Month: February 2019

Sports Medicine Helping Athletes to Recover From Injuries

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Sports physiotherapy is important for any athlete because it addresses the root of the problem and hastens the recovery process. After the athlete is diagnosed and treated by a sports doctor, physiotherapy is usually the next step to help the player get back into the game. This rehabilitative programme is customised for individuals based on their injuries.

The most common sports injuries that are seen among athletes are joint and ankle sprains, hamstring pulls and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears. Most people who play contacts sports that involve running and turning with one foot are likely to get sprains and ligament problems.

Often, ice therapy and Interferential Current (IFC) therapy are administered by the sports physiotherapists to help reduce swelling and treat sprains. The physiotherapy sessions also involve soft tissue massages to relieve pain; joint manipulation or mobilisation for realignment; exercises to strengthen muscles; and programmes to rebuild core stamina endurance.

However, although the possibility of reconditioning the body back to the pre-injury level of fitness with regular and disciplined physiotherapy is about 90 per cent, it is dependent on several other factors – level of injury, the player’s fitness level, weight and nutrition.

Many people have the misconception that you should not exercise after sustaining an injury but this is not true. Not doing an appropriate amount of exercise will slow down the process of muscle recovery.

Though it is important to stay active despite the injury, this is a process which cannot be rushed. You have to be disciplined and patient during the physiotherapy process. Being over eager will just make things worse and this is also the greatest challenge for sports physiotherapists working with enthusiastic and dedicated players.

Athletes are no strangers to sports-related injuries but even weekend ‘sports warriors’ need to careful to avoid hurting themselves. Non competitive players are often eager to play and they forget all about strength, flexibility and their fitness level. However, not having proper training will also mean you’re more likely to get injured if you don’t exercise with caution.

Now You Can Administer Dog Medicine Without Stressing Your Pooch

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Administering medicine to your dog can be tricky. Like many humans, dogs generally do not enjoy taking their medication. Here are a few tips and techniques to help you painlessly administer medicine to your dog.

Like a good physician, adopt a pleasant bedside manner. Administer any medicine properly and positively. Always stay calm and affirming as it’s important for your dog to view this experience as something positive. It’s never safe for you to approach your dog aggressively. This will not result in a good experience for your dog and may even lead to hostility when administering medication in the future.

For oral medications

You can hide and/or crush and mix medication in food, have your dog’s medication compounded into liquid or get medication in ointment form.

To hide a pill in food

Choose a food that strong tasting, malleable (peanut butter, cream cheese). Serve your dog several different tastings of food so that they may not notice which sample holds the medication. With the medication buried and hidden inside the food, make sure to reward your dog for eating his/her treat.

To crush a pill in food

Before ever crushing medication for your pet’s food, consult your veterinarian as some medications should not be crushed.

Getting your dog’s medication in liquid and/or ointment form

Should your dog not accept medication hidden or crushed in food, ask your veterinarian about a flavored liquid alternative. If your pet doesnt accept liquid medications, you can check with your veterinarian to see if medication can be made into a form that is rubbed directly onto the skin, which is called transdermal dog medication.

For eye drops or ointment

Make sure to hold your dog securely and if you can’t do this alone, ask someone to secure your dog while applying medication. It is most beneficial if your dog sits or is lying down. Next, clean your dog’s eye area before applying medication. Open your dog’s eye by gently placing your hand on top of your dog’s head, holding the upper eyelid open. Hold the medication at an angle above the eye and put the appropriate amount of medication into the eye. Be extra careful not to touch the eyeball directly. When finished applying your dog’s eye drops or ointment, allow your dog a moment to shut the eye and then massage gently.

For ear drops

Again be sure you hold your dog securely or seek help if needed. Always communicate with your dog in a stress-free and calming way. Gently clean your dog’s ear passage with cotton and then put the ear dropper slightly outside his or her ear canal. Be sure to not to insert the medication to far into your dog’s ear.

For subcutaneous injections

Subcutaneous injections takes expertise, so be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions after training. You will need a bag of room-temperature solution cooled in warm water, IV tubing and needles, and rubbing alcohol. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.

Remove the port of the solution bag, usually located towards the bottom of the bag where you will connect the IV line. Next, connect the IV tubing to the bag of solution. Locate the clamp on the IV tubing and fasten the IV line to bag of solution. Now join the tubing to the solution and IV line.

The IV line, which is now connected to the solution bag, will allow you to monitor the flow of fluid. To assure the safe, steady flow of liquid, you can partially fill the tubing reservoir with liquid, which avoids air bubbles. Remove the needle without removing the needle cap. Put the needle on the end of the IV line and secure. Now, uncap the needle and loosen the clamp. Make sure the clamp is secure and recap the needle.

With alcohol, clean at the injection area, usually between the shoulders. Trim the hair around this area if necessary. Take the extra skin, uncap the needle fully into the skin and inject your dog’s medication promptly. Once you have injected your dog’s medication, put your finger on top of the needle, holding it in place where the needle enters the skin. Slowly open the clamp to the IV and let the liquid flow. Hold the needle into place and monitor the flow.

After administering your dog’s prescribed medication, clamp the IV tubing and remove the needle. Apply pressure to the injection area with alcohol to disinfect the area and prevent bleeding. You will notice a pouch of fluid under your dog’ skin and will slowly dissolve. If the bubble does not dissolve to some degree, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Administering medicine can be simple, fast and pain-free when you know how.

Treating Pcos With Acupuncture And Chinese Medicine

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For many women, losing weight is a never-ending struggle. No matter how hard they try, the pounds just won’t come off. All the dieting and endless hours in the gym leave them feeling fatigued, hungry and infinitely frustrated with lack of progress. Well, guess what? It might not be your fault. You may have a hormonal condition call Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), making it all but impossible to lose the weight you want to lose. There are many possible symptoms for PCOS and treatment options are available from both Eastern and Western medicine. Western treatments involve different types of hormone therapy, while Eastern treatments rely on acupuncture and herbal therapy.

