The Nature of Science

Filmoption International

What distinguishes science from other human endeavors? How does scientific knowledge develop? What differentiates pseudo-science from science? This program attempts to answer these questions and give an account of the characteristics of scientific activity. The show deals with the importance of scientific instruments in the exploration of the universe and our view of the world. It also shows the progression of those scientific processes that allow us to solve a wide variety of problems, from the cosmic to car trouble. The program also explains why astrology cannot be considered a true science. (23 minutes)

Intellectual Parity: What Little Girls Are Made Of

BBC Worldwide Learning

In the 19th century, science held the view that women were intellectually inferior to men. This argument was carefully cultivated over the years by the "science" of phrenology and subsequent research into skull size, brain makeup, and even facial angles. All of this seemingly proved that neuroanatomical deficiencies in women made them less intelligent than men and more fit for child-bearing and domestic duties. This program from the BBC archives examines the history of intellectual prejudice against women, and how that prejudice has diminished educational opportunities. Scientist and host Jan Harding discusses the barriers that nearly thwarted her own science career, and insists that prejudice still exists in the classroom today. Throughout the program, stories of famous women in science reinforce the points discussed. (48 minutes)

Hand, Foot, and Nail Care

Nevco Educational Video Inc

Ironically, the parts of the body we use the most also tend to be the most neglected, medically speaking. As we age, it becomes more and more important to address the wellbeing of our hands and feet, and in caring for the elderly it is vital to give attention to these frequently overlooked areas. This program identifies common hand and foot health problems, explains the changes that occur in aging hands and feet, and illustrates techniques for keeping these extremities functioning well. Rheumatoid arthritis, hand and foot exercises, topical and dermatological skin care, nail maintenance and warning signs in fingernails, and the benefits of hand and foot massage are all discussed. Designated for 2 contact hours of continuing nursing education. A viewable/printable facilitator's guide is available online. (18 minutes)

OBQI Through the Use of Clinical Pathways

Nevco Educational Video Inc

Under the Outcome-Based Quality Improvement system, quality of care is measured using the most effective and relevant benchmark available—patient outcome data. This program shows how the principles of OBQI apply to individual patient care and to developing an understanding of the patient’s specific needs. It explains how restorative nursing techniques and complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) fit into the equation of patient care, while also helping to clarify the relationship between clinical pathways and a specific diagnosis. Diseases and disorders used to illustrate the episode’s concepts include Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, COPD, and clinical depression. Designated for 3 contact hours of continuing nursing education. A viewable/printable facilitator's guide is available online. (49 minutes)

Gentle Yoga for Parkinson's Patients

Nevco Educational Video Inc

This instructor-led video provides Parkinson’s patients with a complete yoga workout that relies on stretching and strengthening to make the activities of daily living—sitting, standing, bending, twisting, reaching—easier and safer. Through a mix of seated and standing poses and exercises, the program stresses moving with intention while staying rooted in the “now.” Also, deep cleansing breathing is emphasized via classic yogic techniques such as Victorious Breath, Lion’s Breath, and Bellows Breath. “For our bodies we seek health and energy; for our minds, clarity and focus; and for our spirit, empowerment and inspiration.” Namaste!

The New Food Pyramid

Meridian Education

Updated to include a bonus chapter on the USDA’s transition from MyPyramid to MyPlate! When it comes to nutrition today, one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why the USDA created MyPyramid, a food guidance system that emphasizes a more individualized approach to improving diet and overall physical fitness. After watching this video your students will have a clear understanding of the food pyramid’s history, the six themes incorporated into the MyPyramid system, the main components of MyPyramid, and how people like themselves can make this updated food pyramid a part of their life. Solid information delivered by nutrition experts from Princeton University and elsewhere and supported by onscreen diagrams, lists, and fun facts make The New Food Pyramid an indispensable part of any health-related video collection. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Correlates to National Health Education Standards for Achieving Health Literacy. A Meridian Production. (21 minutes + bonus material)

Classroom Challenge: Debating Darwin in the 21st Century

Nightline

As the controversy over intelligent design and science education heats up, open-minded discussion about the issue can be in short supply. This ABC News program sorts through arguments on both sides, examines the debate in the context of America's larger political climate, and explores its fundamental questions: Are evolution and I.D. incompatible? Is exposure to both ideas harmful or beneficial to schoolchildren? Does fossil evidence make evolution immune to challenge? Astute commentary from ABC News' George Stephanopoulos sums up I.D.'s implications for students, teachers, and parents. (22 minutes)

Chinese Medicine

Information Television Network (ITN)

Produced in San Francisco, a city rich in Chinese culture, this program explores the ancient healing techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM. Dr. Effie Poy Yew Chow, a registered nurse and one of the foremost experts in TCM, guides students through the philosophy and methods behind various TCM techniques-such as acupuncture, qi gong, and herbal remedies. Viewers will visit a lab that processes medicinal herbs and gain insight into the TCM concept of chi, while learning about the ways in which chi can become blocked and the special approaches needed to remove blockages. Physical demonstrations of acupuncture, qi gong, and other procedures are included in the program. (25 minutes)

