For psycho-physical and social rehabilitation the Association has organized and continues to organize the following services:
Psicho-oncological integrated counselling
 pychological first aid
 individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy
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 analysis and evaluation of the volunteers self-help group
Physiokinesitherapy
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 specific gymnastics for new-operated and maintainer gymnastics as prevention for post-operation breast limphedema relaxing techniques, autogenous training, yoga, tai chi chuan dance movement therapy
 manual limphatic drein
Assistance (volunteers area)
 reception and direct listening in the centre
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 telephonic listening as first aid for persons during intense crisis prosthesis and corsetry service hospital assistance for who face the operation, giving informative material and, if necessary, also free temporary prosthesis assistance to the physiotherapy service assistance to psychology services accompanying persons in difficulties to medical controls and to the therapies bureaucratic matters advice finding easy passage to obtein urgently instrumental and/or specialistic exams
(mammographies, echographies, gynaecological visits)
 providing (with economical facilitations) elastics sleeves for women who have limphedema problems
Socio-educational intervents
 open behavioural-educational seminars to better the quality of life
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 propaedeutic clothing passings (from brassière to dress) with the same operated women, to facilitate the acceptance of own aspect change realization of books about informations, useful advices, direct experiences of failure, of victory, new awarenesses, changes, new life styles, learnt and communicated during the illness and convalescent period of the patient. This material is very asked from graduands, Universties and all the organizations that work at local and national
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 level to exploit and protect the person practical help to support the creation of new groups whether in Province or in Region informative spot announcements
English courses
 creative laboratories (paint, poetry, photograph, manual activities)
Alimentary education

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 specific for patients during chemotherapeutical treatment of maintenance, with psychosomatic approach
Training
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 permanent for operating volunteers courses for new volunteers
 LDM (manual limphatic drein) support courses for rehabilitation therapists
All the services follow continually revised programmes .

Youngs are the privileged “target” when it’s a matter “to plant little seeds” that may lead, after their growth, to a cultural change.
Youngs…, because they will be the adults of tomorrow; because they are characterized by “bloom” and enthusiasm.
Do valid Ideals still exist?
We think “yes”! And we pursue the aim to give information…Because “knowledge is power” and a correct information allows to do aware choices.
The information that we bring is about health, about the strategy to maintain it and, …also if we ought to fall ill…, “to shout to the world” that we can recover!
Sometimes we fall ill. Sometimes we fall very seriously ill.
Cancer is a “serious” illness.
Even if cancer is a “serious” illness, today we can however say that “we can get over the cancer” and that the “winning arm” is the timely diagnosis.
Why talking about cancer to youngs?
Because, even if in youngs this illness is less frequent, it has often consequences more serious!
We must have not fear to be informed because superficiality and indifference don’t help to avoid dangers!
Correct information favours the capacity to correctly interact with doctors and it helps also doctors to support us!
So we urge you to have a little courage, not “to play ostriches” and not to persist to deny the problem, that it’s an attitude justified by pseudo-optimism or by fatalism, that result little effective to maintain psycho-physics health.
So we hope that deafs would become less deaf, that timids would gain courage and that somebody could have more attention and a little more respect for own body, to use better the opportunity of a longer life, but most of all qualitatively better, that today it’s offered us compared to past.
To consider life a precious gift is fundamental to not waste it and to live it best.

The necessity to divulge as much as possible correct and revised informations rises by the direct ascertain, realized directly working with a lot of people, that in their life have met the cancer, and by the increase of the mortality, overall among youngs, caused by a late diagnosis, consequent of a disinformation.
We can see an example into Martina’s story.
Martina was a young woman, happy and highly satisfied with life.
She had an indipendent character, very much in love about her boyfriend and with a satisfactory job…She had “the world in a hand” and a rosy future. Then a day, by chance, Martina feels a little nodule on her breast. She goes to the doctor, who reassures her, because certain diseases surely can’t happen to a young, pretty and strong girl: in official statistics, under twenty-five years of age, the probability to fall ill of cancer on breast is very low, almost inexistent.
Martina trusts, because she knows nothing about cancer; Martina didn’t have well understood or nobody didn’t have explained her that “rare event” doesn’t mean “absent event”.
For a short time everything goes usually…But then Martina notices that the nodule is grew and that the axillary glands have became bigger; so she asks to do accurate diagnosis tests. The disease is already present in an advanced stage.
Martina spends the last year of her life among hospitals, therapies, surgical operations, pains…than stop…Martina is dead.
Martina has left us a will: she has explicity asked -and in a loud voice- that youngs should be carefully informed and trained to have a greater care of own health and a greater attention for own body.
We have received this request, always aware that an appropriate and correct information could help to live better and sometimes also to save the life.
For this reason the Associations Fados (Federation of the Associations of Women operated on breast), also concerning with psycho-physical rehabilitation of oncological patients, dedicate more and more space to the education on health of youngs, giving informations to the fourth and the fifth classes of the main High School Institutes (project “The information helps to live”), so that also this information may belong to the cultural store of a person who is growing up.
We have thought convenient to talk about Martina’s experience in this context, certainly not to do
“psychological terrorism”, but to give ours little bit to the cultural change, so that the new generation may be more aware that health is a precious gift, that we must protect with knowledge, awareness and personal ability.

In this booklet we consider the four fundamental aspects that regulate the life of every person, aspects that we face during recovery, as we personally experienced, with the purpose of reaching well-being b
:
1) the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of tumors,
2) strategies and ways to reduce stress,
3) the importance of dietary education,
4) the importance of physical education .
With screening much has been obtained in preventing cancer of the cervix. On the contrary, for breast cancer, even though science has made progress and in spite of information campaigns many women between the ages of 45 and 69 (the group at major risk) still avoid undergoing free breast exams and periodic controls. The majority ignores the importance of self breast examinations.
There are also young women who, because of hereditary factors, have a greater probability of contracting this pathology being subjects particularly at risk. They should acquire good practises
(self-examinations, controls and medical exams) starting at the age of 25 .
Even though it has a minor social impact because of its much lower incidence with respect to breast and cervical tumors, testicular tumors must not be underestimated: young men between the ages of
15 and 35 are mainly at risk.
Owing to the absence of significant risk factors a primary prevention program is not possible. It is necessary to educate young men to perform periodical self examination of the testicles in order to discover when possible the initial stages of the disease and thus increase the chances of recovery.
Recovery is high even in advanced forms of disease, due to efficient surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Early diagnosis of melanoma.
The incidence of this neoplasia is increasing worldwide. In the past 15 years the number of cases has practically doubled. That is why we consider it important to mention it.
As evidenced in recent scientific studies, stress is a major factor that lowers immunitary defenses and is “fertile ground” for processes leading to different pathologies. It is therefore important to suggest strategies and give advice to control stress.
Dietary education
Scientific research coordinated by Prof. Franco Berrino, of the ISTITUTO TUMORI, Milan (Italy) has shown that a well suited diet can reduce the blood level of hormones responsible for breast cancer: that is an additional demonstration of how a proper diet is important for good health.

