Keep Your Family Safe & Healthy on Your Trip

Whether you're traveling to an exotic land or to the next state over, traveling with your family is fun, exciting and sometimes a little stressful. You are busy booking plane tickets, hotel rooms and activities that everyone in the family will love, and you're almost ready to go. But have you thought about your health? Traveling can be a big change on your eating, sleeping and exercise patterns, so you need to be prepared to keep everyone feeling their best. Here are a few tips:

Pack Wipes & Sanitizer

Babies and toddlers love putting everything in their mouths — toys, keys, basically whatever is in reach. When you're traveling, you're going to be in a lot of areas where you can't control the cleanliness and your baby will be exposed to new germs. Be as prepared as possible with plenty of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer. Wipe down the seat and tray table when you get on the plane.

Lather your kids' hands with sanitizer before they even think of touching a snack. And be prepared to wash their hands extra thoroughly after using a public restroom. The last thing you want is for your baby or young child to have an upset stomach, so do what you can to avoid germs and bacteria.


Plan Activities

Your teenagers stay up all night and sleep all day when you're home, so how are they going to adjust to a travel schedule? Start by battling jet lag. Make sure everyone gets on the local time of the place you're traveling to as quickly as possible. If you need to keep everyone up that first day, plan something active to keep everyone moving. For the rest of the trip, put a limit on screen time and cellphones, not only to keep your teens engaged in your vacation, but also to help them keep a normal sleep cycle. Sleep is a crucial part of keeping your immune system strong, so insist that your teens keep to the family sleep schedule.

Bring Snacks & Probiotics

You're going to be busy making sure all of your plans stay on track. You're in charge of making sure the kids are dressed, everyone is in the car with plenty of time to make your flight and everyone is having a good time. That can be a lot of pressure, and it's easy to forget to take care of yourself.

Traveling can wreak havoc on your stomach and digestive system, so be sure to include some healthy foods and drinks along with all the tasty vacation treats. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated all day long (if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated). You also should consider taking a probiotic to help build up healthy bacteria so you don't encounter any stomach problems in the middle of your trip.

Consider Mobility & Movement

If grandma and grandpa are coming along on your vacation, you may need to make some special arrangements. You still should plan all of your active and physical excursions, but make sure they are safe for everyone. For example, you should see if there's a place where they can sit or take a break if necessary. You also should plan for some down time between activities or even plan for an entire day of relaxation. You also may want the grandparents to wear a medical alert system so they can keep track of their heart rate and their other health stats. And if you do run into an emergency, the medical alert device can notify certified agents to respond quickly.

You don't need to do anything crazy to keep everyone in your family healthy while you travel. Be prepared with a few extra items, and you're sure to enjoy your vacation.

This is a guest blog post.

How Do Orthopedic Aids Help Shoulder Pain?

Anything that braces and partially immobilizes an injured or painful shoulder is usually a good thing because it effectively prevents further injury while the muscles are at their most vulnerable point. After a doctor, trainer, or physical therapist evaluates the injury, you’ll know how long to keep the brace on, and it’s important to keep the brace in place for the entire period, even if you feel better.

Braces also provide gentle compression and thus support the area until the muscles heal. That same compression also reduces swelling and inflammation, thus speeding recovery. The compression creates a good feeling that, at least in part, offsets the pain, which is why a good arm sling can actually prevent shoulder pain. More on that below.

Kinesio Tape

Kinesio Tex Tape is more than just that wide, sticky tape that you wrap around and around an injured area. Properly done, the Kinesio Tape Method speeds healing and has other benefits as well. Largely because it’s inexpensive, easy to apply, and free from any latex or any other possible harmful side effects, these benefits are available to almost everyone. They include:

• Pain Relief: The tape ever so slightly raises the skin, placing it away from irritated nerve endings and reducing pressure on sensitive pain receptors. Furthermore, the stimulating effect of the compression effectively counteracts pain messages, especially for things like shoulder injuries, where the pain is out of proportion to the severity of the wound.
• Reduced Swelling: Not to get too technical, but the decreased pressure also channels away fluids that would otherwise collect underneath the skin. This process is good news for patients suffering from both sports and non-sports injuries, like lymphedema. 
• Prevents Cramps: Kinesio tape promotes good blood circulation, and when the blood moves like it should, muscles are much less likely to lock up. The same thing applies for the muscle spasms commonly associated with overuse.
• Unrestricted Support: In terms of the opening discussion, this benefit is the big one. K-tape supports the area and prevents re-injury while not restricting range of motion. That’s key for things like injured shoulders that do not get better without at least a little exercise.

Kinesio tape’s elasticity can also help enhance strength in poorly-toned muscles, thus helping to prevent future injury.

Arm Slings

Almost everyone who fractures a wrist, elbow, or shoulder needs to wear an arm sling for at least a few weeks. These devices are also good for post-surgical patients, because of the immobility and pan reduction aspects of an arm sling, and also for stroke patients, whose arms tend to painfully hang.