Feel Good Again: 25 Ways to Stop the Pain

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Pain is everywhere: 10 million Americans suffer from back pain, 8 million have fibromyalgia, and 40 million are living with chronic headaches—not to mention the millions who must cope every day with arthritis, restless legs syndrome, and aching muscles. This collection of 25 video clips features new drugs, procedures, and alternative therapies helping to fight the pain “pandemic.” With an average length of 90 seconds, each mini-case study functions as a visual aid for instructors as well as physicians or medical support staff who want to increase communication with patients. Video clips include… • Healing Chronic Pain: New research is finding alternative ways to help the 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain. This clip features methods like hypnosis, meditation, and exercise that can help. • Fast Back Pain Relief: Severe chronic back pain may be treatable with less drastic methods than major surgery. This clip showcases a minimally invasive technique called X-LIF, shown to help with back pain. • Acupuncture for Surgical Pain: Even emergency rooms are incorporating acupuncture into some procedures. This clip points out its use at Duke University Medical Center. • Unlikely Help for Fibroids: As many as 80 percent of women suffer from uterine fibroids, with often debilitating symptoms. This clip looks at a new treatment that is as easy as popping a pill. • Helping Knees Heal Themselves: Physically debilitating knee injuries can end or hugely impact an active lifestyle. This clip looks at a new knee-healing method developed by veterinarians and now approved for humans. • Total Ankle Replacement: Arthritis can seriously impair the use of a limb or joint, but help is improving. This clip looks at a new implant that can get people walking on arthritic ankles again. • Relieving Chronic Back and Leg Pain: About 65 million Americans live with chronic back and leg pain. This clip highlights a treatment for spinal stenosis called TFAS that appears highly preferable to spinal fusion. • Hot Sauce Numbs Knee Pain: Can a spicy condiment really soothe one of the body’s most important joints? This clip shows how doctors are using an injection similar to hot sauce to treat knee pain. • Healing Heel Pain: Sufferers from heel pain have often faced surgery. This clip focuses on a new, far less invasive technique that uses radio frequency energy. • Sleep Apnea Surgery: Sleep apnea threatens some 12 million Americans. This clip focuses on a new surgical technique called a genial bone advancement trephine that can give apnea patients deep, restful sleep. • Turbo Booster for Leg Pain: Nagging pain in the thighs or calves could mean a serious cardiovascular disease. This clip looks at positive results from a laser procedure that vaporizes arterial plaque. • Old Remedy/New Help for Fibromyalgia: One in nine people are affected by fibromyalgia, a source of extreme joint pain. This clip features a new drug that reduces nerve cell activity. • New Knees that Fit: Conventional knee replacement surgery is elaborate and costly, but that is changing. This clip features the Advanced Stature implant, a state-of-the-art artificial knee. • Relieving that Pain in the Neck: Each year 200,000 Americans undergo spinal fusion surgery to confront neck pain. This clip highlights a minimally invasive implant procedure with far less complications for patients. • Snail Venom for Chronic Pain: Although deadly to its undersea prey, the sea snail secretes a substance with astonishing benefits for human pain sufferers. This clip presents a recently developed drug derived from the venom. • Easy Back Pain Fix: Medication, physical therapy, acupuncture—some patients try them all and still face ongoing back pain. This clip examines a minimally invasive spine implant that takes pressure off stressed vertebrae. • Back Pain Relief Without Surgery: Getting rid of back pain could be a matter of the right massage technique—in this case, using a small, sophisticated mechanical device that applies soothing pressure to vertebrae. • Stopping Back Pain: Until recently, only bone-removal surgery could treat lumbar spinal stenosis. This clip examines an implant called the X-Stop that effectively treats the condition. • Better, Safer Back Surgery: High-tech innovations are giving surgeons greater precision when they operate near the spinal cord. This clip highlights new endoscopic tools that take the guesswork out of back surgery. • Help for Neck Pain: Surgery for pinched nerves and herniated discs is often complicated and invasive. This clip presents an artificial disc implant with dramatically less impact on the spine. • Surgery-Free Back Treatment: While 90 percent of Americans face back pain at some point in their lives, the last thing they want is surgery. This clip spotlights new nonsurgical tools and therapies in development. • The Future of Back Pain: Is a world without back surgery possible? Perhaps not, but a spinal surgeon’s primary tool may become the syringe rather than the scalpel. This clip shows how. • Help for Restless Legs: The cause of restless leg syndrome is unclear, but the tools to combat it are steadily improving. This clip looks at a topical therapy that is helping many patients. • Migraine Pain Relief: Pain, nausea, or disorientation can drive migraine sufferers to despair. This clip presents a new implant which may help through nerve stimulation. • Shocking Away Shoulder Pain: Can the application of electrical current help damaged shoulder tissues? This clip focuses on stimulation that not only relieves pain but helps strengthen muscles. (42 minutes)

Portion Size Me, Too! How to Make Healthy Fast-Food Choices

VISUALZ

Fast food is a delicious-but-fattening fact of teenage existence. This video returns to Eastern Illinois University as Ellen and Aaron further explore the concepts and strategies introduced in Portion Size Me. The game plan? After calculating caloric needs based on height, weight, age, gender, and activity level, they order smarter, skip the “little extras,” and eat smaller portions. The true “value meal” here is the one with fewer and healthier calories, not the one that simply costs less. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (33 minutes)

Travel Medicine: Be Prepared

Information Television Network (ITN)

Travel abroad and even within the U.S. poses special health risks. In this program, Bradley Connor, of the International Society of Travel Medicine; Phyllis Kozarsky, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and others offer advice on protection from illness while traveling. Suggested pre-trip preparations include determining destination-specific health risks, obtaining requisite vaccinations, making a travel health kit, and creating a medical safety net at the destination, in case illness should strike. Information on venous thromboembolism, a risk factor of air travel, and health tips specifically for trips to developing countries are included. (27 minutes)

The Truth about Liars

Filmoption International

Like it or not, humans are adept at the art of lying. Drawing upon the fields of psychology, sociology, technology, philosophy, and criminology, this program sheds light on the complex realities of untruthfulness through the work of researchers who have made lying a subject of profound study: Professor Bella DePaulo, an expert on the communication of deception; Professor Maureen O'Sullivan, an authority on social-emotional intelligence, lie detection, and facial expression recognition; Paul Ekman, developer of the Micro Expression Training Tool; Cornell University's Jeff Hancock, an expert on digital deception in computer-mediated environments; David Livingstone Smith, a philosopher dedicated to analyzing the link between nature and deception; forensic psychologist Stephen Porter; and Ken Alder, author of The Lie Detectors, a study of the polygraph machine. (48 minutes)

The Rockies (How the Earth Was Made)

History Education

This program describes the tectonic forces behind the creation of the Rocky Mountains and offers evidence that the ancient mountains—still young, in geological terms—are still growing. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. A part of the series How the Earth Was Made. (45 minutes)

Forensic Firsts

A&E

This A&E Special traces the origins of four critical weapons in the war against crime: ballistics, trace evidence, polygraph tests, and psychological profiling. Stories of headline-making crimes such as the “Mad Bomber” investigation in New York during the 1950s help show how these techniques were developed and refined, while dramatic reenactments introduce viewers to innovators like Calvin Goddard, the father of modern ballistics, and Leonard Keeler, the designer of the portable polygraph machine. Distributed by A&E Television Networks.

54321+8 Countdown to Your Health

VISUALZ

Using the easy-to-remember countdown format shown in the title, this video outlines a strategy that can help teens and adults stay healthy. Viewers learn a daily regimen of the following vital actions: eating five types of fruits and veggies; drinking four glasses of water for cleansing and hydration; enjoying three laughs with friends (aiding mental well-being, lowering anxiety and depression, and even improving the immune system); putting in place a limit of two hours of TV or computer time; performing at least one hour’s worth of physical activity; and getting eight hours of sleep. In addition, medical professionals share the facts behind the numbers and offer some practical advice about how to live the countdown. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (23 minutes)

Laying on of Hands: Touch—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

The power of the human hand as a healing agent has a long and diverse history. Osteopathy and chiropractic therapy link ancient and modern theories of body structure and healing, but to a certain extent they remain outliers when it comes to mainstream medical practice. This program travels to China, Ireland, and England as it shows how a growing number of hospitals have discovered the value of touch in helping patients. Illustrating aspects of massage, osteopathy, chiropractic care, and faith healing, the film also examines touch in reducing psychological tension and presents case studies in which a newborn baby and a blind child benefit from these kinds of therapies. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