b
For us the recovery phase was very difficult because it had been experienced in solitude, owing to the social and cultural lack of knowledge and the poor structures and services (diagnostic services, family counselling, voluntary associations etc that new generations have access to).
Regular physical training
The beneficial effects of an appropriate stress control and dietary regime are enhanced by a regular (possibly daily) physical activity.
We volunteers in self-help groups who have experienced disease, can testify that in order to obtain an improvement in health and mental well-being, have clung to relaxation techniques, a healthier dietary regime and physical training.
That is why we consider it a matter of necessity to take into account these four factors, considering them as the “pillars of health”, even though we are well conscious of the existence of many, many additional factors to be taken into account. Let us start with the above mentioned four, the rest will follow with experience.
We would like to speak in particular to mothers: in spite of INTERNET they still constitute the most direct and effective means of spreading information. Above all we appeal to young mothers: they should devote their efforts in training their children to consider mental and physical health as the key to spiritual maturity. This goal goes far beyond material wealth, educational achievements or any other goal whatsoever.
The small sacrifice done today can generate great satisfaction in the future and produces the awareness of having contributed to the improvement of our society.
We are experiencing on a daily base this gratification through the many people testifying that our help taught them to love themselves and to perform what is required for their well-being: this personal well-being spreads out as oil in water in such a way that more and more people get involved.
With the hope that this oil keeps spreading, I invite you to join us in this process of learning and transferring your experience to other people, not looking for disease, but assuming that you are sound and continue to enjoy every minute of life.
Caterina Tanzella
Chairperson of the Association “Gioia di Vivere”
LESS SMOKE = HEALTHIER BREAST
Smoking as a teenager increases the probability of eventually getting breast cancer .
In a research paper published in the medical journal THE LANCET, a group of Canadian epidemiologists maintains that the breast cancer risk increases by 70% among the early smokers with respect to the nonsmokers. The highest risk is among women who started smoking within 5 years of their first menstruation, since in this period the mammary tissue is more susceptible to the cancerogenic agents of tobacco. That research included 430 women younger than 75, registered in the Cancer Register of British Columbia.
From “Europa Donna Informa”, year 6, October 2003, page 9

This brief note answers two questions:
1) what does early diagnosis mean ?
2) what technology and methods are used for diagnosis ?
The battle against tumors is fought using three strategies:
primary prevention
early diagnosis
effective therapy
Primary prevention : means avoiding tumor onset.
Lung tumor is a classical example: less smoke, less tumors. Even the pap-test and colonoscopy are good examples of primary prevention because they allow us to discover and remove so called precancerous lesions before they transform themselves into tumors.
Early diagnosis : the diagnosis of a tumor that has already begun, it is present but curable.
Effective therapy : a therapy that prevents the tumor from overcoming our defenses.
As far as breast cancer is concerned, the effects of eating certain foods and the good results obtained with the help of certain medicines (chemoprevention) offer new hope in preventing the onset of tumors. Today early diagnosis offers the best results. It has been shown that the discovery of the tumor in its initial phase avoids mutilating surgery and optimizes treatment in order to be completly healed.
Breast cancer is not an incurable disease if diagnosticated and treated in time.
It is necessary to remember that the tumor originates from one or a few cells that are alterated and start to multiply rapidly. Since the cells are very small, 5 to 7 years are necessary before the new formed mass of cells reaches the diameter of 1 cm.
On the basis of these considerations it becomes apparent that: a) to undergo mammography does not mean prevention . Often the “diagnostic centers” are called Prevention Centers: this is wrong and causes false hopes (the women believe that in this way they will never have a breast tumor) and are distressed when, after repeated controls, a tumor is discovered. b) Having a mammography does not mean early diagnosis. You cannot talk about precocity if the discovered tumor is several years old. The correct term is diagnosis in useful time because it allows efficient treatment. It is well to remember that the cure of a tumor is not only connected to its size at the moment of diagnosis but also to its biological aggressivity : there are very small tumors that are very aggressive and large size tumors that are less aggressive. If we want to use the term precocious, we must use it in the biological (curable phase in the long life of the tumor) and not in the chronological sense.
These simple facts avoid a useless race after diagnosis: if the tumor is already a few years old at the moment of diagnosis, there is no immediate urgency to begin treatment: the therapeutic planning can be made calmly and in a well informed matter.