It’s very important to wear the sling properly, or else fluid may accumulate in your wrist or hand, and the sling will be incredibly uncomfortable.

•    Pull the sling all the way over your arm and elbow,
•    There should be no cutting sensation around your wrist or hand,
•    Pull the strap tight so your hand is close to your chest and slightly above your elbow, and
•    If there is a thumb loop, use it.

Arm slings are much more advanced than they were a few years ago, so it’s easy to find one made of lightweight and durable fabric.

Shoulder Brace

Neoprene shoulder braces are usually the best, because they not only provide compression and support, but also protect the skin and tendons. These braces also have a substantial placebo effect, because you simply feel better and more supported.

Braces also decrease the risk of dislocation, especially because about 95 percent of such injuries occur during anterior motion when the arm is pulling away from the body. Most shoulder braces permit all kinds of movement except the one most likely to dislocate the shoulder, which is a very good thing. Furthermore, similar to Kinesio tape, neoprene shoulder braces also increase muscle tone, which causes less pain.

If you properly protect an injured shoulder, you can help it heal faster and decrease pain during the recovery period.

This is a guest blog posting.

How to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis during Pregnancy

Several physiological changes take place when a woman becomes pregnant. From morning sickness to swelling ankles and feet, the glow of being pregnancy also comes with less than ideal side effects. While most health conditions related to pregnancy are temporary and have a minimal impact on long-term health, expectant mothers are at risk of developing various medical issues that can be more serious. Deep vein thrombosis, also known as DVT, is one condition that requires some understanding and attention throughout one’s pregnancy.

Deep vein thrombosis is a condition where a blood clot forms, most often in the deep veins of the leg. When clotting takes place, the legs can become more swollen than usual, and women can experience ongoing pain or tenderness where the clot occurs. While DVT is not a serious threat to the well-being of an expectant mother, should the clot break off and travel to the lungs, the results could be life-altering. In the UK, deep vein thrombosis affects one in every 1,000 pregnancy women, and although this may not seem like an astonishing amount, pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing DVT than those who are not expecting. Here’s what pregnant women and their partners need to know about deep vein thrombosis, from the risk factors and symptoms to strategies for prevention.

High-risk Patients

Deep vein thrombosis can affect anyone at any point in adulthood, but pregnant women are at a much higher risk than others. Part of the increased possibility of developing DVTs can be linked to the rapid shift in hormones pregnant women experience from the beginning of their pregnancy up to six months after giving birth. Additionally, a growing baby places pressure on the pelvis which causes compression that could lead to clotting. In some cases in pregnant women the blood’s clotting agents change early in the process, creating a greater risk of developing DVsT later in the pregnancy.

In addition to these common physiological changes within pregnant women, individuals may be more at risk of experiencing deep vein thrombosis when they have previously been diagnosed with a blood clot, if they have recently had a caesarean section, or if they smoke. Women who are over the age of 35, those who have a body mass index of 30 or higher, or those who have undergone fertility treatment are also more likely to develop DVTs during pregnancy. Being immobile for extended periods of time and carrying multiple children during a single pregnancy also increase the risks.

Warning Signs

In most cases when a pregnant woman develops deep vein thrombosis, the warning signs are similar regardless of the cause. DVT is most often found in a single leg, not both, and can cause swelling of the legs or ankles, pain at the site where the clot occurred, or tenderness of the leg. Some may also experience a warming of the skin on the leg or redness that appears below or behind the knee.

Pregnant women should note that some of these symptoms are similar to other issues that naturally take place while carrying a child to term, many of which may not cause any harm aside from the occasional discomfort.

When any or a combination of these symptoms occur, and they seem out of the ordinary, medical attention should be sought out as soon as possible. Speaking with a medical professional about the discomfort that is taking place, when it began, and what’s being done to minimize the symptoms is pertinent to getting the correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

Ways to Prevent DVT during Pregnancy

While deep vein thrombosis has the potential to cause a variety of symptoms during one’s pregnancy, there are several steps to prevent it from taking place from the start. Eddie Chaloner, vein specialist at Radiance Vein Clinic, explains that preventing blood clotting throughout pregnancy always begins with ensuring the blood is flowing on a consistent basis. Regular exercise that is doctor-approved during one’s pregnancy, and walking or stretching a few times a day helps keep the blood flowing as it should. Similarly, not allowing the legs to be idle for extended periods of time is beneficial in preventing DVTs from developing. Lifting the legs while sitting or lying down helps in this regard.

If routine physical activity is not an easy option, Chaloner states that some doctors may prescribe compression stockings to help with consistent blood flow. Compression stockings are easily worn on the legs during the day, working to put slight pressure on the veins to reduce idle time. In addition to compression solutions, a doctor may also provide a preventative dose of an anticoagulant throughout the pregnancy, especially when a woman carries multiple risk factors.