Emotional Intelligence: A New Vision for Educators

National Professional Resources

When Daniel Goleman's groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, was first released in the mid-1990s, it quickly became a best-seller and changed the way many people think about what it means to be smart. Challenging the prevailing preeminence of IQ as the standard of excellence in life, Goleman argued that emotional intelligence, comprised of five key non-cognitive skills, has a greater bearing on success in life than cognitive intelligence, which is measured by IQ. The concept of emotional intelligence, which Harvard Business Review called "a ground-breaking, paradigm-shattering idea," has profound implications for education. Drawing from research in the fields of neuroscience and psychology, Goleman concluded that, unlike IQ emotional intelligence, or "EQ" is not set in ones genes. Instead, it is shaped by experience and can be strengthened through explicit teaching of social and emotional skills. He argued that teaching children emotional intelligence skills was a powerful way to improve both academic performance and behavior. In Emotional Intelligence: A New Vision for Educators, Goleman makes the case for incorporating emotional intelligence into classrooms and schools, and guides viewers through scenes from a school in Hillsborough, CA, that was among the first in the country to adopt an emotional literacy curriculum. Although emotional intelligence is no longer a new idea, it is no less relevant or significant to education today as it was when it was first introduced. In fact, recent research and studies lend support to the case for teaching students emotional intelligence skills. The data show that test scores and grade point averages increase significantly and disciplinary actions decrease when schools implement social and emotional learning (SEL) programs that promote emotional intelligence. This video will help educators understand what emotional intelligence means, why it matters, and how they can help students develop the social and emotional skills that account for emotional intelligence.

The Power of the Placebo

BBC Worldwide Learning

Placebos come in all shapes and sizes and have been shown to help treat pain, depression, and alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. In this film, Horizon meets the scientists who are trying to find out why they work. From the man who performed fake operations to alleviate back pain to the scientist studying the effect of fake oxygen on physical performance, placebos have been shown to cause real and measurable physiological changes. A brain scan reveals that a placebo can encourage our bodies to release the naturally occurring pain killers in our brains. Tests show that the shape, size, and even the color of a placebo can all have an impact on its effectiveness. So what happens if we know it’s a placebo? Surprisingly, it still seems to work. A BBC Production.

Brain Injuries: The Healing Power of Music

NewsHour Productions

Music therapy is a field of medicine capturing new attention. PBS NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the versatility of music in a medical setting, Original broadcast date: February 27, 2012

Adult Health and Development

ClickView Pty Limited

This program describes the physical and psychological characteristics of the three stages of adult development, along with some factors that influence wellness as men and women age. Universal determinants of health are covered, including lifestyle choices, gender differences, and environmental conditions. Addressing the emotional development of adults, the video outlines Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages, from the youthful balancing of individuality with intimacy through to the inner conflicts of middle age and the emotional reckoning of elderly adults. Throughout the program expert input is interspersed with personal opinions from adults at all stages of life. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (21 minutes)

Trust Me...I'm a Doctor, Series 5: Episode 1

BBC Worldwide Learning

Michael Mosley and the doctors set up experiments to get to the truth behind health claims and headlines. Dr. Chris van Tulleken teams up with Nottingham University to see whether high-intensity exercise is as good for us as is claimed, guest presenter Dr. Zoe Williams gets a group of volunteers to help put some home fitness monitors to the test and Michael Mosley investigates whether acupuncture really does have a scientific basis. Meanwhile, surgeon Gabriel Weston travels to the former Soviet Union to see a technology devised behind the Iron Curtain that could solve the problem of antibiotic resistance in the West, and Dr. Saleyha Ahsan outlines the new guidelines on concussion: how can we tell whether a bang on the head is serious enough to go to a doctor?

The Science of Using Your Expectations to Relieve Pain (4/11/18)

NewsHour Productions

Traditional healing is used around the world—from acupuncture, to laying on of hands, to yoga. How do these alternative remedies work to heal the body and the brain? As part of our series ScienceScope and in cooperation with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the NewsHour’s Nsikan Akpan ventures to Oaxaca, Mexico, to dive into the neuroscience of expectation.

Bolivia: The Kallawaya, Healer People—World Medicine

ARTE France

The Kallawaya, itinerant healers of the Andes, live in the mountains of Apolobamba. They are doctors, pharmacists, traders and gatherers, and know how to concoct remedies; the Kallawaya have an unequalled knowledge of Andean plants. In the village of Chajaya, emergency doctor Bernard Fontanille meets Mario Portugal who has in-depth knowledge of nearly 300 plant species. The men travel to the Antiplano to treat an ailing patient.

Cambodia II: The Last Of The Kru—World Medicine

ARTE France

In villages on the high plains along the Vietnamese border in northwest Cambodia lives the Bunong ethnic group. Cambodian medicine, marked by the influence of doctrines borrowed from Buddhist, Ayurvedic, and Chinese medicines, varies according to the region. The Bunongs developed ancestral medicinal expertise based on plants that is practiced by secret caregivers— the Krus.

Peru: Healing On Water—World Medicine

ARTE France

Residents in the Loreto Region of Peru have limited access to healthcare. Emergency doctor Bernard Fontanille meets Maria Lopez Gonzalez and joins Peruvian doctors aboard the Selva Viva to visit 20 Indian communities in under 10 days. The doctors provide free medical consultations in each village after first meeting village elders and healers.

Russia: The Cradle Of Shamanism—World Medicine

ARTE France

The Tyva Republic of Russia is located deep in the original cradle of Shamanism, in southeastern Siberia. The practice has undergone a remarkable revival since the fall of the USSR. Shamanism is a system of ritual thoughts, a social regulator, and a set of therapeutic techniques. Bernard Fontanille explores the revival of shamanism and meets one of the most well-known and youngest Shamans in Tuva, Buyan.

Green Economy, The: Green Medicine

Film Ideas

Words like Naturopath and other less traditional terms to describe the healing process once were shunned by modern medicine and the general public. Today they are much more common and accepted. Procedures like acupuncture are prescribed by doctors routinely nowadays.

Sound Heals

Filmhub

Sound Heals explores how sound and song can not only bring relief to our stressful lives but can truly heal those suffering from an array of chronic and debilitating diseases.

The Power of CBD Cream?

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

According to some people it will fix everything from your cranky knee to your dogs allergies. And it can do it all without side effects is it really this good?

Boosting Flu Vaccine Rates with VR

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

This virtual reality program shows you what could happen if you skip the flu vaccine.

VR for Chronic Pain Is a Game Changer

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Can playing a video game really fight chronic pain? Learn about a high tech way to manage chronic pain without pills.

The Liver

Cerebellum Corporation

The liver is the largest organ in the human body, carrying out more than 500 biological functions. In this program, you’ll learn the anatomy, size, and location of the liver. We’ll also explore the role of the liver in blood pressure, detoxification, digestion, and more. Also discussed: gall bladder, bile, and liver diseases.

Managing Pain without Drugs

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Pain is the most common cause of long-term disability, and can lead to depression and painkiller addiction. An alternative approach is helping patients heal without medication.