This awareness avoids anxiety, discomfort and guilt feelings after the diagnosis: if the tumor is already a few years old at the moment of diagnosis there is no justified reason to be worried by a few month of delayed diagnosis. There is no reason to feel guilty if the periodic control was carried out a few months later with respect to the program; there is no reason to undergo emergency surgical biopsy of a small lesion with a doubtful diagnosis if a simple needle biopsy and a control in a few months allows a diagnosis of benign tumor.
In synthesis, it is always true that: the earlier you arrive, the better , but the earlier is measured in months and sometimes in years and not in days or weeks.
In other words, what matters is to arrive at the station before the train leaves and not to arrive many hours before.
TECHNOLOGY AND METHODS FOR THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST TUMORS
The most suited technique is mammography no matter what the woman’s age. If the goal is to discover a curable tumor, it is necessary to have a mammography. A breast exam by itself or only a breast ultrasound even if repeated in time allows the diagnosis of small tumors in a limited percentage of cases. Knowing this, it seems justified to have a routine breast exam by the family doctor or gynecologist because the exam is not only limited to inspection and palpation but also to a discussion; on the contrary, it is not justified to have the patient undergo only ultrasound, because that leads to false assurance.
The mammography is the only simple method able to find tumors in time for cure.
Unfortunately the mammography is not a perfect exam and there are tumors, even large ones, that are not recognized by mammography. It is therefore recommended that mammography be accompanied by breast exam and ultrasound, especially in cases where the radiologist is in doubt. It is necessary that these three techniques are done by the same radiologist and at the same time (this avoids anxiety and offers the best results). Needle biopsy should be done last if there is diagnostic doubt.
In synthesis, the mammography is the basic technique and if done in the correct way allows more than 80% of all cancers to be discovered; its association with breast exam and ultrasound, if necessary, allows a diagnosis of about 50% of tumors not seen by mammography: these two techniques validly complete but do not substitute mammography.
As it can be seen, 10 to 15% of the tumors do not show up: this fact should be known to avoid the negative consequences of false tranquillity (the woman feels a lump but is not worried because she had a mammography a few months before), shock and depression (the phrase:
“How is it possible, last year it wasn’t there! So the mammography is not useful” is often heard).
The discovery of tumors that have not been detected after a complete exam is obtained by the repetition of these exams at regular intervals. In general the tumors that are not seen are rather small and therefore after a year, when they are diagnosticated, there is still time for useful treatment. It is good to know that a control after one or two years does not serve to find a new born tumor but a tumor that was present in a previous control but was not yet visible. This is the reason that the diagnostic controls are repeated at regular intervals: once is not enough !

Rational sequence of diagnostic tests, according to age and observations.
The presence of a lump in women over 35 years of age : breast exam, mammography and ultrasound (it is suggested that these exams are done at the same time and in the same place). Eventual needle biopsy, if necessary.
All women over 40-45 years of age, even in the absence of a lump, are recommended to undergo periodic exams with mammography (preferably completed with breast examination and ultrasound). These exams must be repeated within two years or depending on the advise the radiologist. In the absence of an organized screening program (and therefore in the absence of a doctor’s advice) it is recommended that women ask to undergo these examinations .
N.B. Women belonging to families in which there were many cases of breast tumors, ovary tumors or colon tumors should ask their family doctors what they should do to protect their children (both male and female).
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE UNDER 35 YEARS, IN THE ABSENCE OF
SYMPTOMS
Owing to the fact that there is little probability of having a breast tumor under 35 years of age, there are no recommendations of instrumental periodic controls. But a small probability does not exclude absence of risk . It is suggested that young women complete a breast exam that is given during gynecological visits with self examinations (see next
Section).
Self examinations must be repeated every three months and done after menstruation.
Remember that the principal objective of self examination is “ to know your own breast
” in a way to be able to tell your doctor of eventual persistent changes .
Prof. Dr. Cosimo Di Maggio
Director of UNITA’ OSPEDALIERA – Ospedale Busonera, Padova

In a standing position before a mirror, with arms hanging at your sides and then raised look for the presence of depressions or wrinkling of the skin or nipples or irregular bulging. Lay down and put a small pillow or a folded towel under the shoulder blade of the side that you want to examine.
This allows the breast to rest on the thoracic cage without falling sideways.
Put the hand of the side you want to exam behind your head and press the other hand on the breast moving it in a circular fashion.
The hand is held flat and the fingers together.
Lightly press the breast and rotate the hand from the outside to the inside as the arms of a clock.
Self-examination is done in a circular sense, or as rays moving towards the nipple. We must think ot the breast as a circle divided into four parts (or quadrants).
If you examine the side of the breast near the armpit it is better if the arm on that side is lowered: the hand is held as above and then the armpit is palpated.
PRIMARY PREVENTION OF UTERINE CERVICAL CANCER
Primary prevention of uterine cervical cancer is possible by two means: personal hygiene and diagnostic screening.

Personal hygiene
We now know that a high percentage of cases of cancer of the cervix is associated with viral alterations, especially those caused by papilloma virus (HPV).
In other words it is believed that this particular virus though not the only cause of tumor formation can be co-responsible in determining the tumoral process.
Since this virus is principally transmitted sexually it is correct to say that frequent sexual contact with different partners exposes one to risk.
Primary prevention means limiting the number of partners or using precautions (condom use)
that minimize the possibility of infection.
This is a true primary prevention because the potential transformation into a malignant tumor is stopped.
What is the best age to begin having Pap tests in order to protect our health?
There is no set age for everyone. Those who have sexual intercourse early (sometimes too early) should begin to have the Pap test early. Those who have sexual intercourse later can begin their screening later.
Aside from these considerations one should have her first Pap test around the age of 25. Slight and medium dysplasias (C1N1 and C1N2) have their greatest incidence around this age. At this time their frequency is 1 in 100. Fortunately the greater part of these dysplasias are taken care of by the body and do not turn into a serious (C1N3) dysplasia that must always be treated. If not treated it has a good probabilty of turning into to an invasive tumor of the cervix that has its maximun incidence at the age of 50. The serious (C1N3) dysplasia has its maximun incidence around 32 years therefore a preventive work-up must begin earlier than usual.
Girls of the 15-19 age group should have this information as you do, not only to increase their culture but also as advice that they can put to use soon.
OTHER FEMALE GENITAL TUMORS

Cancer of the uterus is different from that of the cervix not only from its origin, the cervix, but also for other characteristics: it starts much later (60-70 years) and has different risk factors (women who have not given birth, obesity, hyperestrogenism etc.).
In the past l0 years it has become more frequent than cervical tumor becaus the Pap test has enabled a useful screening that has sensibly lowered this invasive tumor.. In theory, if all women regularly have a vaginal smear cervical tumor could disappear. For prevention and the early diagnosis of tumors of the uterine body the exams used are endometrial cytology, trasvaginal ultrasound and the hysteroscope.
This tumor that constitutes 4% of all female tumors is unfortunately the most dangerous genital tumor because at the moment it is that one that is diagnosed late.
In fact there are no valid screening tests and no early diagnosis methods exist: therefore when an ovarian tumor is discovered it is usually in the latest stages of spreading.
At the present the only useful exam is the transvaginal ultrasound that allows an approximation of the ovaric morphology.
For sure, when you will arrive to the age of 40 to 60 years medical science will have made progress.
Therefore be calm but on guard !
Prof. Dr. Michele Gangemi
Chair of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction
University of Padua