When deep vein thrombosis is diagnosed and treated early on, the potential for a blood clot to break off and travel to the lungs is greatly reduced. Pregnant women and their partners can work to prevent DVTs from developing in the first place by focusing on being active during the pregnancy and speaking to a doctor as soon as any of the warning signs begin to show.

This is a guest blog entry.

Know Your Blood Pressure Apparatus: The parts of a sphygmomanometer

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a significant health condition. Not treating it correctly can have fatal consequences. As an indicator of a patient’s state of health, one’s blood pressure must be monitored accurately.

And here’s where the sphygmomanometer—the equipment used to measure blood pressure—enters the picture. It allows the medical practitioner to listen to the flow of blood through the artery.

How does a sphygmomanometer work?

Some blood pressure monitoring devices are battery operated, while others are operated manually. To get an accurate measurement of your patient’s BP using a manually operated sphygmomanometer, follow these  steps:

1.    Prepare your stethoscope and sphygmomanometer
2.    Let your patient relax for at least 5 minutes before you check his or her blood pressure.
3.    Put the BP cuff/gauge around the patient’s upper arm.
4.    Check his or her pulse.
5.    Place the stethoscope on his or her pulse (wrist).
6.    Slowly inflate the gauge/cuff while listening to the pulse.
7.    When the cuff is fully inflated, slowly deflate it while listening to the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
8.    Repeat the process to double check the BP result.

What are the basic components of a sphygmomanometer?

BP Cuff—a cloth-like material attached or connected to the valve and bulb. It is positioned on the patient’s upper arm and held in place using the Velcro strap. It is designed to fit all body sizes.

Bulb—an egg-shaped piece of black rubber used to pump air that inflates the cuff to check the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It is designed to pump different cuff sizes.

Manometer–a meter that displays readings of blood pressure measurements. It comes in different designs, with aneroid, mercury, or digital meters. The medical attendant can choose which manometer type he or she prefers.

Valve—a silver-like metal piece attached to the bulb to control the inflation and deflation of the cuff.

Inflation/Deflation Bladder—rubber or elastic tubes that are connected to the cuff, manometer, bulb, and valve. It must be kept free of holes to avoid air leaks; otherwise, it won’t inflate and deflate the cuff. 

A sphygmomanometer is a very practical, portable medical instrument. In less than a minute, you can check your patient’s blood pressure. You don’t even need to be qualified medical personnel to use it. Just operate it according to the instructions. Buy the sphygmomanometer only from a reliable supplier.

This is a guest blog post.

The Many Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium is arguably one of the most important minerals in the body. It is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, mainly including energy dependant activities. It is required for healthy bones, muscles and nerves and is helpful in treating migraines/headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, high blood pressure, insomnia and anxiety. Magnesium deficiency is common and many Australians may not be aware they are low in this essential mineral.

Causes of magnesium deficiency

•    Use of certain medications and chronic diseases

•    Reduced magnesium in foods due to soil depletion and processing techniques

•    Digestive diseases, leaky gut and poor absorption of minerals

The four most common at-risk groups include:

1.    People with gastrointestinal complaints

2.    The elderly

3.    People with type 2 diabetes

4.    Alcoholics

Unfortunately, magnesium is not an easy mineral to test for and deficiency will not show up in a simple blood test. Like calcium, only 1% of magnesium is found in the blood and often doesn’t give an accurate representation of total levels.

What you can use magnesium for

Because magnesium depletion is associated with a myriad of different deficiency signs and symptoms it can be used for a wide-range of health effects. Here are some of its most common uses.

Reduces anxiety and insomnia

Magnesium can help to calm the body, relax our muscles and improve mood. It’s no wonder people who are stressed have been found to have lowered levels of magnesium in their body. A 2012 article found that lowered magnesium can reduce the GABA cycle in the body which can lead to extreme anxiety and in more severe instances depression and hallucinations. In addition to anxiety, magnesium can be used to help with insomnia without any nasty side-effects. Bioceuticals Ultra Muscleze Night powder is an example of specific magnesium to reduce stress and promote a good night’s sleep. It can be taken twice a day to reduce daytime anxiety and before bed for insomnia.

Migraine headaches

Daily intake of magnesium has been linked to a reduction in migraine headaches, even ones that are related to the menstrual cycle. It achieves this by reducing muscular spasm—aiding relaxation and dilation of blood vessels. Magnesium also helps to alter the balance of neurotransmitters. An imbalance of these, particularly serotonin, has been linked to the pathogenesis of migraines.

Heart Health

Magnesium helps to regulate calcium, potassium and sodium which are important for healthy heart function and rhythm. Without sufficient amounts of magnesium in the body people are at higher risk of high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat), cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. An article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “circulating and dietary magnesium are inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk”. This means that the lower your intake of magnesium and the lower the magnesium you have circulating in your body the higher your risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Low magnesium levels have been associated with thicker plaque in arteries, an increased risk of stroke and a decrease in blood flow. Although there are many different forms of magnesium available, magnesium orotate is the preferred form for heart and cardiovascular health. Nature’s Own Magnesium orotate is available in two different strengths.

