Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

Last month in Austin, TX I achieved a goal I had set for myself two years ago– to run a marathon– and I did so at age 58. When I started running and told people that I had this goal, many friends and colleagues, some of whom I respect greatly, told me that it was a bad idea: I was too old, I would hurt myself, and might end up needing knee-replacement surgery. A few even mentioned the term crazy when referring to my plans…

My reply at the time was that I was prepared to take the risk of injury because running a marathon was a long standing dream of mine. Today, after running three half marathons and a full one I feel far more confident. If anything my knees have become stronger, and I was more vulnerable to aches and pains before I started running than I am now. As a result I plan to keep on going and hope to run another marathon early next year if not sooner…

If you think that this proves once and for all that I am crazy, you may want to think again. An odd titled study published last February shows that there might be more sanity than meets the eye to my future running plans. Read More »

Tags: Aging, Exercise
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Neurofeedback is a brain-training therapy backed by dozens of studies proving its effectiveness. It uses computerized EEG technology to identify areas of dysfunction in the brain and then trains the brain to correct them. As a training tool, neurofeedback has been compared to teaching a child to ride a bicycle. Difficult at first, but once the skill is acquired it is never lost.

Neurofeedback has been proven to have beneficial effects for ADD and ADHD, high-functioning autism, depression, anxiety, insomnia, addictions, gait and balance problems, headaches, behavioral problems, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and more. It helps balance the brain and the brain is truly the central computer that regulates every function of the body. When it is in balance many seemingly unrelated problems simply vanish.

Neurofeedback is nothing new for my practice as I have been offering it to my patients since the late 90’s. The equipment I used to have was the best available when I purchased it, but over time it had become outdated. Its main drawbacks were that it was not user-friendly, especially not child-friendly, results were slower to achieve than with newer equipment, and it did not offer the full range of diagnostic and treatment options now available. Read More »

Tags: ADD/ADHD, Autism, Depression, Fibromyalgia
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You may not yet have heard about nitric oxide (NO), but this is one tiny molecule the scientific community is excited about. There are new studies published about it every month and there is even a medical journal called Nitric Oxide dedicated entirely to covering research on this topic!

NO is tiny because it is made of just two elements: nitrate and oxygen bound together. Nevertheless it has very powerful effects. It was first identified in the human body in the 1970’s but its function in health was not yet clear at the time. By 1998 enough was known about its critical roles that the scientists who first discovered it were belatedly awarded a Nobel Prize.

NO is produced in the inner layer of the arteries called endothelial layer where it promotes relaxation of the artery wall, thus increasing blood flow and regulating blood pressure. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant and controls inflammation now known to be at the root of heart disease and many other health problems, including cancer and dementia. Read More »

Tags: Diet
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