Testicle cancer is a rare disease involving male subjects between the ages of 15 and 35 .
Predisposing factors can be the crypto-orchidism (hidden testicle), hereditary factors, maternal exposure to estrogens.
Very often late diagnosis is due to the ignorance that testicle cancer can hit young people and to inhibition in undergoing a medical exam when there are anomalies in the male genital organs.
The best suited instrument for an early diagnosis is self-examination of testicles, which should be periodically performed starting at the age of 15 .
The delay in diagnosis is constantly related to a more advanced stage of the disease and as a consequence the diagnosis is worse.
The percentage of complete recovery is extremely high even in cases of an advanced stage of the disease: around 90%. Chemotherapy and surgery allow such a high percent of recoveries.
The removal of the testicle is usually the main treatment of the disease.
Even when the testicle is removed, the remaining testicle is usually sufficient to allow seminal and endocrine activity .
Other types of treatment depend on the stage of the disease and on the histology of the tumor.
Details of testicle’s anatomy :
Evidence of a small testicle tumor :

It is well known that monthly self examination of the breasts is a very effective means in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Similarly for males, starting at the age of 15, testicle self-examination is an extremely effective way of exploring the scrotal region and allowing the early detection of cancer and therefore the best possibility for treatment.
Self-examination of the testicles is best done after a bath or hot shower. The heat relaxes the scrotum and allows the scrotum to be easily examined.
It is very important to follow these suggestions every month, recording every variation:
perform the examination in front of a mirror, looking for possible swellings of the scrotal surface;
examine both testicles by hand, putting the index and the middle finger under the testicle and the thumb above it;
let the testicle slide gently between the fingers. The maneuver should not be painful;
the different dimension of the testicles should not alarm the subject: it is a normal finding;
it is important being able to recognize the epididimus, which has a tubular structure and is found in the upper posterior region the testicle: it must not be confused with a cancer, even it seems enlarged;
if a swelling of the testicle is noticed, consult a doctor (urologist) : this swelling may not be due to cancer, but simply to an infection. If it were a cancer its spreading, usually fast, can be stopped only by specific treatment. Waiting or hoping for the best does not help to solve the problem .
Other signs to be kept in mind:
any testicle enlargement (swelling) (see Figure)

a testicle reduction in size;
a feeling of increased heaviness at the level of scrotum;
a fastidious inguinal pain;
a swelling of breasts
Remember : only a physician can give you a proper diagnosis
It should be finally remembered that embarrassment and shyness cannot be an excuse for avoiding medical examination in case of a suspected testicular cancer. If something does not feel right or changed in the scrotum, do not hesitate to call the doctor.
Dr. Ivan Matteo Tavolini (Urologic Clinic at Padua General Hospital)

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates by the transformation of melanocytes. What are melanocytes ? They are cells determining the skin’s color because they produce the cutaneous pigment melanin. Melanocytes originate from the embryonal crest during the embryo’s development and from there they subsequently migrate to the skin, to the uvea of the eye, to the meninges and to the mucous membranes of the nose, the paranasal sinuses, the mouth , the vagina and the anus, in such a way that in each one of these sites a melanoma can originate. Over 90% of melanomas are nonetheless originated in the skin. Among the skin tumors melanoma is the most dangerous.
Melanoma can appear in an apparently undamaged skin or else it can be the result of the modification of a pre-existing mole . Around 70% of melanomas arise inside or in the proximity of a mole. It is therefore very important to know the dimension, the color and the location of moles on our skin, in order to be able to rapidly be aware of their changes and notice the appearances of new ones.
Some congenital moles of noticeable dimensions can indeed generate melanomas. If the melanoma is not promptly diagnosed at its early developmental stage, it can spread to other parts of the body and become potentially deadly.
The incidence of this neoplasia is clearly increasing all over the world: in the last 15 years the number of cases has practically doubled.
In Italy its incidence amounts to 7-10 cases per year every 100,000 inhabitants. In the northern part of the country its incidence is greater than in the south and in the Venetian Region there are 15 cases every 100,000 inhabitants for the males and 17 for females.
The age at greatest risk is between 25 and 50 years. Besides being slightly more frequent among women, its distribution also varies with sex: among the men it is more frequent on the trunk while in women it is more frequent on the legs. Among elderly people the localization on the face increases.
WHO ARE THE SUBJECTS AT RISK ?
hereditary (other cases in the family)
a previous melanoma diagnosis
one or more moles with diameter greater than 5 mm and with an irregular shape
high number of moles (more than 50)
presence of one or more congenital moles of a large diameter (greater than 6 mm)
fair hair (red or blond), light eyes, light skin, difficulty in tanning
onset of a mole in an adult
WHAT CAN BE DONE IN ORDER TO LIMIT THE RISK ?
Subjects at risk should avoid sun exposure, especially during the hottest hours of the day (from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m.) and they should protect themselves with light clothes, hat and sun glasses.
The use of sun screen creams, even at high factor (from 15 on), according to research work done on the subject, does not seem to reduce the risk of melanoma.
It is important that children are not exposed unprotected to sun rays during the hottest hours. For babies under 6 months sun exposure should be completely avoided.
Sun exposure must be, in any case, gradual and must not be prolonged, especially in the phototypes
1 and 2 (as we explain in what follows).