Muscle function

Two of the most obvious symptoms of a magnesium deficiency are muscle cramps and spasms which most people experience in the feet and calves. Magnesium plays a crucial role in muscle relaxation and can work very quickly to provide relief. Supplementation is suitable for people suffering from fibromyalgia, muscle pain and restless leg syndrome. Even athletes and people who work out and experience a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles can benefit from magnesium. An example of good all-round magnesium is Cabot Health’s Magnesium Complete. It contains four different kinds of well-absorbed forms of magnesium—covering everything from muscle pain to headaches.

Bone health

Most people think of calcium for bone health but did you know that the majority of magnesium is found in bone. Supplementing with magnesium has been found to slow the development of osteoporosis in as little as 30 days. Magnesium is important for the health of our teeth and its magnesium (not calcium), that is vital for the hardening of our tooth enamel. However, if you’re supplementing with calcium it’s important to take magnesium also in a 1:2 ratio.

Diabetes

Magnesium deficiency is common among those with type 2 diabetes as it is vital for healthy blood sugar balancing. A diet rich in magnesium and magnesium supplementation has been shown to significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Even a low dose of 100mg per day lowered the risk by 15%. As diabetes causes damage to nerves and is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, magnesium is a nutrient that provides protection in these areas. Even those with insulin resistance and prediabetes would benefit from increasing their magnesium intake.

Increase your energy

Weakness, low energy and fatigue are all common deficiency signs of magnesium. While magnesium can improve muscle relaxation and aids anxiety it is on the other hand important to produce energy on a cellular level. ATP is a coenzyme that is responsible for transporting energy within our cells for metabolism and healthy cell division. Magnesium is required in the production of ATP and this is why magnesium deficiency can leave you feeling sluggish and droopy eyed. So next time you feel like that next cup of coffee for an artificial energy hit, why not try magnesium instead and experience a wide-range of other health benefits.

Need to get more magnesium in the diet? 

High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, avocados, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, bananas, dark chocolate, dried fruit and wholegrains. Try eating a few serves from a variety of magnesium rich sources for healthy muscle, bone, nerve and heart health.

This is a guest blog post.

Instagram Guiding a New Resurgence in Plastic Surgery

Social media is changing things for plastic surgeons around the world. More and more people are interested in this beautification process in order to look better in selfies. A very popular platform that is driving this social change is Instagram since the app relies solely on images through Facebook and other social media platforms have surely had an effect on the intensified focus on outer-beauty.

Why are Social Media Platforms Vital for Plastic Surgeons?

It may not be believable at first but, yes, many plastic surgeons are using social media to advertise their results and to entice others by perpetuating a new standard of beauty. This is something that some will not want to hear, but beauty has a way of changing with time and, now, with social platforms like Instagram.

This social platform allows users to create a photo album for the rest of the world to see. It would be one thing if these photographs were natural, but many people use specific angles, makeup, and filters that allow a person to look like an enhanced version of themselves.

Filters, for example, can sometimes help a person look younger than they are by softening their skin. The issue is that people on platforms like Instagram are catching on to filters and are calling people out. This drives some people to seek a solution for premature wrinkles finding Botox injections in Gold Coast or other regions.

Botox creates the filtered look without having to blur a photograph, which is quite beloved online. Furthermore, the new standard of beauty that is hard to match is making others feel they have no other option but to get plastic surgery, too.

Social Media and Beauty

It is easy to see that beauty is changing due to social media platforms like Instagram, but how it is shifting is interesting. For example, one of the major changes that some people in the field are seeing is the rise in lip fillers and lip augmentation.

More women are interested in enhancing their lips than before. This could be due to the number of celebrities and reality TV stars who have full lips. Some women want to appease their desire for this type of beauty and also want to take fabulous selfies.

There is no doubt that some things remain the same, like how most women and men want to stay young, which keeps a lot of people interested in wrinkle reduction procedures.

Plastic Surgery Becoming More Accessible

There is no doubt that social media platforms, celebrities, and the ability to use fillers on a picture are having an effect on people. This is undoubtedly helping many people turn towards plastic surgery or procedures.

Some of the people who now covet plastic surgery might have never been able to afford it before, but times have changed. Plastic surgery is more accessible to people from all types of economic groups. This is possible due to different options like financing.

There are also options that are less invasive and a lot more cost-effective for those looking to spend as little as possible beautifying their face. Botox is the most famous and relatively inexpensive procedure, but there are others such as chemical peels and fillers just to name a few.

It is clear that having different payment options is giving plastic surgery a way to continue growing. All those people influenced by social media platforms like Instagram will be happy to know that what they wish for can actually come true. Great and amazing photographs are possible just as long as women find an experienced plastic surgeon specialist to help them with their beauty goals.

