Health Article

Muscles: Turning Energy into Motion

2009-09-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

Most of us take our muscles for granted, not realizing how crucial they are to us. Muscles are the body’s engine, and energy is the fuel. It would be impossible for us to do anything without them, including expressing ourselves. We convey ideas through spoken words using the muscles of the mouth, tongue and larynx, through written words using the muscles of the fingers, or through body language using skeletal muscles.

The human body contains more than 630 muscles. Approximately 35-45% of body mass is muscle tissue. Muscles are long- lasting, self-healing and grow stronger with use. There are three unique kinds of muscle:

• Cardiac muscle, which is found only in your heart. It contracts involuntarily; it is automatically controlled by the nervous system.
• Smooth muscle is found in blood vessels, the digestive system, bladder, airways, and the uterus in a female. It also contracts involuntarily.
• Skeletal muscle is the kind we can see and feel. They attach to the skeleton and come in pairs; one muscle to move in one direction and another to move back the other way. Skeletal muscles contract voluntarily, you have to think about contracting them and the nervous system tells them to respond.

There are many problems which can affect muscles, causing pain and/or weakness. Some of the most common and least severe muscle disorders include:

• Sprain: A stretched or torn ligament. Wrist and ankle sprains are common and can be caused by falling or twisting.
• Strain: A stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Strains can happen suddenly or develop over time. Hamstring and back muscle strains are most common and are usually caused by twisting or pulling of the tissues. Many people suffer strains from playing sports.
• Muscle cramps: Sudden, involuntary contractions or spasms in the muscle, also called charley horse. Muscle cramps often occur after exercise or at night and can be caused by dehydration, strain or overuse of a muscle, lack of minerals in your diet, or insufficient blood supply to your muscles.
• Tendinitis: Inflammation of a tendon, usually occurring in the elbows, knees, shoulders, hips, heels or wrists. Certain diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis can cause tendinitis, but it is most commonly caused by injuries and overuse.

There are also many more serious muscle disorders such as cancers, diseases of the nerves that affect the muscles, and genetic diseases.

The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” comes to mind when considering muscles. Use your muscles and strengthen them, you will need them to carry out everyday tasks and prevent you from falling and breaking bones as you grow older.

Drinking Water for Good Health

2009-09-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

The human body is a water machine‚ designed primarily to run on water and minerals. Every life giving and healing process that happens inside our body... happens with water. In just the last decade medical science has begun to focus more on the tremendous healing ability our body has and how much that ability depends on water. Our body instinctively knows how and strives to sustain youthful longevity‚ and in its every effort... water is the key.

The human body is made up of over 70% water. Our blood is more than 80%‚ our brain ... over 75%‚ and the human liver is an amazing 96% water!

The function of every cell in our body is controlled by electrical signals sent through our nervous system from the brain. Our nerves‚ in reality‚ are an elaborate system of tiny waterways. If the fluid inside our nerves thickens due to dehydration‚ or is contaminated with synthetic chemicals or toxic heavy metals like lead‚ the vital signals can get distorted. Many experts now believe that the distortion of these signals may be the root cause of many degenerative diseases and neurological illnesses like Attention Deficit Disorder‚ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome‚ anxiety‚ depression and even Alzheimer’s disease

Considering the major role that water plays in the function of our brain and nervous system‚ its purity is possibly the most basic and essential key to healthy longevity. Proper digestion and nutrient absorption depend on a healthy intake of water. In order for our body to get the nutritional value from our foods and supplements‚ we must consume plenty of good water. Since sugars and carbohydrates are absorbed more rapidly‚ even a slight degree of dehydration can cause us to get the caloric intake without the nutrition from the foods we eat.

Our energy level is greatly affected by the amount of water we drink. It has been medically proven that just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy in the average person... a 15% drop in body fluids causes death! Water is what our liver uses to metabolize fat into useable energy. It is estimated that over 80% of our population suffers energy loss due to minor dehydration. An increased intake of healthy water will help metabolize and shed stored fat... resulting in more energy and less fat.

Detoxification is probably the single most important component to long-term health... and one that relies almost exclusively on an adequate intake of good water. Water is our body’s only means of flushing out toxins‚ the key to disease prevention. In our industrialized‚ chemical society‚ we are exposed to literally hundreds of harmful substances daily. Our air‚ our foods and everything we touch... contain traces of harmful chemicals. Unfortunately we can’t keep toxins from getting into our body‚ but we can help our body to get rid of them by drinking plenty of healthy water. The more water we drink... the more we allow our body to purify itself. Almost all-degenerative disease is the result of toxins building up in our body.