Maintaining Mental Health

ClickView Pty Limited

Like physical health, mental health needs to be actively nurtured—particularly as the tempo and complexity of modern living continues to increase. This program focuses on the subject of mental health at the personal level, offering suggestions on how to nourish—and, when necessary, reestablish—a sense of well-being. Maintaining Mental Health also discusses the crucial role community groups play in providing resources that encourage mental health maintenance. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (28 minutes)

The Healthy Teacher

ClickView Pty Limited

To avoid burnout, it is imperative that educators approach teaching with an awareness of potential job-related stressors and techniques for creating a healthy work/life balance. This program follows two veteran teachers living in Australia through a typical work day to illustrate how they strike a balance between their personal and professional lives. In addition, The Healthy Teacher offers advice on aspects of general wellness in the areas of eating, physical fitness, and mental health. An informative, practical, and motivational resource for new, experienced, and returning teachers. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (23 minutes)

Alternative Medicine: An Overview

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Alternative, or complementary, health systems are gradually being integrated into American culture and can now be found in many American physicians' offices. This program from The Doctor Is In provides an overview of Chinese and Indian medicine, homeopathy, herbalism, naturopathy, and massage. It also examines osteopathy and chiropractic as practices recognized by traditional doctors. The program observes patients who are using one or more of these therapies in their health care, and speaks with several experts including Andrew Weil, a Harvard-trained physician and author of numerous books on integrative health; Dr. Christiane Northrup, an obstetrician/gynecologist and proponent of alternative medicine; Dr. Fredi Kronenberg, director of an alternative medical center at Columbia University; and Nancy Lonsdorf, a physician who practices both Western and the Indian system of Ayurveda in her practice. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)

Promoting Healthy Behavior

Benjamin Cummings

This program introduces the basic concepts of health and wellness, emphasizing that well-being is a multidimensional concept that exerts an ongoing influence throughout one's life. By promoting an understanding of the factors that affect personal health and an awareness of what can and cannot be controlled, viewers are invited to take a proactive role in their personal health. The value of making smart decisions-so crucial for defending against negative peer pressure-is reinforced by the DECIDE model: Define, Explore, Consider, Identify, Decide, and Evaluate. (29 minutes)

Loch Ness (How the Earth Was Made)

History Education

This program traces the extraordinary story of Loch Ness, from the 3 billion-year-old bedrock of Northern Scotland, to the giant glaciers that carved out the loch, to the possibility that Nessie, if it exists, is a descendent of North American dinosaurs. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. A part of the series How the Earth Was Made. (45 minutes)

Strategies to Promote the Health of Individuals

ClickView Pty Limited

The World Health Organization defines health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health.” Referencing the WHO’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, this program takes a close look at lifestyle approaches, preventive medical approaches, and public health approaches to health promotion. The importance of integrated health promotion involving educational initiatives, a variety of media approaches, the expansion of health-friendly environments, government support, and ongoing medical research is stressed. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Personal Health. (26 minutes)

Breaking Barriers: Chronic Pain—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

An 86-year-old woman with osteoarthritis; a young man with severe back pain brought on by heavy lifting; a middle-aged woman with rheumatoid arthritis and a car-crash injury worsened by a sexual attack—all three are featured in this film’s alternative medicine case studies. Shot at Boston’s Lemuel Shattuck Hospital when a pilot program focusing on chronic pain was in full swing, the documentary follows health care professionals using conventional and alternative medicine to combat patient stress and suffering. Ted Kaptchuk, director of the Pain and Stress Relief Clinic at LSH during that time, describes the many non-Western methods used in attempts to reduce pain and distress. Meditation, acupuncture, Ayurvedic treatments, and support groups are some of the strategies presented. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

Poison: A History of Toxic Cures-Pain, Pus, and Poison

Open University

Belladonna, curare, snake venom—all are lethal, yet all may be used therapeutically. This program explores the fine line between harming and healing with an overview of poisons that are part of medical treatment. Beginning with Victorian-era experiments in painless surgery and the Arsenic Act of 1851, which made it harder for Londoners to murder each other but also paved the way for licensing of pharmacists, through to current poison derivatives that smooth wrinkles, the video provides a history of toxic cures as well as a look ahead at their potential use in new forms of personalized medicine. Produced by the Open University. A part of the series Pain, Pus, and Poison. (52 minutes)

Pills, Powders, and Balms: The Cultural History of Medicines

ORF

How does a functioning health system bring about a stable society? What were and are the great evolutionary steps in the development of new medicines and what are the challenges for the future? From the herbal gardens of the Middle Ages and Paracelsus to the great researchers of the 19th and 20th centuries, the cultural history of medicine reflects the history of mankind. (51 minutes)

America Is Too Damn Religious: A Debate

Open to Debate

Religion matters deeply to many Americans, shaping their views on numerous controversial issues, including abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, vouchers for parochial school students, and the importance of the faith of presidential candidates. Is it appropriate for religion to influence political discourse and affect public policy? Or is it inappropriate, evidence that America is too religious? (101 minutes)

Ghosts: Inside Secret America

National Geographic

In this episode, investigative journalists Mariana van Zeller and Darren Foster journey to some of the country's most haunted locations and examine America's obsession with the paranormal. A mother and daughter believe they are being haunted by their deceased loved one. Mariana tests an electronic magnetic field meter, a device often used to detect ghosts.

The Barefoot Doctors of Rural China, 1975

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

Directed by Diane Li, this historical documentary from the Agency for International Development highlights the work of Chinese paramedics in rural China. Paramedics work to provide sanitation, reduce pest problems, and care for sick animals. They also have duties related to human birth control, dentistry, tonsil removal, and minor ailments requiring herbal remedies or acupuncture. From the National Archives and Records Administration. (51 minutes)

Alamelu's Illness: Indian Medicine—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

Wind, water, and fire—three essential elements of the body, according to practitioners of India’s ancient Siddha medical tradition. This program follows a young Indian woman as she undergoes treatment by a Siddha doctor for premature arthritis. Sidetracked at first by an ineffective local healer and unmoved by subsequent warnings of a mitral valve defect, Alamelu enters into an intensive 40-day Siddha regimen at a free hospital in Madras. Herbal medicines, oil baths, and complex massage techniques are applied in an effort to restore harmony to her body. After 32 days she feels healthy again and checks herself out of the treatment program—a testament to the value of the Siddha approach—but the film’s final moments make known Alamelu’s tragic death five months later due to heart failure. Contains nudity. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (Portions with English subtitles, 50 minutes)

Television Around the World: Russia

Point du Jour International

Russian viewers of all ages are very fond of Zvezda, a channel dedicated to old-fashioned Soviet-era films and TV shows. With its ties to the military, Zvezda runs plenty of footage of tanks, but none of the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. By contrast, REN is an uncensored, independent channel that features controversial current affairs programs and, unlike the state-run stations, does not require the Kremlin’s approval of its broadcast decisions. Speaking with journalists and media professionals, this film explores the broad scope of Russia’s TV programming—which includes comedies, crime shows, and airings of the regular brawls that take place in its parliament—with a focus on the role of politics in its creation. (Portions with English subtitles, 25 minutes)

Indigo

BayView Entertainment LLC.