This is a guest blog post.

Tips For College Students On Dealing With Daily Challenges

When it’s time to set off for college, there are a lot of emotions; making your way through the campus, fitting in with new friends, and making the grade. It can be very overwhelming, even if you’re in your last year of school. Challenges arise and so do situations in which you may be tempted to turn to bad decision making in order to cope with daily stressors.

Making positive choices is the best way to ensure that you can be successful throughout your college career. Here are a few examples of issues that may arise and some positive coping mechanisms in which to handle these situations.

Stress and Anxiety

Checking the academic portal frequently to see if you’ve passed a test, or worrying about dealing with a forthright roommate can lead to added stress and anxiety.  That’s why it’s important to deal with problems as they come up in a healthy manner. Some ways to go about it include:

•    *Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise or aerobic activity daily.
•    *Sleeping at least 8 hours every night.
•    *Eating a healthy diet and avoiding junk food.
•    *Connecting with a counselor through student services.
•    *Using positive coping mechanisms to work through anxiety and stress.

Stress and anxiety affects college students daily, and in some cases, it’s easy to turn to illicit drug use, prescription pills and alcohol to get through tough times. This isn’t the answer, and can greatly affect your lifestyle on campus, as well as your grades. You can easily be disqualified for scholarships and possibly be expelled from school and sports if you’re found with certain substances. If you feel you have a problem with substance abuse, contact your local rehab center for help. Similar to inpatient drug rehab center Utah-based facilities, a facility in your own area will be able to help you detox safely and give you the right tools for a complete recovery.

Social Issues 

Are you having a lot of peer pressure placed on you in college? Maybe you’re finding it hard to fit in with the group of kids in your dorm. No matter what the social issue is, it’s important to understand that many college students experience the same thing. Social issues can quickly lead to feeling anxious and frustrated with your college experience. There are a few ways to try to get past this problem and turn your anxiety into something positive, such as:

•    *Joining more social groups at the college.
•    *Volunteering on and around your campus.
•    *Connecting with your professors and discussing your obstacles.
•    *Staying in touch with family and friends from home.

Social issues can lead to isolation and sometimes destructive behavior, such as over or under eating and sleeplessness. Don’t let anxiety cripple you. If it becomes an ongoing issue, talk to your family doctor right away about getting help.

Tuition Concerns

Another problem that some students face when they attend college is how they are going to pay for everything that school entails, notes Jeff Grabmeier from the Ohio State University. This ranges from books, computers, room and board, tuition, food and daily living expenses. The best place to start is with your school’s financial advisor. From there you will be able to sit down, review your financial aid package and determine if you’re getting the maximum of loan coverage for your living situation. Your advisor may offer tips, such as working on campus or borrowing certain materials in order to save money on your tuition costs. There are a lot of programs you may not realize are readily available until you ask about them or sit down and talk with a financial advisor face-to-face.

Daily Living Costs

Whether you’ve been saving up money, have student loans or your parents are helping you with tuition and housing expenses, it can still make it tough to make ends meet on your own. There are some ways that you can pinch pennies to make the dollar stretch each month, including:

•    *Sharing and preparing quick and cheap meals with your friends or roommates.
•    *Utilize a campus meal program to cut back on food costs.
•    *Ditch your car and use a bike or public transportation to get around town.
•    *Apply for extra scholarships to earn more money for tuition costs.
•    *Avoid going to clubs and bars. Take advantage of on-campus concerts and events instead.

Utilizing small things can actually save you big money in the future.

College doesn’t have to be a time of stress and high worry. Reach out for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed and utilize the resources readily available to you.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

We Can’t Live Without Protein Research

We don’t really discuss protein and protein research very much. Most of us are left even wondering what it is and why it’s so important. Companies like NanoTemperTech.com and the research they do have been instrumental in medical advances for a number of health issues.

Focusing intensely on natural environments helps keep the samples authentic and creates better data. Furthermore, they can provide a higher density of data points which translates into better data quality and seeing more in the data that other technologies could miss. Before we get into the fantastic ways we have benefited from protein research, let’s actually discuss it just a little bit further.

Proteins Are What I Eat, Right?

It’s true that we eat proteins in our diet but we are not talking about those proteins. We are talking about the building blocks of the cells within our bodies. All of our life information is encoded within our DNA; proteins manage the process of our life maintenance, defense, reproduction, and replication. They are often studied individually so that if we were to clone a cell, we would get the protein structure correct. When all of the proteins are cloned individually, they then come together in the cell. This suddenly makes cloning sound a lot more complicated, doesn’t it?

Why Do We Study Proteins?

