6 Uncommon Cures for Everyday Ailments

Use a Didgeridoo for Sleep Apnea

"A didgeri-what?" you ask. While aborigines in Australia have been playing this long wooden trumpet for centuries, it's just recently been redefined as a modern-day medical device.

Researchers reporting in the British Medical Journal evaluated 25 people with sleep apnea--a breath-stealing condition caused by flabby throat muscles -- and found that those who took 4 months of didgeridoo (DIH-jeh-ree-doo) lessons had about 31/2 times less daytime sleepiness than the folks who didn't blow their own horns. The newly minted musicians also snored significantly less.

Credit this uncommon cure to vibrations that exercise tissue in the mouth and throat, says researcher Milo Puhan, Ph.D. "When these muscles are strengthened, the tongue has less tendency to obstruct the airway."

Make it work for you

If huffing on a wooden tube to treat your sleep apnea sounds a tad too weird, then you probably aren't familiar with the alternatives. The most commonly prescribed option is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which involves spending every night hooked up to a machine that pumps air down your throat to keep it from collapsing. The other approach is surgery, and that's only 30 to 60 percent effective.

Now are you ready to toot the didgeridoo? You can pick up a beginner-friendly model for about $80 at L.A. Outback (laoutback.com). And don't worry; it's intuitive to learn, says co-owner Barry Martin. You purse your lips and blow into it with the beat.

Text to Quit Smoking

Any time you want a Marlboro, reach for your Motorola instead. Researchers at the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, compared how well two groups of smokers were doing in their attempts to quit. They discovered that those who received daily text messages containing tips on beating cravings plus motivational words from other quitters were twice as likely to kick ash as the people who went textless. What's more, rates of quitting for the cell-supported group remained high after 6 months.

"People tend to carry their phones with them at all times, so it's a readily accessible means of providing cessation assistance," says study author Dr. Robyn Whittaker. "It's also relatively anonymous and confidential."

Make it work for you

When you're finally ready to stub your cigs, set a quit date and then go to backpackit.com, where you can write text messages to yourself and have them sent on preset days and times. Or, to prevent you from predicting every missive, you can use random delivery options, such as "later today" and "tomorrow morning." Either way, include words of encouragement and reminders about why you're quitting (such as a later exit from Earth).

Next, go to your phone's message options and create a group list of your closest friends and family. Send a text message to all of them, asking that they shoot you encouragement on your quitting day and the days that follow. Save the messages you like and pull one up every time a craving strikes.

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Beat Back Pain with Music

It's official: Brahms is the balm. Cleveland Clinic researchers recently found that when people with loused-up lumbar regions listened to music for 1 hour every day, they experienced a 20 percent reduction in back pain after just 1 week.

"The effect may simply be due to music distracting your mind—or it could be that it induces muscle relaxation," says study author Sandra Siedlecki, Ph.D., R.N. "New studies that examine the effect of music on stress hormones such as cortisol may shed more light."

Make it work for you

Don't just flick on the radio and leave your relief to chance. In the study, those who chose their own tunes experienced significantly greater pain relief than the people given songs selected by the researchers. And it didn't matter if the self-styled DJs listened to heavy metal or light pop. "Different types of music had similar effects," says Siedlecki. So make a mix of your desert-island favorites and press "play" when back pain hits.

But keep the volume in check: Research shows that loud sounds—even the toe-tapping kind—can raise cortisol levels, possibly negating any benefit.

Zap Bad Breath with Blue Light

Duct tape has hundreds of uses, but apparently researchers at Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine felt that fixing a malodorous mouth shouldn't be one of them. So they experimented with other, less restrictive ways to stop the stench, including shining some light on the problem. In a study reported in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the scientists exposed saliva samples to various wavelengths of light and then conducted a sniff test. The winner: blue light—by a nose.

"It induces the production of oxygen radicals, which are harmful to anaerobic bacteria, the producers of bad breath," says study author Nir Sterer, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Make it work for you

Until researchers develop a safe, handheld blue-light device, you'll need to get creative. To that end, try replacing the lightbulbs over your bathroom sink with a set of GE Reveal bulbs ($4)—they give off the necessary bug-bashing rays. Then just complete your normal twice-a-day routine—floss, brush, scrape, gargle.

Whatever light that manages to filter into your mouth may help your halitosis, and it won't hurt—unless you stand on your tiptoes and bare your teeth to the bulbs; prolonged, close-up exposure to blue light has the potential to harm sensitive gum tissue.

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Use Cherries to Mend Muscle

Recover from hefting 200 pounds of iron by lifting 12 ounces of cherry juice. In an 8-day study of weight-training men, University of Vermont researchers discovered that those who imbibed a tall glass of a cherry-juice blend twice a day retained more strength (18 percent) and experienced faster pain relief (1 day sooner) than men who downed cherry-flavored Kool-Aid.

A concentration of inflammation-fighting antioxidants inside cherries helps erase the ache, says Declan Connolly, Ph.D., the study author. "They minimize the microscopic muscle tears that occur during forceful contraction."

Make it work for you

Normally, calorie considerations would argue for chewing your cherries instead of drinking them. Only problem is that you'd have to eat dozens of cherries to realize the anti-inflammatory effect of one glass of the juice, which Connolly points out is really all anyone should need to feel results.

What is important, however, is the timing of your imbibing. "It's best to drink it after lifting or any time you do a higher-intensity workout," he says.

Look for a brand made with "red tart cherries," but without added sugar, such as Organic Just Tart Cherry from R.W. Knudsen ($5) or CherryPharm.

Botox an Enlarged Prostate

Physiologically speaking, an expanding gland and frown lines have nothing in common, except that the former can cause the latter. But recent research in the British Journal of Urology International shows that when men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were given Botox injections in their prostates, most experienced a 30 percent improvement in their symptoms, including a reduced urge to urinate and an easier time of things when they did.

Botox is believed to help beat BPH by blocking key nerves that contribute to the prostate's runaway cell production. In addition, the effects of a single injection last for a year, says study author Dr. Michael Chancellor, which is about three times the duration of Botox-corrected crow's-feet.

Make it work for you

"Botox is a good option for younger men who don't want to take a pill or have surgery," says Dr. Chancellor, adding that both can cause side effects ranging from fatigue to erectile dysfunction. "And even though it's an off-label use, more and more doctors are being trained to do it." (Ask your urologist about prostate botulinum-toxin therapy.)

Obviously, it's harder to hit a target below the belt than one on someone's face, which is why doctors use ultrasound to help guide needle into gland. "It sounds worse than it really is -- you can be off playing golf the same afternoon," says Dr. Chancellor.

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