WHAT IS THE PHOTOTYPE ?
Phototype is the set of characteristics of skin, hair and eye color. There exist various types:
Phototype 1 : fair hair (red or blond), light eyes, light skin with freckles, easily burned by sun rays and impossibile to tan.
Phototype 2 : fair or chesnut colored hair, light eyes, light skin, presence of freckles, easily burned by sun rays, difficulty in tanning.
Phototype 3 : chestnut colored hair, hazel-brown eyes, skin of medium color, possibility of getting burned by sun rays, tendency to tanning;
Phototype 4 : dark chestnut or black hair, olive-colored skin, intense tanning.
Phototype 5 : black hair, dark eyes, dark skin which never gets burned.
The most dangerous sun rays for the development of a melanoma are B rays (UVB) which are the most intese in the tropical regions and in the high mountain areas.
WHEN SHOULD WE CHECK OUR MOLES ?
When the mole modifies its dimensions, its shape or its color.
When it presents irregular edges (boundaries), blurring, asymmetries.
When it shows different colors.
When it becomes itchy or sensitive.
When it bleeds (even after a trauma has passed).
When it has the tendency to appear and disappear.
ABCDE is an acronym that summarizes the characteristics of a mole that must be taken into account in a dermatological checkup:
A is for Asymmetry of its shape ;
B is for Boundaries, which are irregular and indented;
C is for Color, which can vary from red-brown to pink to black: suspicious moles have the tendency to become darker ;
D is for Dimension: moles larger than 5-6 cm must be controlled;
E is for Evolution or else for erythema (becoming red). Seldom a melanoma remains stable in its aspect: it shows a tendency to modify its width, color, thickness. The diameter of a melanoma can double itself within 3-6 months. The red coloring presents itself as a circle of pale red around a mole undergoing change.
In any case a sudden, unexpected variation of a mole must be checked by a medical doctor.

HOW DOES A MELANOMA PRESENT ITSELF ?
The characteristics of a melanoma vary according to its phase of development and the site of origin: we can distinguish flat melanomas (with superficial extension), mixed form melanomas, nodular melanomas:
Flat melanoma
It is the most frequent form (80% of cases). It manifests itself as a superficial dot, with no thicknes or just a very small thickness. The color can vary from dark brown to black, and is distributed irregularly. The borders are irregular and asymmetric. The dimensions vary from 5-6 mm to a few cms. In certain cases the width can be less then 5 mm.
It can originate in any part of the body, even under a nail, but the most frequent sites are the back in men and the legs in women.
Flat-dome shaped melanoma
After an horizontal growth, that can last months or even years, flat melanomas show a tendency to increase in height (vertical growth), assuming the shape of a dome or else of a nodule.
Nodular melanoma
Its location is mostly on the back, or else in the hair skin or in the neck. It constitutes 15 - 20 % of all melanomas and it appears as a nodule of brown-black color growing rapidly. In some cases the color can be absent and the nodule appears pink (amelanic or achromatic melanoma). Its surface is smooth, but in some cases it can be ulcerated, with the subsequent formation of a hematic crust. Its border is generally regular and clear-cut.
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE AT RISK DO ?
Subjects belonging to categories at risk of melanoma should perform skin self-examination and inform the doctor about any change.
HOW SHOULD SKIN SELF-EXAMINATION BE PERFORMED ?
In order to properly know our moles, we should accurately control our skin after bathing or taking a shower, standing in front of a long mirror :
1) examine thorax, abdomen, back and hips, raising up our arms; for the back, it is better to ask a family member for help;
2) inspect arms in various positions, included the palms;
3) inspect legs, especially the back, without forgetting the feet, the soles and the spaces between the toes;
4) inspect face, neck, the nape of the neck, using a double mirror.
HOW DIAGNOSIS IS MADE ?
The diagnosis of a suspect melanoma is made by direct inspection of the skin or else by means of a dermatoscope or video-microscope that enlarges the area. The diagnosis is then histologically confirmed by the examination of thin sections of the suspected mole under the microscope, after its surgical removal.

WHAT SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO SUBJECTS AT RISK ?
1) a preventive visit to the doctor (every 6 – 12 months);
2) the mole mapping in subjects with a high number of moles.
The mapping of the moles consists of photographing different skin districts in order to obtain a photo-file (possibly a digital one) of the patient’s moles; this photo-file is thereafter utilized during the periodic visits. It is also possible to obtain various enlargements of specific moles by epi-luminescence.
VERY IMPORTANT
In case of sudden changes, do not wait for the scheduled visits, but request an immediate checkup.
Dr. Mauro Alaibac
Dermatological Clinic
University of Padua
Dr. Vanna Chiaroni Sileni
Oncological Unit of Medical Oncology
University of Padua
Prof. Dr. Carlo-Riccardo Rossi
Second Surgical Clinic
University of Padua

Our mind creates illnesses that it can only cure (Paracelsus, 1400)
It is scientifically ascertained that mind, body and emotions constitute a perfectly integrated system. Many research papers show that any change in the emotional state of a subject involves a change of his physiological state, that strong interactions exist between thoughts, emotions, the endocrine system and the immune system. Psycho-neuro-immunology has been studying for several decades the relations existing between anxiety, stress, depression and disease.
Today we are able to demonstrate that mind can be of great help in the fight against cancer
(Fawzy).
The important results obtained by medical research in its fight against cancer could be enhanced by adopting a healthier life style, especially from the emotional point of view.
It is impossible to avoid stress; it belongs to life, as maintained by Hans Seyle a
, one of the most important researchers in this field: “ stress is a nonspecific body reaction to any demand imposed on it
”. Among these demands are the fundamental requirements of the heart, to keep on pumping blood, to the muscles, which must move the thorax in order to allow breathing, etc. The adjective
“nonspecific” means that the body, in front of a given situation (stimulus, task, etc.) must keep on adapting itself independently of the nature of the given situation: all living beings (humans and animals) use the same biological reactions to this purpose.
It is not the single stress situation that causes damage: it is their summing up that has disastrous effects. As a man-made machine, the human machine undergoes a wearing down process, even when given adequate fuel, whenever it is exposed to constant use: our reserves of adaptational energies are not infinite
b
.
There does not exist a “good stress” as distinct from a “bad stress”: what makes the difference is our way to face the stress.
Stress becomes harmful when we do not have, or we do not implement a good strategy to face and to handle it.
Stress must be faced in the “healthiest” way: one of the worst ways to face it is to fall into depression, since depression is the “mother” of all diseases, causing a lack of balance in the immune system. a
Seyle, Hans
.
The Stress Without Distress. N.Y.: Lippincott. 1974. b
Ibidem
There are techniques to help us “let go” of all factors disturbing our daily life and to find within and without ourselves a true equilibrium.
The first step along this pathway consists of “stopping” and asking ourselves how we feel, how we are behaving and are we satisfied.
The awareness of our present state of being, i.e. our consciousness of what we are experiencing now and of how we are reacting to it, helps us to see the “dark sides” hampering our joy of life.
Consciously living in the present and attentively listening to every bodily and/or mental sensation allows us to use the best strategy that lead us to clean our body and mind from “internal pollutants’
(such as prejudice, convictions, etc) and external ones (conditioning etc), freeing us from chains that we often create ourselves.
Some useful strategies are meditation, yoga, self-training, visualization. Other equally helpful techniques are physical activity
c
, music therapy (singing, dancing), psychotherapy, writing, painting and also praying d .

