How To Get The Best Results From Physiotherapy/Your Physiotherapist

Thinking of having physiotherapy? Many people hope that a bit of muscle tweaking will result in a miraculous cure. 7 out of 10 people can improve in just 5 sessions. However, physiotherapy will only work if they undertake the prescribed treatment. With an increase in age comes an increase in the likelihood of gaining a joint or muscle injury. For example a staggering 80% of people are affected by back injury at some point in their lives. It pays to know a bit about what physiotherapy involves and what to expect from it to get the most out of your physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy aims to restore the range of movements to injured muscles or joints. It can even be used to improve the efficiency of the heart, circulation and lungs. A physiotherapist will do this by recommending an exercise programme to strengthen the muscles. He or she may offer massage to relieve pain and deep muscle tension and in some case electrotherapy may be used.
Your physiotherapist will love you if you do the exercises. Surprisingly few people carry out the programme prescribed to them and this unfortunately gives physiotherapy a bad reputation. I began a series of physiotherapy exercise for a shoulder injury just over a year ago and noticed gradual improvement in just a matter of weeks. As an extra bonus my muscle tone in my arms improved and I even achieved muscle definition in my abs! To stay committed my regular time for the exercises was (and still is) first thing in the morning, when I come home from work and last thing at night. Physiotherapy exercises are not the most exciting movements in the world so I supplement my after-work exercises with a few minutes' of yoga as an extra treat.
Whilst at physiotherapy make sure you make the most of your session by bringing relevant letters from your GP or consultant and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Ladies, if the physiotherapist needs to see your back, wear a sports bra. Try to be as specific as you can about the type of pain or loss of movement you are experiencing. Take notes when the physiotherapist goes through the exercises so that you can that target group of muscles to work properly. Finally, obvious as it sounds, be on time and keep your appointments. Quite a few people don't and guess what? No improvement.
Be realistic about the change in your condition. You may not be 100% cured after half a dozen appointments but the exercises will strengthen your muscles, increase your mobility and keep most of the pain at bay. You may need to alter your general lifestyle - eat more healthily and take up more exercise if you are not already doing so. Be aware of any bad habits with your posture which could be underlying or highlighted by an injury - for example, do you slouch when standing or whilst sitting at the computer? Physiotherapy is a great opportunity to learn more about how you live in your body and if necessary to make changes to look after yourself.

How to Check for Lice: Simple Tips to Get Rid of Lice

Head lice are tiny parasitic insects that live in human hair. If you want to know how to check for lice and how to eliminate them, we have compiled a list of the most proven techniques to manage an infestation. In this article we're going to share some tips on how to get rid of lice and nits from hair. Before we begin, let's first understand what a head louse is.

The human head louse is a true insect, in that it has three pairs of legs. It does not have wings, nor powerful legs for jumping--rather, it moves around by grabbing onto hair shafts with claw-like legs. The head louse has to feed every four to six hours, and does so by drawing minute amounts of blood from the scalp. A louse must remain in human hair to support its feeding habits, and cannot survive for more than 24 hours when it falls off from the head onto other surfaces. They are not found in pets and are not transmitted by any other agents apart from humans.

If you want to eradicate these pesky parasites, you must know how to look for lice. And this means understanding the symptoms of an infestation.

That bothersome itchy sensation on the scalp that comes from an infestation is due to a reaction with the saliva of the lice. How soon after an infestation the itchiness starts depends on an individual's skin sensitivity. In some cases, it may take weeks before the individual is aware of an itchy feeling and starts scratching the scalp.

Tip 1: For a lice infestation, mechanical or manual removal is the most preferred method. One of the most effective measures is vacuuming the hair. You will need a special attachment for the vacuum, which can be found in pet supply stores. This attachment should fit perfectly into the vacuum nozzle, and ensure that the person does not feel uncomfortable. Vacuuming is one of the fastest and safest ways to remove lice.

Tip 2: When checking for lice, an effective tool is a fine-tooth comb specially designed to catch and remove these parasites. These can be found in most local drug stores. You can also get special combs from pet stores, although they are sold as flea combs. These simple tools have very fine teeth that can catch lice and remove them from hair.

Tip 3: If you want to eradicate an infestation from your own hair, you should know how to check yourself for lice properly. Perhaps the most common method is just by feeling around different parts of the scalp. Make sure you cover the whole head, going slowly, through all of the hair. If you find a head louse, you can simply grab it with the index finger and thumb, and remove it. Another simple method to check for lice is to use tape. Applying tape to hair can also remove head lice.

Tip 4: A simple and proven way to check for lice is to part the hair into sections and then look at each section one at a time. This method makes the pests more exposed and easier to remove. After inspecting a section of hair, mark it with a clip or hair pin. This is a good way to find and get rid of lice from a child's head. This method works best with a magnifying glass under a bright light, especially for people who have light-colored hair.

Tip 5: A warm comb may also be used to check for lice. You can heat up a comb so that it feels pleasantly hot on the scalp, and pass it through hair. This will excite the lice and cause them to leave their usual hiding places in the bases of hair shafts, close to the scalp. You can use a regular comb or a special fine-toothed lice comb for this simple, effective method.

Can We Really Trust Our Doctors?