Of course, the reason why we study proteins can vary. The simplest answer is so that we can understand the DNA better. The interesting thing about DNA is that a protein can be modified without ever affecting DNA. So simply studying DNA can leave us with questions on why something happened. When we research the proteins, we can see a clearer map. When proteins are modified and we can identify it, it will tell us how that specific protein worked and can lead to why it was modified. This point was really driven home when researchers studied dinosaur proteins. The proteins were able to identify the age of the sample, which could affect changes in when we thought a particular species existed, and what the environment was like that the dinosaur lived in or was buried in. Not all DNA evolve for evolution but proteins certainly do!

So, How Does It Help Us?

Studying proteins helps us in a myriad of ways. Medicines are often designed around the proteins within our bodies and learning how to affect the protein isn’t easy. Often they have to build a structure of a specific protein as a template in a computer program and bind it to a natural molecule. The natural molecule works sort of like a key, it unlocks the biological action of the protein. When designing certain medicines, they will want to either unlock that action or block it all together. The more response they get from the proteins, the easier it is to create these types of medicines. When they don’t work, they know to go back to the proteins and research some more.

One of the more popular examples of how protein research has helped us is when researchers were stumped on how to understand the structure of a particular protein. However, they employed video gamers to assist in the research. They were able to successfully replicate the structure and understand why some viruses, like HIV, could spread. When we have that type of information released, it makes finding the medicines and treatments easier to eradicate some diseases all together.

As we continue researching proteins, we expect to find a lot more treatments and a few cures along the way. We will also be able to notice genetic tendencies towards certain types of illnesses and disorders. Nothing but good can come from protein research!

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

6 Things Family Caregivers Should Remember to Bring to Doctor’s Appointments

For family caregivers, doctor’s appointments are one of the most important and time-consuming tasks. Whether it’s helping an aging parent with a ride to the doctor or taking a medically complex relative for their check-up with the specialist, the preparation, travel, and appointment time can all add up.

Don’t forget to bring these 6 things to your loved one’s next doctor’s appointment to make sure your time and effort is counting for something:

Bring a Medicine List
The doctor will always check in with each visit to see what medicines your loved one is still taking, which have changed, and what new ones they have started taking. Especially important for patients who see multiple doctors, keeping one central list of all medications (both prescriptions and over the counter) equips all your loved one’s doctors with the information they need to make sure nothing is over-prescribed, interacts with other medicines, or can cause complications.

Bring Your Questions
It is so easy for patients and their caregivers to feel overwhelmed with information, flustered, or simply forgetful of concerns you wanted to bring up with the doctor. Bottom line, write them down and bring them in. Not only does referencing a paper (or your phone) with your questions show the doctor you mean business, but it also holds the doctor accountable in a way to the time you are looking to spend discussing your loved one’s condition. Voice concerns over non-visible changes in mental state, attitude, and physical things like skin breakdown or difficulty swallowing.

Bring Something to Drink (and Eat)
Anyone who has ever been to the doctor knows that appointments can be right on time, or you can end up waiting for 45 minutes in the waiting room before being taken to a patient room to wait another 30 minutes to see the doctor. You never want your loved one to get dehydrated, so make sure to bring water and small snacks to keep energy levels up and everyone feeling at their best for the visit with the doctor.

Bring Hand Sanitizer
Chances are your doctor’s office will have hand sanitizer or antibacterial soap handy, but just in case, carry a small bottle with you to sanitize you and your loved one’s hands after an appointment. Oftentimes, people who see the doctor aren’t necessarily sick with contagious viruses, but it is always better to be safe (especially when visiting the family doctor or general practitioner during cold and flu season).

Bring Your Calendar
When leaving an appointment, unless a specific procedure or follow-up is scheduled, the doctor’s office will try and schedule your next ‘regular visit.’ Make sure to bring your calendar (or have your digital calendar handy on your smartphone) so you can find a good date and time for your next appointment. Even though most offices write it down on a little card for you, chances of that getting lost and you forgetting to put it in your calendar when you get home are high.

Bring Your Appreciation
Do you just love the doctor whom you take your loved one to see? If they have gone the extra mile and really supported you as a caregiver and your family member for whom you care, make sure and let them know how much they mean. A small handwritten note, homemade treats, or a gift certificate to a local restaurant or movie theatre are all super sweet but not ostentatious tokens of gratitude - especially givable around the holidays.

Saving time and getting more answers in regards to your loved one’s condition, treatment, and care helps ease up on the stress many caregivers feel, and so can helpful tools and devices like a hospital overbed table (see more here). When it comes to caregiving, preparation can go a long way, and this is never more evident than at doctor’s appointments. Don’t forget to ‘bring’ all the things you need to make your next appointment an even greater success.

This is a guest blog entry.

Overcoming New Challenges As Old Ones Are Solved

New Ground

As much as technology has proved beneficial, there are instances where it ended up having a negative effect on mental health. The use of the internet has a sedentary characteristic which induces increased levels of adipose tissue over time. Combined with little exercise and artificially designed diet, health tends to slip.

If that weren’t enough, today there are a number of beauty practices and lifestyle choices which fundamentally undermine healthy living. From drug use to alcohol abuse, cigarette addiction, and sexual addiction, the world today is riddled with conditions some may label as synthetic.