Through the eyes of a child, the world can be a wondrous place. Through the eyes of an indigo child, a more enlightened path can be embarked upon. This poignant film co-written by and starring Neale Donald Walsch (author of the bestselling Conversations with God) weaves the journey of a troubled family with the search for understanding that can bring them together. An estranged grandfather, his unprincipled business world in collapse, finds himself uncomfortably entrusted with his 10-year-old granddaughter’s safety. Together they flee from her unstable father, embarking on an extraordinary passage of self-discovery in which this exceptional child gradually gains his love and guides her family to a place of unity. The ability of indigo children to communicate in unique ways with each other to heal and even foresee events is well-documented. This inspirational film, Indigo, from producer Stephen Simon (Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come) serves as an affirmation of spiritual principles universal to all humankind. Starring Neale Donald Walsch. Written by James Twyman and Neale Donald Walsch, and directed by Stephen Simon. Rated PG-equivalent. (89 minutes)

Physical Therapy Assistant and Aide

Meridian Education

Of all the health care disciplines, physical therapy may require the widest range of talents and interests. This program profiles the jobs of physical therapy assistant and aide, detailing their responsibilities, essential skills, and differences. The video explores the duties the assistant and aide must perform—such as helping patients under the supervision of a physical therapist, performing treatments according to customized programs, observing and reporting patient behavior, and providing physical and emotional encouragement. The skill set outlined in the video includes an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy as well as the ability to work with ill and disabled people, collaborate with and serve under other health professionals, and maintain one’s own physical fitness, motivation, and organization. Educational requirements are also addressed—most importantly, graduating from an APTA-accredited program. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide containing additional material—including student activities, discussion questions, vocabulary terms, and fast facts—is available online. Correlates to national and state board certification standards. A Meridian Production. (23 minutes)

Medicinal Plants and a New Alliance

ARTE France

Many critics of "Big Pharma" see a pattern of exploitation in the industry's dealings with the developing world. This program identifies new ways for drug manufacturers to operate globally, promoting increased cooperation with local producers of traditional, plant-based medicines. Recognizing that worldwide demand for alternative medicine may create new producer countries, the program visits centers of herbology and other non-Western healing methods in China, Vietnam, Bhutan, Senegal, and Kenya. The documented ability of these facilities to fight AIDS and other diseases forms a powerful argument for the coexistence of both corporate and traditional industries. (52 minutes)

Whose Plants Are They, Anyway?

ARTE France

Surveying the vast biodiversity of the medicinal plant world, this program examines the challenges facing countries rich in such natural resources. The video presents interviews with numerous alternative health experts-including Dr. Jean-Pierre Willem, renowned surgeon, ethnologist, and the last field assistant of Dr. Albert Schweitzer-and documents their knowledge in a wide range of herbal and plant-based treatments. It also studies controversies surrounding the patenting of organisms with medicinal potential, such as Peru's maca root-a clear demonstration that the interests of powerful pharmaceutical companies don't always suit those of indigenous peoples. (51 minutes)

Tai Chi for Parkinson's Patients

Nevco Educational Video Inc

The health benefits of tai chi have made this ancient Chinese art a popular form of exercise, stress relief, and "moving meditation" in both the East and the West. This instructor-led video takes Parkinson's patients through a gentle tai chi workout with the specific purpose of combating the gradual loss of balance that accompanies Parkinson's disease. Beginning with a brief relaxation routine and the basic Hugging the Ball posture, these simplified tai chi moves bring mind and body into harmony. A comfortable blend of seated and standing exercises. (30 minutes)

Smart Nutrition

VISUALZ

In a world of countless food choices, it can be challenging to know what teens should and shouldn’t eat. In this video, the host and two teens set viewers straight about breakfast, body image, portion size, physical activity, beverages, the importance of fruits and vegetables, significant nutrients, late-night snacking, vegetarian diets, and acne. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (21 minutes)

Chiropractic

Information Television Network (ITN)

Is chiropractic care more than just "back cracking"? In this program, Dr. Kevin Soden explores the practice of chiropractic medicine, and its theory that the body can heal itself. Founded by D. D. Palmer, chiropractic care uses spinal manipulation to help people rid themselves of pain and illness. With the assistance of experts in the field, Dr. Soden investigates the myths and misconceptions of the practice, what patients should expect from a visit to a chiropractor, and the extensive schooling required to become a doctor of chiropractic care. In doing so, he demonstrates how chiropractic care differs from other therapy practices, including its rival, physical therapy. (24 minutes)

The Wonder Pill

PBS

It has finally been acknowledged that the placebo effect-historically seen as a distraction from "real" medical treatment-is a genuine phenomenon and a potential addition to the arsenal of modern medicine. In this classic program from the Scientific American Frontiers series, host Alan Alda discovers that the roots of the placebo effect go back to the days of herbal remedies, that placebos can cause measurable changes in the brains of patients with depression, that periodic placebos may extend the usefulness of standard Parkinson's treatment, and more. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (60 minutes)

Taboo: Creature Cures

National Geographic

From bee sting therapy in Taiwan to the insertion of live maggots into wounds in some parts of the United States, folk therapies often seem mysterious and are frequently portrayed as quackery—but they can also be effective. This program examines that paradox, crossing cultural and national boundaries to examine bizarre forms of medicine. Viewers may come to the realization that, despite the relevance and truthfulness of the term “snake oil salesman,” some folk remedies do have actual therapeutic or even curative properties. A National Geographic Production. (53 minutes)

Portion Size Me: A Study of Healthy Fast-Food Choices

VISUALZ

In response to the widely seen documentary Super Size Me, this video follows two college students as they eat only fast food for a month—losing weight and lowering their cholesterol levels in the process. The trick? Aaron and Ellen stay within portion sizes appropriate for their body types. The experiment was organized and documented by Dr. James Painter of Eastern Illinois University’s School of Family and Consumer Sciences and monitored by a physician and nutrition expert. Focusing on the dangers of eating too much rather than on restrictive diet warnings, the program shows that smart eating is possible even with limited food choices. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (24 minutes)

Project Nutrition for Life

VISUALZ

This video follows a group of middle schoolers as they embark on a school project that’s all about making healthy food choices. By focusing on how to use the USDA’s MyPyramid, how foods affect the body, and how to use food labels to make healthy choices, Project Nutrition for Life shows that good nutrition is a lifelong project. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (15 minutes)

Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle

ClickView Pty Limited

“What we do, and what we put into our bodies, has a direct impact on the way we feel.” To prove the point, Rick, a health enthusiast, is contrasted with his friend Tina, a nightclubbing, smoking, convenience-food junkie. Over the course of this video, Rick combines kind concern and tough love to help get Tina eating better and exercising. A strong anti-substance-abuse message is also included. The bottom line? Even small changes in diet and exercise, combined with a reduction in risky behaviors, can quickly add up to a healthier lifestyle and a longer lifespan. (25 minutes)

The Health Culture: Traditional Chinese Medicine in the 21st Century

Carlton International Media

Just as many medical professionals outside China are being attracted to traditional Chinese medicine, the Chinese are fiercely debating its future. This program describes the use of herbal medicines, acupuncture, massage, moxibustion, and qi gong to restore bodily balance as well as remarkable successes in battling cancer with a combination of Chinese and Western medical techniques. But as traditional Chinese medicine merges with Western medicine; as mass-produced herbal preparations replace hand-compounded mixtures; and as the last practitioners trained in the time-tested ways are replaced by university-trained doctors, will TCM still be TCM? (58 minutes)

Our Genes and Us: Making It In A Tough Environment—Predict My Future: The Dunedin Longitudinal Study

Abacus Media Rights Limited

The argument of nature versus nurture has been widely debated, but recent evidence suggests that it is actually a matter of nature via nurture. In 1972, researchers in Dunedin,New Zealand began studyingall of the babies born that year, with intentions to follow themthroughout their lifetimes. Now adults, the 1037 subjects are the most studied human beings on the planet, and the resulting data provides significant insight into who we are.In this episode, learn how scientists study genes and environment in three specific areas – violence in men, depression, and cannabis induced schizophrenia.

UFO: The Real Deal (The Universe)

A&E

Many argue that flying saucers and other extra-terrestrial space ships continuously visit the earth. If that were true, what kinds of technologies would such alien spacecraft require?

Modern Indigenous Culture

ClickView Pty Limited

This program is a comprehensive, sensitive and accessible examination of modern indigenous culture and identity. Like everything in society, Aboriginal culture has the right to reinvent and transform itself and still maintain its authenticity and originality within a cultural context. Aboriginal culture is not frozen in time and Aboriginal people in contemporary times still have a dynamic relationship to their Dreaming. This program meets a variety of indigenous Australians and witnesses their expressions in art and achievements in sport which still maintain all the integrity, authenticity and connectedness to a culture which continues to survive a barrage of external cultural influences.

Colombia, The Sacred Plant Of The Amazon—World Medicine

ARTE France

The ayahuasca –or Banisteriopsis caapi– is considered sacred and has been used by 72 different tribes throughout the Amazon region for centuries. In Columbia, on the Amazon plain of Mocoa, Bernard Fontanille sets out to gain a better understanding of the traditional uses of ayahuasca, known locally as “Yagé.” The Inga shaman, or “Taïta,” Aureliano Chindoy, leads him into ancestral territories. For Aureliano, Yagé transforms human beings and is the source of all medicinal knowledge.

Reunion Island: Creole Herbal Teas—World Medicine

ARTE France

Reunion Island is home to a multitude of cultures and witnessed the birth of a unique Creole medicine that combines the theory of humors with sacred botany knowledge. Bernard Fontanilles meets the island’s “herbal tea makers.” Healers Judith and Daniel Tibère, aged 65 and 67, have Chinese, Madagascan, and African origins. As healers, they combine vast botanical knowledge with sensitivity.

Romania: The Miracle Of The Bees—World Medicine

ARTE France

Like the practice of using plants for medicine, using bees - or apitherapy - appears to be universal. Romania leads a trend that extolls the medicinal virtues of the hive. In the region of Vrancea, Bernard Fontanille meets a passionate doctor and beekeeper, Doctor Eugen Stefan. In his surgery, he treats patients with stings from live bees that come from his hives. Bernard also visits Illinca, a healer, who inherited her knowledge of the benefits of honey, propolis, and venom from her family.

Vietnam: The Medicine Master—World Medicine

ARTE France

The influence of Chinese doctrine and incorporation of Western medicine results in the constant evolution of Vietnamese medicine. Within the dynamics of innovation, older doctors often appear to be the most cutting edge. Dividing his practice between his native village and his clinic in Hanoi, 74-year-old Doctor Dao Kim Long embodies the future of traditional Vietnamese medicine. Bernard Fontanille meets Dr. Long, who explains his practice based on modernized acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, and martial arts.

A History of Applied Kinesiology and Touch for Health Part 2

US Kinesiology Training Institute

This video with Arlene Green, one of the leading instructors of the Touch for Health system, continues giving the background of the Touch for Health system. It discusses how setting a goal when using Touch for Health can help people reach a balance. Green also discusses other fields of kinesiology that developed from applied kinesiology.

Muscle Testing for Hydration

US Kinesiology Training Institute

In this video, Touch for Health instructor Arlene Green explains and demonstrates how to use muscle testing to determine a body's hydration level.

Make Me Well: Inside Harley Street—What Price Health?

BBC Worldwide Learning

What happens when a patient becomes the customer and health is a consumer product, where money gives you access to the best available care? This observational documentary series looks inside the world of private medicine in Harley Street, the iconic British institution. Home to the greatest concentration of medical expertise anywhere in the world, Harley Street is an exclusive one-stop shop for everything from cutting-edge cancer treatment to cosmetic surgery. But while the wealthy form a significant part of its custom, Harley Street is also a last resort for desperate people. Make Me Well explores why some people choose alternative over traditional medicine and interviews patients and practitioners about their experiences with Chinese medicine, vitamin infusions, homeopathy, health optimization programs, Emotional Freedom Technique, leech therapy, and other complementary methods. A BBC Production.

Post Operative Benefits of Animal Therapy

Capital Media Group, Inc.

This video presents a brief report on the benefits of animal therapy following pediatric surgery.

Chi

National Film Board of Canada

Anyone who knew Babz Chula-a talented, larger-than-life actress from Canada's West Coast-could tell you that her life force, or chi, was incredibly strong. When Babz reconnected with director Anne Wheeler in 2009, they discovered a mutual interest: India. Babz convinces Anne to join her on a journey to Kerala, where she will undergo treatment by a renowned Ayurvedic healer in an effort to rid herself of cancer. Anne suggests she bring her camera and film the treatment, and Babz agrees. Not all goes according to plan when they arrive; the center is far less sophisticated than Babz anticipated, and she is very ill from her last round of chemotherapy and the long journey. But, after six weeks, Babz seems to show considerable physical and psychic improvement. When they return home they learn that Babz's cancer has spread and she has weeks, if not days, to live. Babz invites Anne and her camera to continue bearing witness to her journey into the unknown.

Yoga to Treat Depression

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A study by researchers at UC San Francisco involving an unconventional remedy for depression has patients saying Namaste.

Acupuncture Improves Cancer Treatment

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

The American Cancer Society says acupuncture is a safe, effective way to relieve some of the most devastating side effects of traditional cancer treatment.