The quality of the water we drink is equally as important as the amount. If water already contains chlorine and other chemicals‚ it has less of an ability to carry toxins out of our body. If we consume water that contains traces of synthetic chemicals‚ then we force our liver and kidneys to be the filter... ultimately damaging or destroying two of our most vital organs. With an abundant intake of clean‚ healthy water we allow our body to perform all the healing processes that it is naturally capable of.

15 best tips for a healthy lifestyle:

2009-09-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Refuse stress! Miss the bus rather than run!

Learn a relaxation technique and use it once a week at least.

Go for a walk every day.

Drink lots of water all the time.

Eat and drink healthily every day. Take special treats only on weekends. If you easily gain weight: eat SMALL portions.

Choose an exercise technique that suits you, and practice it once a week at least.

Go to a professional masseur once a month at the very very least. Or exchange services with your partner or friend, read a book about massage and practice it.

Stop smoking.

Sleep enough and well. (The most common reason to sleeping problems is lack of exercise.)

Get to know yourself, and realize you are worth a good life.

Look around you - what can be changed in your life and your environment to make you feel better?

Keep developing - learn new things, try different paths in life.

Be good to yourself. Let ambition rest sometimes.

Think positive thoughts about other people and wish them well!

Do things that you love. Enjoy life!

MESOTHELIOMA'S CAUSE - ASBESTOS EXPOSURE

2009-08-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the deterioration of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure. More commonly, those who at some point are diagnosed with asbestos disease, have worked in jobs where more substantial exposure occurred over longer periods of time. Nevertheless, cases of mesothelioma have been documented as the result of lesser exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair, or affecting those who lived in close proximity to asbestos manufacturing facilities. Symptoms of asbestos disease usually are not be apparent until decades after exposure.

Asbestos was used commercially in North America as early as the late 1800s, but its use increased dramatically during the World War II era when shipyards produced massive numbers of ships for the war effort. Since that time, asbestos-containing products were used by the construction and building trades, the automotive industry and the manufacturing industry. All told, more than 5,000 products contained asbestos.

For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated, and the manufacturers of those products continued to prosper, knowing full well that many of the millions of workers who came into contact with their products would ultimately suffer as the result of their actions. Finally, in the late 1970s, the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fireplaces because the fiber could easily be released during use. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency banned all new use of asbestos, but uses established prior to that time were still allowed. Although awareness of the dangers of asbestos and public concern over the issue have led to a decline in domestic consumption over the years, a total ban on asbestos has not come to fruition. Asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.

Although it is suggested that the number of mesothelioma cases in the U.S. has reached its peak and has begun to drop, a forecast released by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), in April, 2003, projected the total number of American male mesothelioma cases from 2003-2054 to be approximately 71,000. This number, however, does not take into consideration events such as the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, when millions of New Yorkers were potentially exposed to air filled with carcinogenic asbestos particles. The incidence of mesothelioma cases by state and county are shown in these tables. When the latency period for asbestos disease is factored in, cases of mesothelioma will continue to be diagnosed for years to come. See our page on mesothelioma risk factors.

Mesothelioma

2009-08-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. It has also been suggested that washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases risk of other asbestos-induced cancer Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early

Bodybuilding Supplements May Not Be Necessary

2009-08-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

To supplement or not to supplement....

that is the question on more bodybuilder’s lips than ever before. Are they safe? What works and what doesn't?

Lets have a look at the basics.

There are various reasons why athletes may be interested in supplementation.

· Concern about getting adequate nutrients from our food supply.
· Suspicion of pharmaceuticals.
· Belief that diet alone will not achieve optimal nutrition

The concerning thing about supplements is that anything classified as a dietary supplement is not required to meet any FDA or other standards! Think about that! there are no regulations in place that guarantee the safety or purity of something sold as a supplement.

They are also not made to meet the similar safety requirements as prescription drugs or any other manufacturing standards. They are not required to meet product potency or purity ratings and are not required to prove the effectiveness of any health claim that is made.

Studies suggest that a number of supplements may deliver on advertising claims. However, trainees are spending large sums of money on products that have little or no proven usefulness.

Personally I find the use of supplements over rated and as with strength training, supplementation asks the same question “if a little is good then maybe more has to be better”

Supplementation and steroids started to proliferate when volume strength training became the training system of the day. Young strength trainees slaving in the gym for five to six days a week was seen as normal. All this without making any progress or putting on any size whatsoever.