It doesn’t stop there, though. As people live lifestyles consumed in synthetic substances both recreationally and subversively, they damage themselves at a genetic level. Unfortunately, sometimes this can trickle down to progeny. There is a reason children today have adverse allergic reactions to seemingly unobtrusive foodstuffs.

There’s a reason why children are born with congenital defects, and disorders affecting mental and physical health have been on the rise for decades. Part of that reason is genetic damage caused by unhealthy living.

Medical Tech

Thankfully, one thing technology is getting right has to do with medical developments which address new and emerging issues. Older problems are being conquered, but the new ones are quick to take their place. Yet with computational technology and political exposure, those issues are swiftly becoming recognized and dealt with.

One way technology is directly exposing adverse conditions is through crowdfunding such as Plumfund, a well-known crowdfunding organization. For over ten years, this organization has been saving those who need to raise money.

Many hospitals and healthcare clinics are leveraging old-world understanding against new world discoveries to synthesize relevant, effective solutions for patients. This is happening across the board; from children’s healthcare to senior healthcare. Sometimes they need additional financial support, and crowdfunding delivers it.

One organization that specializes in overcoming medical treatment challenges—especially as pertains to geriatric care—is Riverside Medical Group; and the why is in how they operate. According to the site: “..we practice a highly focused approach to adult and geriatric care—which means internal medicine patient education is highly important to us. This honest-and-true approach reflects everything we do here.”

Cybernetic Trends

There is an additional trend which has manifested in order to overcome age-old conditions. In a certain way, technology is quickly becoming intrinsic to the human experience. Start with braces, metal that re-shapes your teeth. After braces, sometimes a spacer is left in the bottom teeth.

Vision surgeries are to the point where they actually implant corrective devices. Prosthetics can be mentally manipulated. A gastric bypass can overcome an eating disorder, and plastic surgery can fundamentally transform a person’s physical appearance.

Genetic Manipulation?

Going deeper, research pertaining to human manipulation at the genetic level is producing men and women born entirely unique—by now you’ve likely heard of “test tube babies”.

The issue with such cutting edge technological knowledge is that understanding where it’s going is sometimes impossible. That’s why a medical solution needs to leverage old-world techniques against new-world solutions. Some will be good, some won’t. The right medical institutions won’t institute a new procedure that isn’t tested without expressly defined consent.

As computational technology makes it possible to more swiftly process larger datasets, inferences can be made in medicine, more successful trials can be conducted, and more discoveries can be made. Hopefully things will eventually reach a stabilization point wherein age old medical scourges are solved without introducing even stranger conditions.

Author Bio

Kevin Bennett

Kevin Bennett is a super-connector with ManageBacklinks.io who helps businesses with building their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. Kevin frequently writes about the latest advancements in the SaaS world and digital marketing.

4 Medical Trends You Should Be Watching Today

Once upon a time, healthcare involved visiting a doctor who would, with the help of the supporting staff, diagnose you and start surgical or medical treatment. Today, advanced technology has made its way into healthcare, and is gaining popularity in the world of medicine. Technologies such as stem cell and gene manipulation are now a reality, and researchers around the world are using them to achieve remarkable medical results.

Some of the latest healthcare trends are already making big waves. Some of the best hospitals in America are already using medical technologies that are consumer-centric, offering vital information to healthcare customers. Below is a quick snapshot of some of the latest trends in healthcare that are already used or will make a huge impact in the upcoming years.

Online Scheduling And Telehealth

Telehealth involves sharing critical medical information via a mobile health app, and the number of people using this medium is steadily increasing. Telehealth includes video conferencing a physician or virtual chats that eliminate the need to schedule appointments at a hospital or clinic.

Collaborating technology with healthcare is a process that started in earnest a few years ago with the sudden increase with mobile health apps. While the process is still ongoing, it is expected to improve public health, increase patient awareness and education through online resources like Corpina, and support healthcare services in the country.

At the same time, organizations in the healthcare niche are rapidly moving towards implementing online scheduling services. This means that patients will have the capability to make appointments with doctors via the internet. In fact, 42 percent of patients prefer making appointments online rather than scheduling over the phone.

Wearable Technologies And Software Platforms

Apart from the software platforms already on the market, new products are likely to revolutionize how the medical world operates. Such software platforms are usually available in mobile and desktop health apps, taking away some of the major roles doctors play. For example, using mobile apps, people can track calorie intake and find out whether they are at risk of health conditions related to obesity.

Plus, expect an increase of wearables sold like FitBit and Apple watch. Such wearables help users monitor their health as well as put in place steps to live a healthy lifestyle.

3D BioPrinting And Skin Regeneration

Today, regenerating human tissues and organs with the use of one’s own cell is a real possibility. This is all thanks to developments made in stem cell technology. Though in its early stages, some parts of the technology are already in use for managing type 1 diabetes and ending neurological disorders. In addition, stem cell technology is also used in the regenerating skin layers of severely burnt patients.