The Food Cure

Collective Eye Films

Six cancer patients make an unusual choice when faced with a bad prognosis and little chance of recovery: they decide to face the disease with their forks. An arduous, but hopeful 5-year journey through unchartered territory ensues as the patients, ranging in age from a baby to a 70-year-old man, attempt to eat and juice their way back to health.

Marijuana Misconceptions

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

It’s easier to access than ever but there are some misconceptions when it comes to marijuana. The myths you should know about.

Music as Medicine: Harmonies That Heal

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

From Alzheimers to heart disease research is proving that music can be as powerful as some medications to help heal what ails us.

Beyond Science?

PBS

What is science fact and what is science fiction? Beyond Science, a part of the PBS Scientific American Frontiers series, explores the topics that go beyond the realm of science: the phenomenon that are nearly impossible to examine in a rigorous scientific way. A provocative behind-the-scenes look at scientific exploration, this program presents top scientists expressing their thoughts on the importance of a scientific method of research as well as offering evidence both for and against the claims made for “fringe” topics such as therapeutic touch, dowsing, graphology, palm reading, UFOs, and the possibility of building free energy machines. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (60 minutes)

Michael McIntyre: Medical Herbalist—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

“It’s the whole plant that matters,” says British medical herbalist Michael McIntyre before he prepares a fresh extract of devil’s claw root. He and his wife Annie grow a wide variety of herbs in their garden (and press them with a cleverly modified hydraulic car jack) before processing them into medicines, which Michael prescribes to patients himself after assessing their needs. This program offers an in-depth look into the world of herbal medicine as practiced by the McIntyres, who explain in detail for the camera their approach to using herbs and their understanding of the biochemical effects of plant-based remedies. Viewers meet several patients who appear to benefit from the treatments, including a teenage girl with ovulation problems and a woman with gastritis. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

George Vithoulkas: Homeopath—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

The questions sound strange at first: “Are you afraid of heights?” “Do you have a fear of cancer?” “Do you like soft-boiled eggs?” But no matter how baffling they seem to a first-time patient, they will eventually help homeopathic specialist George Vithoulkas chart a path of treatment—one designed with the individual’s overall wellbeing in mind. Combining several case studies, this film elicits in-depth discussion from Vithoulkas about his homeopathic treatment philosophy and his busy Athens-based practice. Viewers watch as Vithoulkas treats a middle-aged man with back problems and psoriasis, a young man with what appears to be some form of post-traumautic stress disorder, and others. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

The Bones, Muscles, and Joints: Don't Die Young, Series 2

BBC Worldwide Learning

Our bones, muscles, and joints account for more than half of all reported pain. Over time, our skeletons suffer the effects of age and misuse, causing everything from arthritis and slipped disks to dowager’s hump. Such conditions are commonplace and have plagued us throughout recorded history. In this episode, Dr. Alice Roberts, an experienced physical anthropologist as well as a medical doctor and an expert in anatomy, has acquired a collection of interesting ancient bones that helps explain the stresses the human skeleton has always experienced. Using her trademark dissection of animal parts, Dr. Roberts shows what a slipped disk actually looks like and what happens to a joint when it is damaged by osteoarthritis. A BBC Production. (30 minutes)

Why We Buy

BBC Worldwide Learning

This program places consumers under a microscope to quantify the psychological spectrum of buying, from everyday habits that typically steer Americans through their supermarkets and malls to a clinical disorder in which the high of making a purchase becomes the goal of shopping. James Twitchell, author of ADCULT USA; psychologist David Lewis, author of The Soul of the New Consumer; Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab, established at the University of Illinois and later moved to Cornell University; brand strategist Robin Lauffer; and others focus on a variety of topics, including the biochemistry of shopping, the intersection of branding and lifestyle, consumerism as a way of life, and compulsive shopping disorder. Original BBC broadcast title: Buy-ology: Program 1. (51 minutes)

A Treasury of Plant Medicines

ARTE France

While acknowledging the achievements of the pharmaceutical industry, this program offers an alternative perspective on the production of medicines, emphasizing the use of plants and herbs instead of synthetic compounds. Beginning with a historical overview of plant remedies—including evidence of sophisticated herbalism in ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Arab cultures—the video describes how pharmacology evolved out of traditional herbal medicine. It also explores new pharmaceutical research that has come full circle, returning to the use of natural plant extracts. The development of anticancer medicine derived from periwinkle is one of many examples. (53 minutes)

Home Birth and Alternative Medicine: Two Baby on Board Case Studies

RTE Commercial Enterprises DAC

Will the use of alternative birthing and pregnancy therapies one day become the norm? No one can say for sure, but more and more young mothers are attracted to birthing methods that avoid medication and traditional allopathic procedures. This program focuses on a couple who are about to have their fifth child and third home birth. Their desire is to have a water birth and the mother plans to use the hypnobirthing technique during labor. Also profiled is a pregnant woman who doesn’t want any medication during labor and is now exploring the benefits of alternative therapies to assist in pain relief. Viewers accompany her as she attends an acupuncture session and prenatal yoga instruction to find out if these options are suitable for her. (24 minutes)

Second Opinion with T. R. Reid: Inside Ayurvedic Medicine

Jonathan Palfreman

When his American doctor suggested shoulder replacement surgery, veteran reporter T. R. Reid decided to investigate other options. This program documents his three-week stay at a clinic in southern India dedicated to the ancient practice of ayurveda, a form of Hindu medicine. Reid’s treatment involves astrology, entreaties to the Hindu god of healing, and a seemingly bizarre regimen of massages, mudpacks, brews, and caustic eyedrops—all with the goal of realigning his body’s doshas, a concept roughly similar to the classical and medieval “humors.” Although the patient initially wavers between skepticism and nonchalance, he ultimately discovers some improvement, along with insights about faith, the placebo effect, and the limits of Western science. (54 minutes)

Mental Health: The Individual and Society

ClickView Pty Limited

For those who have never faced deep-rooted emotional or psychological problems, it can be difficult to see why maintaining mental health requires more than the capabilities of any one individual. While personal accountability remains an important step toward wellness, the complex demands of society do contribute to mental illness and create obstacles to healing. This program examines mental health at the personal level and in a social context. It discusses key processes for recovering and maintaining mental well-being; helpful information concerning depression and drug and alcohol abuse; and the importance of diet, exercise, meditation, social interaction, and community resources and structures. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (28 minutes)

Influences on the Health of Individuals

ClickView Pty Limited

The ability to be healthy is influenced by many factors-some of our choosing, and some not. This program examines how individual, sociocultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors impact people's lives and what individuals can do to positively shape their health, both in the present and for the future. Topics range from modifiable and non-modifiable determinants of health, to how education and a good attitude can improve health, to the potentially positive or negative influences of family, peers, and the media on health. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Personal Health. (18 minutes)