It has been shown that the relaxation induced by these techniques has an effect, at the psychological level, on stress governing hormones and on the immune system.
The basic way to achieve relaxation, and consequently an effective stress control, consists of concentrating on breathing.
Shut your eyes.
- Inhale deeply: you can feel your diaphragm expand; then exhal slowly, paying attention to the air going out of your mouth. At the same time, imagine that your lungs are sea sponges opening and closing with a rhythmical, calm, regular movement. When you inhale lungs expand, when you exhale lungs contract.
- Repeat the procedure until you feel your entire body participating in this breathing movement, as if your entire body is expanding or contracting when you inhale and exhale.
- Abandon yourself more and more to this movement, let yourself be transported by your breath, feeling the air entering each one of your cells.
- Try to imagine yourself on an anchored boat in a calm sea, being rocked by the rhythm of your breath. Imagine the colors, listen to the sounds, become absorbed by this image as if you were there. c
Even a simple walk at a speedy pace can lead to (muscular and nonmuscular) relaxation of tension caused by excessive stress. d
Prayer in the Western world corresponds to a form of deep meditation .
… Learning to breath well is very important for the proper functioning of your organism and, last but not least, it allows you to discover, with time and practise, how slow and deep breathing can induce a feeling of calm and balance and a better awareness of yourself.
Consequently, learn to concentrate on breathing in times of acute tension or physical and emotional uneasiness
d
.
What matters is the utilization of techniques that help us to direct ourselves toward new, positive thoughts and to give expression to the most spontaneous (the most creative) and deepest parts of our being, whose existence was not known to us.
We can train our mind to bounce back, remain calm and have a good outlook during any part of the day, collecting positive energies to face what is happening to us now and what will come next.
Reality around us will not change, but we will find ourselves with more energy and serenity to face it.
Dr. Erika Larosi, Psychologist d
Bertolotti, Paola, Buchal, Nicoletta, Rolando, Giovannacarla. Pensare la salute, Tecniche creative per ridurre l’ansia e organizzare armoniosamente la propria giornata , pp 7-9 , in Tumore del seno: prevenire, curare, vivere: Milano,
Franco Angeli, 1999.

We are what we eat !
In our present society, where body care occupies the center of the stage (mass media underline the importance of keeping slim, toned and in good shape), it is not at all easy to take one’s bearing among the different diets and the wonders of the proposed dietary regimes.
As it has often been shown, a proper diet is an important factor in preventing diseases, especially those arising from wealth : dietary education is therefore fundamental in preventing them.
Owing to life styles less and less in tune with our biological rhythms, we frequently eat too fast, too much or too bad, without a proper choice, simply accepting what is offered by others or what is easily available, easy-to-prepare or fashionable: fast, colored and good smelling food, without taking into account our physiological requirements, which vary from person to person.
In this context of dietary uncertainty it is mandatory to support a food culture helping the rediscovery of a proper balance between human beings and diet, re-evaluating the ancient culinary, social and behavioral traditions, coming as close as possible to the genuine “ Mediterranean diet “, suggesting a qualitative and quantitative control of food and respect for a few simple rules that are the guidelines of a proper dietary regime.
These guidelines can be summarized as follows:
1) prefer vegetable food to animal food (fibers, vitamins, mineral salts must be always present in the daily diet),
2) considerably reduce animal fat (butter, bacon fat, meat fat, etc.);
3) increase the eating of fish up to 2-3 times a week (the so called blue fish is excellent);
4) reduce the use of cheese as a main course, especially of the hard seasoned or fermented type
(an exception can be made for the rich in calcium parmisan cheese or parmisan-like cheese, without exaggerating in case of a high daily consumption of milk);
5) reduce the assumption of food with a high cholesterol content (eggs, animal brain, liver, shell fish);
6) limit eating beef or sausages to 5-6 times per week (giving the preference to lean or white meat or to sausages without preservatives);
7) compensate the meat reduction with an increased use of legumes (beans, broad-beans, peas, chick-peas, lentils), which are rich in vegetal fibers and vitamins ;
8) reduce to a minimum sugar and sweet food (preferring, where required, honey, cane sugar, home-made cakes, but always in moderate amount);
9) even the use of salt must be reduced (always preferring integral or iodized salt). Salt can be replaced or integrated with garlic or fresh aromatic herbs (parsley, spring-onion, rosemary, sage etc), which are very effective in making bland food palatable;
10) prefer extra-virgin olive oil or else corn oil: it must always be used crude, even on cooked food;
11) bread, pasta and starchy food in general are necessary for a well-balanced diet, but their use must be limited according to the individual caloric needs;
12) rice and whole-wheat bread should be preferred by people suffering from constipation;
13) fruit and vegetables, rich in cellulose, as well as vitamins and minerals should always be available in the daily diet: at least 2 or 3 portions per day (especially vegetables, which should be seasonal, raw and scarcely seasoned);
14) beverages: water at room temperature can be drank at will, especially in between meals;
coffee and wine can be used with moderation. In particular, a good quality wine should be drunk only during the meals. As far as sweet soft drinks are concerned, remember that they add calories to our body.

