The other day, Google News had a normal string of headlines: financial crisis, the bailout plan (or is it the rescue plan? Such semantics), Iraq, Americans are under a lot of stress—

Whoa, we're under stress?!? Isn't news supposed to be...well, news-worthy?

If you look at the ratio of finance-related items to news items talking about anything else—that ratio is approximately 700 billion to 1—you'll probably come up with one very clichéd thought: It's the economy, stupid.

Read this article for stress-relieving tips.

Question:
I have terrible sciatica.  Shoots down my right leg, and sometimes, it’s so bad that I can hardly walk.  The doctor says I have a herniated disc pushing on the sciatic nerve, and he also says I don’t need surgery now.  Are there exercises I can do every day that will help me?  Keep in mind that I’m 71 years old, and while I’m in good shape, I can’t do anything too excessive. 
I just need some easy exercises.
—Buffalo City, WI

Answer:
I hesitate to give you exercises without having had a chance to evaluate you and your particular pain.  As you probably know, your pain isn’t exactly the same as someone else’s pain.  In fact, even if someone else has a herniated disc causing sciatica (as you do), the intensity, location, and frequency of pain is most likely different.

Since you want to get the best treatment for your pain and other symptoms, you should get a personalized exercise plan from a physical therapist.  To do that, you...