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November 8, 2007

Non Surgical Herniated Disc TreatmentEasy Solution? Posted By : Verona Raymond

Filed under: Health & Fitness — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Can immediate relief be a reality without surgery? What important steps should I take?

If you were to talk to anyone that has suffered from a herniated disc, they would be quick to tell you how much it hurts. The pain of a herniated disc is not limited to the back. It can also cause pain to shoot down the arms or in the area of your shoulder blades in the case of a cervical disc. One thing is for certain, anyone that has this problem is looking into herniated disc treatment options. Which ones work the best to help ease the pain?



There are several options but they break down into two main categories, surgical and non surgical. Some people opt to have the surgery, hoping for a quick fix. I, personally, would rather try other herniated disc treatment methods before I let someone cut me open. In fact, there are two that I can think of that I would try first, and then I would move on to other non surgical methods.

Many times doctors will not be quick to advise surgery, either. They would much rather see a patient use a treatment such as hot and cold compresses or perhaps physical therapy to ease the pressure of the disc on any nerves. After a period of a few weeks, many herniated disc patients see noticeable improvements and surgery is not a necessary option.

So if you or someone you know is having a difficult time with their back, you should consider a non surgical herniated disc treatment. Not only is it less invasive than the surgery, the healing times are comparable or even better. Only after all other methods are exhausted should you consider surgery.


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Barefoot in The Grass Posted By : Donna Jeffries

Filed under: Health & Fitness — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Ever notice how some of life’s nicest pleasures are sometimes the most simplest? Take strolling barefoot in the grass for instance. When was the last time you actually did that? When you were a kid maybe? Do you remember how the spongy, cool softness felt under your tender skin?

When you think of it, it really seems ‘unnatural’ how much time we spend walking around on concrete sidewalks and pavements. There are other aspects of tromping around on hard, man-made surfaces that seem unnatural too as our feet fall into repetitive patterns or movements with every step we take. Eventually, most of us are likely to develop calluses, strain and stiffness to the soles of our feet.

CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH

Besides feeling good, walking barefoot on the grass and ground may have other benefits as well. According to a recent study by The California Institute of Human Sciences, our bodies’ natural electron balance can actually be restored by making a physical connection to the earth. Studies reveal several benefits from making this special connection: including reduction of inflammation and pain; relief from sleeping disorders; and from several other stress-related conditions as well.



We happen to be very electrical beings. Because our bodies are mostly made up of water and minerals they are exceptional conductors of electricity (electrons). Free electrons on the earth’s surface are transmitted easily to the human body as long as a direct connection is made. Unfortunately, there are several insulators in our modern world that can prevent these natural electrical interactions from taking place. Synthetically-soled shoes are one-such insulator. Though we may be hiking in the middle of a magnificent pine forest, we will not get the full benefits of the earth’s electrical field if we do not have a direct physical connection. We are also insulated when we are inside of our homes or office buildings where there may be competing energy fields as well. When our body’s electrical balance becomes disturbed, free radicals are able to persevere longer in our systems, setting the stage for a domino effect. The result can eventually manifest in the form of chronic inflammation, stiffness of the joints and pain.

ELECTRIC ANTI-OXIDANTS

Geophysicists have long-known about the steady supply of electrons that continually surround the planet. This limitless supply is constantly being replenished at all hours of the day and night by thousands of lightning strikes all around the globe. During these strikes electrons are rapidly dispersed across the earth’s surface. This has been referred to as the “global electric circuit.”

These free electrons have been found to possess anti-oxidant properties; they can circulate quickly through the body and neutralize harmful free radicals. This appears to be one of the most likely explanations for the findings that connecting with the earth can reduce inflammation and pain. A second viable explanation includes the seasonal rhythms of our planet’s electric field. Research recently conducted in Germany has demonstrated how physical contact made directly with the surface of the earth can connect us with the rhythms that set nature’s biological clocks and assist in many metabolic functions.

If you haven’t walked barefoot on the grass (or the beach) for a while, maybe it’s time to get out and give it a try. Just make sure the grass or sand you walk on is free of any sharp objects! Don’t be surprised if you start to feel a wonderful sense of being connected with nature - not to mention some refreshed tootsies!


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Why Do I Need Disability Insurance?

Filed under: Health & Fitness — webmaster @ 10:28 am

Your career is a direct result of hard work and a substantial investment of time and money. Doesn’t it make sense to fully protect it? A disability could render you helpless by taking away the one thing that you need to safeguard all of your assets: your income.

Home, auto, life, and health insurance are certainly valuable investments, but failure to couple them with disability insurance will jeopardize your full financial security.  For example, health insurance might cover the potential fiscal pitfalls of the medical bills that result from a disability, but the rest of your financial obligations are not going to come to a halt.  Vehicle payments, mortgages, insurance premiums, and even savings for the future are all important expenses that cannot be ignored just because you are disabled.  Unfortunately, the chances of becoming disabled might be greater than you think.

According to the 1994 Statistical Abstract of the United States, in the course of a year, odds are that 1 in 10 people between the ages of 25 and 64 will suffer a disability.  When comparing that ratio to the odds of being victim of a house fire (1 in 122); injured in an automobile accident (1 in 160); or even of death (1 in 117), the advantage of disability insurance is clear.  A February 2000 article in the New York Times reported that 1 in 7 people between the ages of 35 and 60 will become disabled for five years or more.

Despite these glaring statistics, many people still take a substantial risk by ignoring the benefits offered by a disability insurance policy.  In 2000, a survey by The Consumer Federation of America and The American Council of Life Insurers found that 82 percent of people do not have long-term disability insurance or believe their coverage is inadequate.