The way of cooking is also very important: methods should be preferred that do little damage to the nutritional and organic characteristics of food, avoiding the build up of toxic substances.
Steam cooking, boiling food in a small amount of water, cooking without fat, cooking on the grill and “al cartoccio” are all excellent. Frying and roasting should be avoided.
The dietary education is not an easy task since “eating” means much more than simple nourishment for survival: our life has not only physical, but also psychological and social aspects, which are deeply correlated with eating
Food is also used to improve our appearance, to gain or to lose weight, to invigorate, very often also to fill the emptiness of body or soul. Eating is a way to overcome the sensation of deprivation, to feel full, complete and finding balance between ourselves and our environment.
Good or bad dietary habits are sometimes born and transmitted within the family, in a given social milieu, and are accepted without a critical evaluation.
For this reason the goal of reaching a dietary lifestyle appropriate to keeping healthy and maintaining the proper weight must be pursued with determination and with a good outlook.
Dr. Anna Cavallini, psychologist , expert in nutrition and psychosomatics

Since the human being is made out of two integrated parts, body and mind, any event disturbing the proper functioning of one of these components will also affect the other one. Understanding this, it is possible to positively act on the body in order to influence mind and viceversa.
Between emotions (psyche) and movement (body) a very strong connection exists: our feelings are expressed fully in gesturing, body position and voice.
Stress, emotions and incorrect positions (unconsciously assumed or originated by functional disturbances) block some parts of our body into assuming harmful positions, compelling some muscles to contract and other ones to compensate for the contraction with an increased movement.
Assuming wrong postures can lead in the course of time to emotional and physical imbalances, causing in turn to damage our health.
It is therefore very important to learn how to reorganize our movements, to re-examine the schemes of our postures and to get a better perception of our body and of what it is communicating.
The approach to our body is a determining factor in establishing a relationship with our disturbances and with our physical and emotional conflicts (what eats us inside needs to find a way out).
To improve movement means finding a new equilibrium and a better way of expressing ourselves because acting on movement means acting on our whole being.
Physical activity plays a fundamental role in adopting healthy lifestyles and it is important in fighting stress a
, physical inactivity (which can eventually become emotional passivity and conversely) and social isolation.
Movement constitutes a means of reaching a harmonious emotional and physical development and it can be used also as a way of aggregation and socialization (having fun “playing” together). It is also a therapeutic instrument (group physical therapy, dance movement therapy, yoga, etc) since the possibility of freely expressing ourselves, of giving voice – or better “giving body” – to our interior world has a great liberating power and within the groups dynamics develop leading to selfesteem, awareness of our resources and creativity: also friendship can be formed. a movement helps loosening (muscular and nonmuscular) tensions due to excessive stress. b
Diet and physical activity are strongly correlated, influencing each other. A wrong diet can cause weight to increase, which is made worse by a sedentary life and can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
Regular physical exercise
b
(in association with a healthy and well balanced diet) can prevent and/or reduce the insurgence of several diseases and limit the risk of complications in people already affected by these illnesses.
The simplest types of physical exercise include walking, riding a bicycle, callisthenics (free gymnastics) and swimming.
There is a noticeable agreement between doctors that taking a daily walk of at least 30 minutes and swimming (possibly in thermal waters, at least two hours a week, in cycles during the course of the year) constitute a very effective means of fighting the most important bones and skeletal disturbances, such as arthrosis, arthritis and menopausal osteoporosis) .
The spectrum of physical activities is very ample: choose what is most suited to you and … say no to laziness !

THE DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY (DMT)
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a specific discipline privileging the body language, movement, dancing and creativity: it embraces the emotional, the cognitive and the relational world and its goal is to improve the quality life.
DMT, born as a clinical therapy, includes resources, experience and techniques in the psychosociological, pedagogic and formative field.
Usefullness of DMT
It helps to increase the awareness of our own body and its potentials.
It helps in searching for and recreating emotional and physical harmony by fully accepting our body and exploring our inner self.
In our daily routine most of us are living without seeing or understanding our body language.
But in our body resides our life experience: that is why it is so important to deepen our awareness of it, discovering and utilizing our own expressive abilities.
Listening to our body language, decoding it and understanding which are the real needs of our body, means becoming able to give an adequate and significant answer to it and, what is more important, a personal one, that fits us.
Everyone is invited to experience the privilege and the freedom of “taking himself by the hand”, of taking care of himself. Little by little we learn to “express our opinion” about our well-being and about what is bad for us.
The last step consists of being able to find and to choose our own way, aided by an energy arising from the discovery of new or long-silent potentialities.
In DMT. movement and dance, which are components born in us but very often hidden or forgotten, become the privileged work tools, the meeting point of ourselves and with others.
By this approach we train our senses to perceive the beauty of the world around us , to see it, to try it: our breath connects us with everyone and everything, with the earth itself. This gives us the possibility to feel the everything within and around us.
This means discovering within us the beauty, the force, the sweetness, the will to live!
DMT is therefore an experience directed to everyone wanting to find time to feel good, to take care of themselves, to look for harmony within themselves and with others and to look for an often forgotten determination.
In DMT people can also learn how to counterbalance the forces that they are facing day by day in a graceful way . We train and learn basic flexibility , necessary to overcome the obstacles of every day life. Algae go through all storms thanks to their flexibility; the rope walker adapts himself to each position of the rope because of his flexibility.
Through DMT the space within which each one of us can be flexible is discovered. Everyone is stimulated and helped in finding his own space.
Feeling good in our body is the goal and it is reached in the emotional space existing between patient and therapist, between one patient and the other, within the group.
TO WHOM IS DMT ADDRESSED ?
to those willing to translate this awareness into body consciousness;
to those willing to re-discover harmony and intend to utilize their expressive capabilities;

to those willing to release their repressed energies, to give expression to their denied emotions and manifest them;
to those willing to change themselves and evolve;
to those who consider it important to express themselves in order to communicate , to be , to create ;
to those willing to take a chance in order to smile and have the freedom of living in the world.
WHICH IS THE PATHWAY OF DMT ?
It should be underlined that in spite of its name DMT has little in common with “dance” as we usually intend it. On the contrary it is a way of trying to express oneself through movement and gesture, therefore allowing parts of the body, that are very often compelled to be silent, to be manifested and to regain physical and virtual spaces very often forgotten. By playing, being serene and jovial during our meetings we reach, little by little, a deeper awareness of ourselves and our potentials.
Our body is the first to respond: a better coordination with the ability to move constitute the background which leads the way.
Then, little by little, the various expressions (which can also coincide with a dance) become indicative of a personal and particular inner world that is brought to light.
DMT is a service that offers room to all those willing with patience and discretion to give it a chance. It requires an effort that can sometimes be tiring but is sure to be satisfactory and rewarding.
Paola Verrecchio, University Degree in Physical Therapy
Dance Movement Therapist at Riza Institute
Member of the Italian Association for DMT