Women with PCOS develop numerous cysts on their ovaries, which is how it gets its name. Other signs and symptoms include weight gain (very often in the abdomen), obesity, excessive hair growth on the face, thinning hair on the scalp, acne and irregular periods. For women, with PCOS, who exercise rigorously, the weight in the belly just never seems to go away and is a constant source of frustration for them. Very often women with PCOS will have delayed cycles or even miss a period completely and when the period comes, it is usually quite painful. This disruption in the cycle also makes it very difficult for women with PCOS to get pregnant. In fact, PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility in women, yet many women don’t even know they have it. Many of these symptoms can be associated with a high level of testosterone, which women with PCOS have. Chinese Medicine can help to balance the body, regulate the natural cycle and restore ovulation.

While Western medicine looks at illness in a linear way, Eastern Medicine takes a holistic approach. What this means is that having a specific illness doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone gets the same treatment. We treat the root cause of the problem and not just the symptoms. In Traditional Oriental medicine, PCOS can be attributed to three different diagnoses. A patient may have one, a combination of two or all three syndromes (having all three is the most common). These three diagnoses are: Accumulation of Phlegm and/or Damp, Kidney Yang deficiency and Stagnation of Qi and/or Blood. If the patient has all three going on, one of the syndromes is usually predominant, but all three need to be addressed. Acupuncture treatments to resolve phlegm and damp, move Qi and Blood, and Tonify Kidney Yang are used, along with Chinese herbal formulas. Studies have shown that electro-acupuncture treatments are the most effective for patients with PCOS. The low electrical current (machines are run on 9-volt batteries) can help lower testosterone levels.

Women with PCOS should take this condition very seriously. Besides the obvious physical signs, PCOS can lead to some even more serious conditions such as diabetes, obesity, stroke and cardiovascular disease. A treatment plan involving acupuncture, natural Chinese herbs and a regular exercise routine can keep your hormone levels in check and help you avoid going on hormone therapy.

Hemorrhoid Medicine

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As more research is done on the treatment of hemorrhoids, new methods are being implemented to help sufferers. There are now many different hemorrhoid (http://www.crhcenter.com/) medicines that serve a variety of different purposes. If you suffer from frequent or painful hemorrhoids, these medications are very beneficial in treating the symptoms and helping clear up the problem. While some hemorrhoid medicine will be available over the counter, there are a few that must be prescribed by a doctor.

Whenever you are suffering from hemorrhoids, it is a good idea to speak with your doctor and schedule a checkup. While most are normal and not associated with any serious health problems, there may be a chance that your hemorrhoids could be the symptom of a disease. To help determine the underlying cause of the issue, your doctor may recommend a colon cancer screening or a colonoscopy. This is typically performed at a special clinic and is quite painless and quick.

Once your doctor has determined the cause of your hemorrhoids, they will be able to recommend the right medicine to treat the problem. If you are dealing with broken skin and a very inflamed hemorrhoid, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or other hemorrhoid medicine to reduce that inflammation. Since they occur in an area that is prone to infection, it is a good idea to seek medical assistance if you do have any broken skin or excessive pain in that region.

Most hemorrhoid medicine is topical and can be applied directly to the problem. There are specific creams, both prescription and over the counter, that can greatly reduce the amount of tenderness and itching caused by hemorrhoids. These creams are easy to apply and will provide instant relief for the area. It is always a good idea to make sure that you are following the directions for your hemorrhoid medicine and that you are applying it correctly. This will help reduce any complications and it will help you experience relief much more quickly.

Hemorrhoids are a problem for millions of people, but thankfully, there are many hemorrhoid medicines that can be prescribed. While it is possible to treat a non-serious hemorrhoid on your own with over the counter medicine, it is still important to ask your doctor for advice. They can schedule an exam that will help them determine which type of hemorrhoid medicine will be best for your individual situation at the time.

This Article is Originally Published here: Hemorrhoid Medicine (http://www.crhcenter.com/guide/hemorrhoid-medicine.html).

The Difference Between Socialized Medicine And The U.S. Healthcare Reform

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Many Americans refer to the Health Care Reform Act that is being enacted as a form of socialized medicine. But are they right? Is this really the first step in changing over to socialized medicine? Are these changes designed to help us or hurt us as a collective whole? Some see the government regulations as a stepping stone for them to gain control of the health care system and take it over completely in the coming years. Any control by the government is seen as too much control by the government. But what if they don’t do anything, what will happen then?

Many people are in agreement that the current health care system will fall apart unless there is a great deal of reform. The government has made strides throughout the years to reform health care and make it easy for everyone to benefit, but it has never been tried in America and there are many questions as to how far the government should go in controlling health care. The government doesn’t seem to be trying to control health care as much as opponents of the act say, but they are certainly trying to maintain a systems of checks and balances, much like those that were written into the United States Constitution in order to have some sort of regulation over health care.

Some people feel that putting the government in charge of regulating health care is a dangerous thing and should be left to each individual, but that could also result in some serious issues in the future. The system does not need a serious overhaul, but it does need someone to take guidance before things get out of control.

The government is elected to provide for the greater good of the nation, not just those who can afford health care or those that have jobs that pay for them. There are millions of people who are not so fortunate and that is who the government is trying to help with health care reform.

Yes, the changes in health care reform will cost the American taxpayers some money, but isn’t it better to be sure that all of your friends and family are taken care of in times of need? It’s not about socialized medicine; it is about common decency.

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