The alternatives to disability insurance all carry a degree of risk or have some sort of drawback.  Social Security benefits are difficult to qualify for and the disability must prevent you from working in any occupation.  Worker’s compensation benefits are limited and only cover job-related sickness or injury.  Other options—relying on savings, family, and/or friends—are not guaranteed and have considerable downside.

Guard your assets—don’t leave yourself vulnerable by neglecting to protect your income. 


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Finding A Remedy For High Blood Pressure

Filed under: Health & Fitness — webmaster @ 10:28 am

If the blood pressure is too high, do not worry; there are ways to lower it down. But what happens when the blood pressure rises? The blood is taken by the heart and sent to the tissues of the body through arteries, and the pressure of the blood means the force used in pushing the blood in the arteries walls.

Even if high blood pressure is a chronic disease, there is still no cure for it. Fortunately, we can control it with the help of various drugs or by improving our ways of life. Of course, it is better to prevent than to cure, therefore living an organized and healthy life can keep away the hypertension from us for as long as we continue living that way.

High blood pressure is the most important cause of heart diseases, of strokes, kidney failures and heart attacks- you can say that it is the most feared serial killer of our times. This means that having a high blood pressure is having a high risk of developing heart diseases or kidney ones. It is more dangerous because it has not any alarming symptom or signs. You can find whether you have or not a high blood pressure by controlling its value regularly.

If the blood pressure is too high, do not worry; there are ways to lower it down. But what happens when the blood pressure rises? The blood is taken by the heart and sent to the tissues of the body through arteries, and the pressure of the blood means the force used in pushing the blood in the arteries walls. The blood pressure is a maximum one when the heart contracts and pumps the blood.

Certain activities make the blood pressure rise or lower. For example, if are running to catch a bus, the blood pressure will rise. When you sleep it lowers. These are normal variations of the blood pressure. Some persons have a high blood pressure. The blood of these persons pushes the walls of the arteries with a force higher than the normal. If they will not take the right treatment for it, they can encounter a series of health problems like the arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, the heart becomes larger due to the supplementary effort, kidney problems.

The persons who have a high blood pressure, no matter the race, the gender or the age can prevent the high blood pressure if they will follow few simple rules:

- Maintain an optimal weight, and try to lose the weight excess;

- Try to have moderate physical activities;

- Choose the food with low content of salt and sodium;

- You can drink alcohol, but in moderate quantities.

All of those rules must be followed during the medicated treatment too, but it would be better to use them as prevention methods. Another important measure regarding your health is to quit smoking; even if smoking is not directly related to the high blood pressure, it can increase the risk of having a heart attack or a cerebral vascular attack.

One last piece of advice for controlling the high blood pressure would be to increase the number of physical activities. Regular exercises will diminish the risk of having a heart disease, will reduce the level of cholesterol from your blood and increase the level of good cholesterol, and consequently, lower the high blood pressure. Use every day activities to help your body fight back the high blood pressure: use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk when you are going to work, don’t take the car, dance in clubs or enjoy gardening. You can make your life more pleasant and you can lower the high blood pressure until the scientist will find the cure for it.


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Different Kinds of Gout Causes

Filed under: Health & Fitness — webmaster @ 10:28 am

Gout is a painful rheumatic disease that affects more than 800 out of every 100,000 individuals. Arthritic gout can occur at any time after puberty until the age of seventy-five. More common in men than women, arthritic gout can cause intense pain in the joints that can last for a few minutes or a few days. Those with gout should see their doctor to see if there are any medications that may prevent or help with the pain in case of another attack. Most people who have gout will have pain a few times a year. This can vary from person to person based on their lifestyle and heredity.

What is the cause of some of the painful symptoms associated with gout? Experts say the concentration in the blood is so high that the uric acid settles in the joints of people with gout, a leading cause of gout attacks. While the cause of gout is deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid in connective tissue, some physicians might misdiagnose gout because of associated symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat, pain and stiffness of the joints that resembles rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions.

Dieticians who understand the cause of gout will often recommend patients flush out their systems, or dilute the uric acid, by drinking plenty of water. Since the cause of gout appears to be related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, particularly beer, it is advisable to abstain from alcohol which may raise uric acid levels in the blood.

In addition, the cause of gout has also been linked to foods that break down into uric acid. After you understand the cause of gout, it makes sense to avoid a diet that contains shrimp, dried beans, mushrooms, sardines and mushrooms.

Research has also shown that insulin resistance is capable of causing gout attacks. Some people speculate that the cause of gout is more complicated as it may be inherited or occur as a complication of another disease. In fact, viewing the cause of gout as heredity may not be so far fetched as people who have a history of gout in their family may show evidence of an enzyme defect that interferes with the way the body breaks down purines. Scientific studies have also revealed research results that show that about 20 percent of people with gout, inherited the disease from their family members.

One simple explanation of the cause of gout may be a poor diet that is rich in purines which aggravates gout. Another cause of gout may be lead in the environment. Being overweight has often been associated with gout, because people who are overweight usually produce a lot of excess uric acid.

People with high blood pressure need to be careful of the drugs they may use for treatment as some of these pills may actually result in a gout attack. Other medications that may cause gout include low doses of aspirin, some cancer fighting drugs, diuretics, niacin and cyclosporine.

In conclusion, the cause of gout has been most definitely linked to uric acid crystals that accumulate over months or years in connective tissues in and around the joints. It’s not uncommon for gout to be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or pseudogout. Hence, it is crucial for you to approach your family doctor to find out what are the cause of your gout condition and plan an appropriate course of action.

For more information on the different kinds of Gout Causes, or Gout Diet, please visit the following website: gout.mygeneralknowledge.com.


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