Yoga: A Voyage in Search of the Self

Joongang Broadcasting Corporation

The city of Rishikesh, a center of great spiritual energy, is home to the renowned yogi Swami Chaitanya. This program introduces both hatha and raja yoga while observing Chaitanya meditate; perform a fire ritual by the Ganges; engage in shatkriyas, internal purification methods, including sutra neti and dhouti; and visit with sadhus and other spiritual seekers. He also warns against false asceticism. The goal of yoga? To make contact with the inner self and enter into the ultimate state of peace in which the soul rejoices. Some content may be objectionable. (15 minutes)

The Management of Pain

Skillbank Solutions Ltd

Pain can be totally debilitating to those who suffer. But painkillers, although they merely mask physical discomfort, can make life livable again. This program looks at the three primary types of painkillers, their origins, and their actions. Alternative treatments, such as massage, acupuncture, and relaxation, are also presented as viable alternatives to traditional medications. (25 minutes)

The Anatomy of Pain

Muse Distribution International

Pain has a clear purpose: warning the body of invasion and other dangers. But the connection between pain and the human mind is more mysterious. This program examines various types of pain and their frequently elusive neurological aspects; it also presents methods, both clinical and alternative, that help long-term sufferers cope with debilitating pain. Distinguishing between acute and chronic pain, the program outlines the process by which pain signals travel through the human nerve network, while spotlighting the quest to understand pain-generated depression and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Treatments involving both acupuncture and medication are addressed. (49 minutes)

A Different Way to Heal?

PBS

Acupuncture. Herbal remedies. Magnet therapy. Consumers and patients have made alternative and "complementary" medicine a billion-dollar industry. But do these and other alternatives to traditional Western medicine really work? Many claims exist for the efficacy of such treatments, but they are rarely supported with scientific testing and evidence. This classic episode of Scientific American Frontiers follows research projects and clinical trials attempting to test such claims with scientific methods. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (60 minutes)

Teen Nutrition: What's the Big Debate?

VISUALZ

In this Telly Award-winning video, a pair of high school classmates prepares for a debate on healthy eating while a nutritionist gives dietary advice and interviews with students provide a real-world view of eating habits. Topics covered over the course of Teen Nutrition include the F.A.T.S. method of eating and activity, the P.L.A.N. method of changing bad eating/activity habits, why MyPyramid matters, how to use a hunger scale to control eating, and how reading food labels can help teens make better choices. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (23 minutes)

Evaluating a Training Program

ClickView Pty Limited

Athletes of all levels require training programs that take into account the specific needs of their sport as well as their own individual strengths and weaknesses. What makes a successful athletics training program? This video identifies the key components and investigates the methods used to evaluate, modify, and improve training programs. From the goal-setting and motivation required for success to the analysis of fitness components and the application of training methods and principles, this program provides a framework for both the planning and evaluation of effective training programs. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (31 minutes)

Planet Yoga

Filmoption International

Yoga is the fastest-growing spiritual practice around the world. This documentary explores the dynamic encounter between Western seekers and the Eastern philosophy born centuries ago, transforming both yoga and practitioners. Traveling across three continents, the film examines a collective inward journey during a materialistic era. (87 minutes)

Happy (Educator's Edition)

Wadi Rum Films

Filmed on five continents, this documentary combines powerful stories and remarkable case studies with serious brain science to lead viewers toward a deeper understanding of how they can actively pursue a happier life. A diverse group of individuals from around the world provides the “how”—the attitudes and activities that make them feel deeply and lastingly happy—while popular experts on positive psychology such as Daniel Gilbert, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ed Diener, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi provide the “why.” Key discussion points on promoting intrinsic personal happiness include connectedness, generosity, compassion, novelty, play, and flow; potentially harmful effects of chasing materialistic happiness—epitomized by karoshi, death from overwork—are considered as well. Accessible and informative! Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (Portions with English subtitles, 74 minutes)

Make Me Happy: A Monkey's Search for Happiness

Digital Rights Group Limited

Comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti is fearful of becoming a flaky, stressed-out mom. Her monkey is the voice of self-doubt and believes so-called therapists are charlatans trying to make money. In a documentary both comical and bizarre, they delve into the world of new age and alternative therapies in the quest for enlightenment and happiness—trying approaches from naked yoga to shamanic ritual, before going on a three-day primal screaming retreat in the wilds of Scotland. (59 minutes)

Swedish Massage: An Essential Massage Training Video

Richard Sager

In this two-section program—updated and a full hour long!—licensed massage therapist Richard Sager presents a step-by-step tutorial on how to give a Swedish massage. Demonstrating on a draped male client, he begins by clearly explaining four styles of strokes: effleurage (sliding), petrissage (kneading), friction (cross fiber), and tapotement (rhythmic tapping). Sager also advises on draping methods, on ways to rest the hands, and on oil and lotion use. In the video’s second section, Sager performs a full, uninterrupted Swedish massage. With detailed instruction, tips, and recommendations, this video is perfect for bodywork students or for anyone interested in massage techniques. (60 minutes)

Cain Carroll: Heal, Neck & Shoulder Pain

MVD Entertainment Group

Rooted in the time-tested practices of yoga and qigong (chi gong), this unique program is based in over twenty years of research on therapeutic movement and self-healing modalities. Health and fitness expert Cain Carroll reveals the methods of how to heal neck and shoulder pain naturally using gentle restorative exercises, breathing techniques, self-massage and important adjustments to everyday posture and body mechanics that reduce repetitive stress and relieve chronic tension. (64 minutes)

Balancing the Body: Nutrition and Exercise—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

Over the course of a long and productive life, Moshe Feldenkrais developed groundbreaking body-movement techniques that continue to help people today—from those who want to reduce arthritis pain to patients struggling with severe car-crash injuries. Still widely practiced over 20 years after its founder’s death, the Feldenkrais method offers a fascinating conceptual framework that will draw viewers into this film. Nevertheless, it is only one of several avenues to recovery and renewal presented here. Other scenes feature a practical demonstration of yoga techniques by an acknowledged master, group sessions of qi gong exercises in China, and a helpful exploration of acupuncture. Dietary approaches to medicine are also shown, including a biomedical (as opposed to psychological) take on anorexia and a nutritional strategy for treating scleroderma. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

Letting Go of Stress: A Guide to Achieving Deep Relaxation

Hazelden Foundation

Stress is body tension that everyone encounters at some point in life. There are many factors that contribute to stress. Too much stress can cause ongoing physical side effects, such as migraines or ulcers, with potentially devastating results—and if not treated, it can jeopardize relationships with family members, friends, and coworkers. Yet stress can be managed simply by recognizing the situation and choosing to relax. There are several techniques that can help decrease the amount of stress one may experience throughout the day. This informative video illustrates fast, easy, and effective ways to manage stress through deep breathing, simple stretches, acupressure, self-massage, and progressive relaxation. Produced by Hazelden. (26 minutes)