If more bodybuilders started using more infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger.

eDiets:

2009-08-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

eDiets is the largest online weight loss program. They have built such a large brand, that many people even think the name “e diets” is a generic term for online weight loss. Founded in 1996, they now boast over 1.3 million members. They have consistently won awards and recommendations from such prestigious publications as Time magazine, and Forbes Best of the Web.

eDiets are a subscription-based service, where the user pays quarterly. For the price you receive a number of services; customized diet and meal plans, shopping list, recipes (for whatever is on your meal plan), email assistance, and access to online tools and calculators.

eDiets underwent a major upgrade at the beginning of 2008 - unfortunately technical issues meant that there were customer service issues. These have now been rectified and the subscription process is now streamlined.

Tell your doctor about the layoff

2009-08-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

It's important for your doctor to know about the things in your life that are affecting you, notes Robert Schwartz, MD, professor and chairman of the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Schwartz tells WebMD that he has many patients dealing with layoffs, from manual laborers to corporate vice presidents, and others who are worried about losing their jobs.
"It's a very significant problem," says Schwartz. "Negative stress ... can be very detrimental to people's well-being."
Your doctor can also help you check on ways to lower your drug costs and other medical expenses.
People who have to do the firing also may be "under tremendous stress" and feel "guilt-ridden and conflicted about their own role" in layoffs, notes Schwartz.

Can a person have more than one Heart Attack?

2009-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

uncommonly, people with coronary artery disease have more than one heart attack over the years. In fact, by looking at the heart tissue at exaamination of the tissue ie autopsy, pathologists can tell when myocardial infarctions occurred. Thus, very recent (acute, hours old) infarctions may appear as a pale brown region, infarctions days old (subacute) appear yellow, and healed (weeks to years old) infarctions appear as white scars in the heart muscle. Figure 5 shows three myocardial infarctions of different ages in the muscle of a left ventricle.

What is a Heart Attack?

2009-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is a layperson's term for a sudden blockage of a coronary artery. This blockage, which doctors call a coronary artery occlusion, may be fatal, but most patients survive it. Death can occur when the occlusion leads to an abnormal heartbeat (severe arrhythmia) or death of heart muscle (extensive myocardial infarction). In both of these situations, the heart can no longer pump blood adequately to supply the brain and other organs of the body. Almost all heart attacks occur in people who have coronary coronary atherosclerosis. So, this photo essay will review the structure (anatomy) of the normal coronary artery, the structural abnormalities (pathology) of the coronary artery in atherosclerosis, and the effect of these abnormalities on the heart.

What are the structures and functions of a normal coronary artery?

The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart to supply oxygen and necessary nutrients. As seen in Figure 1, the wall of a coronary artery has 3 distinct layers: the inner (intima), middle (media), and outer (adventitia) layers. The wall of the artery surrounds the lumen of the artery, which is the channel through which blood flows

Figure 1, smooth muscle is red, and connective (supporting) tissue is black (elastic) or blue (collagen).

The intima is best seen in the close-up view in Figure 1. It is composed of a layer of so-called endothelial cells that covers the artery's inner (lumenal) surface, connective (supporting) tissue (collagen and elastin), and a layer of compact elastic tissue called the internal elastic lamina (IEL). In the past, the intima was thought to be simply a passive layer whose major purpose was to serve as a barrier. Now, however, we know that the endothelial cells actually keep track of the pressure, flow, and "health" of the artery. Moreover, endothelial cells secrete chemicals that can adjust the function of the artery (e.g., vasodilator chemicals to widen and vasoconstrictors to narrow it) and growth of the artery wall (e.g., growth factors).

The media (M) is a layer made up primarily of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The muscle can contract and relax to control the blood pressure and flow in the artery. Elastic tissue and collagen in the media, along with elastic tissue in the IEL, increase the elasticity and strength of the wall of the artery, as the artery contracts and relaxes. The adventitia is a layer of connective tissue and cells (e.g., SMCs) that produce this connective tissue. The adventitia contains potent factors, including one called tissue thromboplastin, that promote blood clotting. The clots are useful when the artery becomes injured because they can limit excessive bleeding from the injured artery.

What are symptoms of swine flu?

2009-08-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. Health care professionals may offer a rapid flu test, although a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the flu.

Only lab tests can definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests. But given the large volume of samples coming in to state labs, these tests are being reserved for patients with severe flu symptoms. Currently, doctors are reserving antiviral drugs for people with or at risk of severe influenza.