If you're trying to improve your health or get treatment for a condition that you have, you are probably under the care and supervision of a trained physician. But does that physician have your best interest in mind with the prescriptions and the treatments that they have you undergo? And with the number of medical errors and the latest medical malpractice statistics, should we trust our doctors as much as we do?
Too Much Treatment
When visiting a doctor, one of the problems that many people encounter is that their doctor simply wants to prescribe a medication for their condition. While medications are often necessary, some say they are overused. For instance, one research study of diabetics at the University of California showed that most people with type 2 diabetes can reverse their condition with a few simple changes in their diet and lifestyle. But the medical profession does not stress that because medicine is big business. Unfortunately, they do not get reimbursed by insurance companies for helping their patients get well using natural methods. This is one of the medical errors that are often made in today's health industry - being more concerned about the bottom line than the health of a patient.
Medical Malpractice Statistics
Medical errors happen all the time with doctors. They are human, so they do make mistakes. And medical malpractice statistics show just how imperfect doctors can be when making a diagnosis. Did you know that about 225,000 people die each year from medical malpractice incidents? Also, more than 10,000 people die each year because of unnecessary surgeries. And in recent studies, more than 190,000 people in the United States are killed every year in hospitals from problems that could have been prevented in the first place.
Preventing Medical Errors
Fortunately, there are some ways that you can prevent medical errors and avoid becoming a statistic. For one thing, you should make sure that your doctor knows which medications you are on when they are prescribing treatment for you. You should also ask what the medicine treats so you know what to expect from taking it.
Medical errors affect millions of people each year, but they are often preventable. By talking with your doctor and clearing up any questions that you have about procedures and treatments, you can often avoid errors that can result in harming your body or causing death. Don't take chances with your life!

How To Get The Best Results From Physiotherapy/Your Physiotherapist

Thinking of having physiotherapy? Many people hope that a bit of muscle tweaking will result in a miraculous cure. 7 out of 10 people can improve in just 5 sessions. However, physiotherapy will only work if they undertake the prescribed treatment. With an increase in age comes an increase in the likelihood of gaining a joint or muscle injury. For example a staggering 80% of people are affected by back injury at some point in their lives. It pays to know a bit about what physiotherapy involves and what to expect from it to get the most out of your physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy aims to restore the range of movements to injured muscles or joints. It can even be used to improve the efficiency of the heart, circulation and lungs. A physiotherapist will do this by recommending an exercise programme to strengthen the muscles. He or she may offer massage to relieve pain and deep muscle tension and in some case electrotherapy may be used.
Your physiotherapist will love you if you do the exercises. Surprisingly few people carry out the programme prescribed to them and this unfortunately gives physiotherapy a bad reputation. I began a series of physiotherapy exercise for a shoulder injury just over a year ago and noticed gradual improvement in just a matter of weeks. As an extra bonus my muscle tone in my arms improved and I even achieved muscle definition in my abs! To stay committed my regular time for the exercises was (and still is) first thing in the morning, when I come home from work and last thing at night. Physiotherapy exercises are not the most exciting movements in the world so I supplement my after-work exercises with a few minutes' of yoga as an extra treat.
Whilst at physiotherapy make sure you make the most of your session by bringing relevant letters from your GP or consultant and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Ladies, if the physiotherapist needs to see your back, wear a sports bra. Try to be as specific as you can about the type of pain or loss of movement you are experiencing. Take notes when the physiotherapist goes through the exercises so that you can that target group of muscles to work properly. Finally, obvious as it sounds, be on time and keep your appointments. Quite a few people don't and guess what? No improvement.
Be realistic about the change in your condition. You may not be 100% cured after half a dozen appointments but the exercises will strengthen your muscles, increase your mobility and keep most of the pain at bay. You may need to alter your general lifestyle - eat more healthily and take up more exercise if you are not already doing so. Be aware of any bad habits with your posture which could be underlying or highlighted by an injury - for example, do you slouch when standing or whilst sitting at the computer? Physiotherapy is a great opportunity to learn more about how you live in your body and if necessary to make changes to look after yourself.

How Can I Relieve My Arm Pain?

If you're experiencing arm pain, your life is probably being altered quite a bit. We use our arms all day, every day. This is especially true for people who do any kind of manual labor or work on computers at their job. Arm pain can hinder you in so many ways, even if you're a stay-at-home mother taking care of small children. This is why it's so important to get a pain in the arm correctly diagnosed and treated early on.
Arm Pain From Nerve Problems
When arm pain is related to a nerve problem, you'll typically find relief when the arm is elevated. This is because it takes the tension off the nerve plexus in the neck. If the pain has come on suddenly after you've injured yourself, you can also try some home remedies such as alternating heat and ice for a few hours. Some people also find that taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, can help in the short term.
Can a Pain in the Arm Caused By A Spinal Misalignment?
A spinal alignment must also be evaluated to check for misalignment which may be pressing on nerves in the neck. This can be done by an experienced chiropractor or pain specialist. There are many techniques that both chiropractor's and physical therapists have to alleviate arm pain.
If you experience any numbness or tingling, you should also report those issues to your doctor. There may be certain tests that need to be done to ensure that you don't have any kind of a neurological issue going on. You may have also suffered nerve damage which can cause other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Testing for Arm Pain
When pain specialists evaluate you for your arm pain, they may do a series of different kinds of tests including x-rays. They will also test you for strength in your arm and compare it to the arm that doesn't experience pain. Pain specialists will sometimes do electro diagnostic studies which allow for non-surgical evaluation of muscles and nerve root disease.
Electro diagnostic studies are often done to assess the condition of the nerves in the spine, face and extremities. This would include the hands and feet. These studies are done as a part of a complete workup when someone experiences pain, weakness, tingling or numbness.
Even though it would seem logical that arm pain would originate from the arm itself, this isn't normally the case. Many times arm pain is related to a nerve problem in the neck or spine. The key is working with an experienced pain specialist who can do the proper testing to find the exact source of your pain. Then, they can come up with a complete treatment program that will address the core issue.