YOGA
A legend tells us that one day a fish, while swimming in the Indian Ocean, was fascinated by a melodious voice coming from inside a cave: it was the voice of god Shiva
(1)
, busy teaching his beloved bride Parvati the magic positions ( Asani ) created by him and reserved for other gods.
Once the fish had learned this teaching, it underwent a metamorphosis, turned into a man named
Matsyendra (in Sanskrit: a fish made into a man). Since that day Matsyendra started secretely teaching his disciples the techniques he had learned directly from Shiva , thus becoming the first yogin .
The word Yoga derives from the root Yuj that means “unify”, “bring back to unity”, “yoke, join in pairs”. A better translation is “discipline” as it is the yoking of a pair of oxen that better keeps them under control.
The word “union” means in Yoga the meeting of a person with himself, the union of a person with other persons, the union of the single person with Nature and mainly the union of an individual with the Absolute: the individual soul (jivatma) is led back to its original union with the universal and divine soul (paramatma). The word “union” perfectly synthesizes the meaning of Yoga, which has as a goal the union of the mind, the body and the breath in order to reach a higher level of consciousness.
Since its first diffusion in the Western world, Yoga has been defined as a science, a philosophy, a religion, an art form, a fashion, a holistic discipline containing all these aspects.
Speaking of Yoga is extremely up-to-date. The word “stress” is present in every conversation and many people are conscious of the need to modify their life’s rhythm, of slowing down.
Engagements, working activities, responsibilities in general get caught up in one’s mind, putting it to a hard test. It is not sufficient, in such a context, to practice a sport (assuming that the time is available). Physical exercise is useful but insufficient in eliminating or preventing stress.
In the Western world we are not used to think in terms of prevention. When illness arrives, we cure it with strong medicines, which are invasive and sometimes dangerous and which sometimes hide the symptoms without treating the disease.
Yoga, which has not only a spiritual function but also a therapeutic one, does not invade the body, since it is the individual who, once reaches a certain level of consciousness of his body, controls his breathing, his posture, without changing his psycho-physical equilibrium.
There are different Yoga Schools, called Yoga Pathways: some Indian thinkers explain them by comparing Yoga to a multi-facet diamond, in such a way that each single facet reflects a different color present in the light beam. Each Yoga Pathway is able to single out a different aspect of human behavior with the purpose of obtaining peace, internal happiness, the Sahmadi (2)
The main Yoga Pathways are: Hatha Yoga (Yoga of physical discipline), Asthanga Yoga (Yoga of the 8 branches), Tantra Yoga (Yoga of the ritual union, the practise of the cult of ecstasy), Jnana
Yoga (Yoga of trascendental knowledge, of wisdom), Karma Yoga (the pathway of selfless action),
Bakthy Yoga (pathway of devotion), Raja Yoga (real Yoga) and Mantra Yoga (Yoga of powerful sounds and vibrations).
All these Pathways have the same goal: reaching Enlightenment, i.e. the true knowledge of the
Universe. In Hatha Yoga
(3)
this goal is obtained through the body, which must be purified and prepared to his march toward higher level of concentration and meditation.
(1)
Shiva is a hindu god, part of the vedic Trimurty , together with Brama (the creator) and Visnu (the preserver).
Shiva is also called “the beneficial” and is frequently attributed the function of destroying the universe at the end of every cosmic cycle.
(2)
Samadhi is the eigth and last aspect of Asthanga Yoga (the eight branches of Yoga). It means total tranquillity, impassibility, integration.
(3)
Hatha Yoga is considered by many to be the first Yoga Pathway.

The benefits of Yoga
The psycho-physical benefits obtained through Hatha Yoga are well known, confirming its validity in preventing and curing psycho-somatic diseases, depression, dietary disorders that are mainly psychologically and then physically related. We speak today of Yoga-therapy and not simply of
Yoga as a discipline of the spirit: a new meaning of the concept of therapy is thereby rediscovered.
It is important also to direct our attention to the concept of “health”. According to MD M. L.
Gharote (4) , health is a state of total well-being at the physical, moral and social level. Health cannot have only a curative aspect (we become sick, have therapy, return to health) , but it must contain in itself the concept of prevention, because human beings need less energy in preventing than in curing a disease. What is noticeable is the fact that individuals habitually practicing Hatha Yoga recover faster.
Everyone can practise Hatha Yoga, receiving benefit from it at any age (elderly people must nonetheless be cautious in the presence of certain pathologies as arthrosis, disk pathologies, hypertension and hearth pathologies). This discipline favors the recovery of physical energy, flexibility of movements and joint elasticity. There are special routines recommended for pregnant women, as well as others particularly suited for the recovery of certain physical disturbances.
Hatha Yoga is particularly effective in preventing bone-muscles diseases owing to the fact that it delays the building up of calcium deposits, as in arthrosis and arthritis, through the “loosening” of joints.
It is fundamental to concentrate efforts in improving the state of the spinal column, since many physical disturbances, whose negative effects can be sensed in the entire body, arise from wrong postures and contractions. The spinal column, which has the function of sustaining the entire body and of protecting the spinal cord, is constituted of bone structures called vertebra, stacked one above the other and separated by cartilaginous disks creating the space required by the sensorial and motorial spine nerves. Hatha Yoga favors this in a natural and not forced way (as happens in most western physical exercises) by keeping this distance between the vertebra.
There are several diseases related to the spinal column: they consist of anomalous curvatures
(originated by weakness of the ligaments, muscles or simply by wrong postural habits), as in the case of cifosis, lordosis and scoliosis, especially among young people.
In preventing and curing several diseases through Hatha Yoga relaxation and removal of respiratory hindrances are very important.
At any age psychic imbalances, stress and nevrosis can manifest themselves. They are typical in our society that is constantly in frenetic movement and demanding from its members much more than the body can sustain.
“ The yogin day after day takes care of his health so not as to give way to sickness, not letting the latter free space to develop. It was said that the yogin takes care of his immortality, by preserving mind-body health”.
Dr. Lili Vucic
(4)
Report published in Yoga News, 22, Rome, 1998