What is swine flu?

2009-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

for some weeks now ,the world has been rocked with cases and news of swine flu.so the posts that follows should do justice to this issue by enunciating this topic.

Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current "swine flu" outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that allow it to spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs. That makes it a human flu virus. In an effort to avoid confusion, the CDC is calling the virus "novel influenza A (H1N1) virus" to distinguish it both from flu viruses that infect mainly pigs and from the seasonal influenza A H1N1 viruses that have been in circulation for many years.

What Can You Do to Cure Acne on Your Own?

2009-08-01T04:23:00.001-07:00

It may be so you have no need to visit a doctor, if your acne problems are quite insignificant. Sometimes a due skin care is enough to cure acne at home. Let's get down to facts, there are three well known causes of acne and you can focus your home treatment on the following: open pores; clear bacteria; minimize the oil.

You should also revise views to you lifestyle. To control your acne even if your routine is too intensive, you should remember about some simple rules: sleep enough; drink enough of water; eat healthy things. It wouldn’t cure acne by itself; these rules are in your health foundation.

Open the pores. Washing once or twice a day with a mild cleansing bar or liquid foundation will keep the skin clean and minimize sensitivity and irritation. A variety of mild scrubs, exfoliants, and masques can be also used. These products remove the outer layer of the skin and thus open pores. You can also make you own scrub: take a handful of oatmeal and mix it with some herb tea and honey. If your skin is very oily, use some fine grinding sea-salt with oatmeal.

Clear bacteria. There are a lot of gels, creams, and lotions, which are used to clean problem skin area. The active ingredients that kill surface bacteria include benzoyl peroxide (the most popular ingredient in over-the-counter antibacterial cleansers today), sulfur, and resorcinol. Take care; benzoyl peroxide may cause red and scaly allergic skin in a small number of people. Please, be a thought more careful with products that contain alcohol, it usually has a profound effects on sensitive skin.

Minimize the oil. You cannot stop producing oil. But you can get rid of oil on cutaneous surface and reduce the embarrassing shine. You need a gentle astringent/toner to clean oil. Masques are also useful to draw out facial oil.

If you are going to cure acne yourself, the convenient preparation selection is an important thing. Pay attention to natural acne products that are available in chemist's shops. There is a lot of new acne preparations made from natural ingredients and has no side effects. As usual they work from the inside and can cure acne naturally and everlastingly. Some of the most popular acne cures are creams or pills. Naturally, creams are used for topical treatments while pills are for intake and work from the inside out. And one question of great importance: very often the acne is caused by Vitamin B5 deficiency.

History and Criticism of Electrohomeopathy

2009-07-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

The discipline was developed initially by Cesare Mattei (1809-1896) in the latter part of the 19th Century. Mattei, a nobleman living in a castle in the vicinity of Bolog studied natural science, anatomy, physiology, pathology, chemistry and botany. He ultimately focussed on the supposed therapeutic power of 'electricity' in botanical extracts. Massei made bold, unsupported, claims for the efficacy of his treatments including the claim that his treatments offered a non-surgical alternative to cancer.
His treatment regimens were met with scepticism by medical orthodoxy:
The electrohomeopathic system is an invention of Count Mattei who prates of "red," "blue," and "green" electricity, a theory that, in spite of its utter idiocy, has attracted a considerable following and earned a large fortune for its chief promoter.
Notwithstanding criticisms, including a challenge by the British medical establishment to the Claimed success of his cancer treatments.
electrohomeopathy (or Matteism, as it was sometimes known at the time) was embraced and by the beginning of the 20th century had adherents in Germany, France, the USA and the UK; it had been the subject of approximately 100 publications and there were three journals dedicated to it.

Herbal Medicine

2009-07-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine that people take to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.
To use an herbal product as safely as possible
Consult your doctor first
Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends
Take it under the guidance of a trained medical professional
Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing.

You have many choices to make about your cancer treatment. One choice you might be thinking about is complimentry medicines(CAM). CAM is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and allied health professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine means treatments that you use instead of standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard treatments that you use along with standard ones. Examples of CAM therapies are acupressure, acupuncture,magneto therapy and herbal medicine.
CAM treatments do not work for everyone, but some methods such as acupuncture might help with nausea, pain and other side effects of cancer treatment. In general, researchers know more about the safety and effectiveness of standard cancer treatments than they do about CAM. To make sure nothing gets in the way of your cancer care, talk to your doctor before you try anything new.

Protein In Food supplement

2009-07-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

Are you into body building? Many people want to have a body of Lou, Arnold and other body builders even some women are into it. High protein foods and food supplements can help you build that muscle mass that you want. Since eating foods with high protein is not enough, most of the players who need extra muscle mass need to take food supplements with high protein content.

Gaspari Nutrition is a major supplement manufacturer today and they are selling high protein food supplements for anyone who need extra protein that foods can not reach. Buy this protein food supplement now if you are into body building and by the way consult your doctor first.

Health Benefits of Exercise

2009-07-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

Medical habit and health professionals recommend a minimum level of physical activity that must be maintained to prevent serious atrophy or physical deterioration. It alters the neurotransmitters in the brain, boosting the immune system and releasing performance-enhancing chemicals (Stolty, 1997). Exercise builds strong sense of self-image and a sense of emotional balance. This is true because exercise serves as a way of releasing of the tension and anxieties. Franchoco, et al, (2002) cited the study of the comprehensive Cardiovascular Disease Control Program (CCCP) and it observed that Filipinos performed sedentary and lightweight physical activities. The study recommended that with the rise of incidence of cardiovascular disease, Filipinos perform regular physical exercise.

The World Health Organization cited by Tan (2004) issued a warning about redentary activities like office and factory work increasing the risk for heart disease. It is necessary for people with this kind of work to exercise for weight control and keep the heart fit. Walking briskly for thirty minutes, three times a week can be good for the heart. Exercise is an anti-aging measures and one can readily do regardless of age. It helps the body stay young. Exercise helps improve the functioning of the brain area crucial to memory. It can lose stress, depression and insomnia. It helps prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis

Acupuncture Ear Staples For Weight Loss

2009-07-29T04:55:00.001-07:00

n recent years, American acupuncturists have developed the process of acupuncture ear staples for weight loss. However, the process is not very safe and is often ineffective. In this method, instead of five points, only two points are used. Each point is placed in the upper and outer part of each ear. However, the main problem in this procedure is that the ear cartilage hardly has any resistance to infection. Unlike the needles which are placed in the skin before every treatment and removed at the end of the treatment, ear staples are left in place for several days. This can lead to permanent damage to the ear drums if the ear staples enter the ear canal. They can also cause infection in the entire ear. As a result, acupuncture ear staples are not at all recommended for weight loss.
While there is no scientific proof as to if acupuncture actually works or not, over the years, the procedure has become an accepted form of treatment for weight loss. However, if you are considering opting for acupuncture as a method of losing weight, do ensure that the practitioner you chose is a reputable and reliable one. Confirming the status of the needles, as to if they are sterilized or not, are very important. Also, enquire the cost of the treatment and how many treatments you will require before you invest into this procedure.

How Is Acupuncture Performed?

2009-07-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

The process of acupuncture is performed as follows: The acupuncturist inserts very thin metal or stainless steel needles into the skin. These needles are inserted at specific acupuncture points in the skin. Regarding safety, the needs are all sterilized before insertion and are also of the disposable types. Do remember to enquire about the needle type and disposal methods from your doctor before you opt for the procedure. Do remember that the transmission of some highly contagious diseases such as HIV AIDS and Hepatitis B are passed on through contaminated needles. These needles are left inserted into the skin for an average of 15 to 30 minutes and the treatment generally needs to be repeated for multiple sessions for around 2-3 weeks or, depending on the weight to be lost, the treatment may even last for several months.
Before the treatment actually begins, the acupuncturist will investigate the patient's medical history, and right before the process starts, the patient's pulse will also be checked several times. It is also likely that the acupuncturist will check the individual's tongue, or examine the parts of your body which are to be treated. Only after the pre-treatment is complete will the acupuncturist determine whether or not you are fit enough to undergo the treatment.
While treating for weight loss, the acupuncture points within the ears are generally used for the treatment of weight loss and general detoxification of the body. During the procedure, the acupuncturist places five needles in each ear. Out of these five needles, four correspond to specific organs inside the body - the kidneys, the lungs, the nervous system and the liver. The fifth needle is simply placed in the ear for the relaxation of the patient. Once the acupuncture for weight loss treatment starts, the body will be stimulated to produce endorphins. Endorphins help combat the cravings for carbohydrates in the body, reduce appetite, and in cases where weight loss is related to drug abuse, then endorphins also help with withdrawal symptoms.

Why Gamma Knife surgery is the best choice for treating brain tumors

2009-07-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

Leksell Gamma Knife is the ONLY stereotactic radiosurgery system specifically approved for treating brain tumors, also known as brain metastases, based on long-term scientific proof. Here’s why leading neurosurgeons worldwide choose Gamma Knife surgery for their patients:

Accuracy is the single most
important aspect of SRS

Gamma Knife radiosurgery sets the bar for accuracy, with guaranteed precision that enhances physician confidence and ensures patient safety.¹
This superior level of accuracy is due to three factors:

Gamma Knife was designed specifically to provide the very best radiosurgical treatment of brain tumors
The radiation source never moves during operation
The patient’s head is stationary

When treating a target as delicate as the brain, neurosurgeons try to avoid any movement that might reduce accuracy. CyberKnife, a linear accelerator used to treat the whole body, has a continually moving arm.

Frameless neurosurgery is a myth

Neurosurgeons will tell you that immobilizing the target – the patient’s head – is the first step in performing any type of brain surgery. The most widely used neurosurgical head frame – called a stereotactic frame – is manufactured by Elekta, and it’s the same stereotactic frame used with Gamma Knife surgery.
CyberKnife claims that no head frame is required for stereotactic radiosurgery. Instead they use a claustrophobic mask that is pressed against the patient’s face for hours. And despite the constraint, their head can still move.²

Reducing excess radiation to the body

The Gamma Knife is designed so all radiation focuses into a single point within the brain and the shielding of the machine specifically protects the body from excess radiation.
Excess radiation is not well-contained in the CyberKnife design, and its treatment delivers as much as 100 times more stray radiation compared to Gamma Knife radiosurgery.³

Eliminating X-rays of the brain

With Gamma Knife radiosurgery, a head frame is attached with temporary placement pins and the patient has a single MRI – the preferred method of imaging the brain. There are no X-rays.
Because CyberKnife and other linac treatments recommend use of a face mask instead of a head frame, X-rays of the brain must be taken every two minutes during treatment to ensure the target hasn’t moved.² These added X-rays increase radiation exposure to the patient and lengthens treatment time.

Treating the body is different from
treating the brain

Leksell Gamma Knife is specifically optimized for the brain. Because the head can be immobilized during Gamma Knife radiosurgery, physicians feel confident in the accuracy of their treatment and can use a single, high dose of radiation. Patients can return home the same day and resume normal activities.
The body and its internal organs are virtually impossible to immobilize, requiring imaging throughout a linac treatment. The physician needs constant imaging to treat with confidence and often reduces the dose and increases the number of treatment sessions to compensate.

Unmatched clinical evidence and experience

Gamma Knife radiosurgery has been used to treat over half a million people, with treatments documented in more than 2,000 peer-reviewed clinical papers…including one that tracks patients over a 15-year period.
Leksell Gamma Knife is such an established standard of care that Medicare has designated a unique authorization code for radiosurgery on the Gamma Knife.
CyberKnife has been in use for more than 15 years and has little or no clinical evidence for treating brain tumors.⁴ According to the system’s manufacturer, “the safety and effectiveness of the CyberKnife system for certain uses is not yet supported by long-term clinical data.”⁵
This lack of long-term clinical data is why insurance companies are likely to decline or deny coverage for CyberKnife treatments.

Why Do You Need B-Vitamins?

2009-07-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

All of the B-vitamins play a role in facilitating the metabolic processes of all forms of animal life, and most have been termed coenzymes (small molecules (not proteins but sometimes vitamins) essential for the activity of some enzymes). Although B-vitamins act individually, in specific ways, the interaction of all B-vitamins ensure that one is kept healthy to grow and reproduce properly.

So although the B-vitamins are a complex, it is important to know them individually to identify any specific health needs. Additional functions of B-vitamins include the conversion of food to fuel for energy production purposes and the maintenance of healthy nervous system function. Certain B-vitamins also help to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.

Research into B-vitamins has shown that:

Folic acid (B-9) reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering homocystein levels (Russell, 1996). Homocysteine is a sulphur-containing amino acid that is closely related to the essential amino acid methionine and to cysteine. Many studies have also found an association between elevated homocysteine levels and impaired cognitive performance and dementia.

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Choline (may help with the treatment of bipolar disorder. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that, in combination with lithium, choline helps treat the devastating mental illness bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) (Stoll, 1996).

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Vitamin B-6 (Pyroxidine) can alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women (Vutyavanich,1995).

Supplementation with B-vitamin riboflavin has been shown to repair DNA damage thus serving to enhance cognition in older populations (Chen, 1996).