In combination with 3D bioprinting, stem cell technology will also help in creating functional replicas of different body organs. Once these technologies have been implemented, a drastic reduction in costs and more personalized care for all patients can be expected.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence technology is already in use, helping nurses and doctors make better decisions in diagnosing and treating their patients. The latest boom in AI technology is likely to strengthen the medical world – especially when it comes to treating non-critical conditions like breast lift Henderson | Mastopexy procedures.

Some of these technologies include voice recognition systems that take the doctor’s notes. Administrative software for billing and scheduling will also receive a major facelift in future, making them more patient-centered.

Overall…

The above technologies are fast becoming the trendsetters in the healthcare industry. Such technologies will make advanced treatments easy and fast.

Author Bio

Tabitha Gits

Tabitha Gits is a super-connector with ManageBacklinks.io who helps businesses with building their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. Tabitha frequently writes about the latest advancements in the SaaS world and digital marketing.

How to Become a Better Healthcare Leader

No matter how big or small the healthcare organization you manage is, you should always be looking for ways to develop your healthcare leadership skills and increase your healthcare knowledge. This often means getting out of your comfort zone and making an extra effort to do so.

Below are some of the most effective ways you can become a better healthcare leader, starting today.

Get an Accredited Healthcare Administration Qualification

Many leading healthcare professionals have natural leadership skills and abilities. However, to take these skills and abilities to the next level, you need to obtain a recognized healthcare administration qualification, such as an online masters in health administration.

A course like the online MHA degree is designed to make students better healthcare managers, planners, and strategists. Once you have completed this type of course, you will then be able to put in place procedures and processes that are guaranteed to make the healthcare organization you work in a more efficient and professional organization.

Hire and Train a Strong Team

Many of the best leaders become great leaders because of the people they surround themselves with. You should take a leaf out of these people's books and do the same thing. Always focus on hiring the best people to work for you.

Some of these employees will already have a great track record in the healthcare sector, while others need to develop certain skills and abilities. To ensure that the people who work for you in a healthcare organization are always on top of their game, you should provide adequate training on an ongoing basis, so that they continue to grow in your organization.

Find Out How Other Healthcare Leaders Operate

When you're trying to become a more accomplished healthcare leader and want to improve the current situation of a healthcare organization, you don't need to reinvent the wheel to do so. Instead, you should look at what other successful healthcare leaders are doing and reach out to them. You will often find that their advice could change your approach to your work and that you may also be able to help these individuals in some way, by networking and sharing ideas.

Keep Up-to-date with the Latest Healthcare Developments

The healthcare sector keeps changing, with new technologies, healthcare methods, and rules and regulations emerging every year. As the leading figure in your healthcare organization, you must keep up-to-date with these latest developments because they can have a huge effect on your healthcare facility or healthcare business in the future.

The internet makes it much easier to do this. Healthcare related organizations such as ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology), the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Mayo Clinic, and a wide range of other organizations have their own websites and social media pages that constantly publish the latest information that can help keep healthcare professionals updated about these latest developments.

Every healthcare administrator and manager should strive to become a better healthcare leader. You can achieve this important objective by following the tips above.

This is a guest blog entry.

Tackling Hyperextended Elbow

At some point, almost everyone who plays contact sports, either competitively or in weekend pickup games, will hyperextend their elbows. The list includes team sports like football, basketball, and baseball, along with individual sports like boxing and martial arts. Non-contact sports and activities, such as weightlifting or runners who brace themselves during falls, can also cause this injury.

Many joints, such as the wrist and ankle, have almost 360-degree flexibility. But the elbow does not flex backwards at all, so almost any pressure in that direction will cause a hyperextension or worse.

Because these injuries are so common, they are fairly easy for doctors or trainers to diagnose, and they are also fairly easy to treat, given the proper approach.

Symptoms

Hyperextended elbows always have two things in common: unnatural motion and a popping sound. The motion could be the backwards flex mentioned above, or it could also be too much lateral elbow movement. That popping sound is your humeroulnar joint, the muscle that provides elbow flexibility, separating from either your humerus (upper arm) or ulna (lower arm). Some more noticeable symptoms include:

• Pain: All sports and fitness injuries cause mild, moderate, or severe discomfort, but the pain associated with elbow hyperextension is a little different. The injured area may not hurt much at all unless you flex or touch your elbow.    
•  Swelling: Probably as a way of protecting the injured area, the tissue around the wound almost always swells. In addition to swelling all around the elbow, your arm may be stiff, which is another way the body tries to protect itself.
• Loss of Strength: Other than the popping sound, a limp feeling in your elbow and arm is the most obvious sign of a hyperextension. Many people also experience severe muscle spasms, especially when they try to straighten their arms.

In more severe cases, the skin will become discolored and the elbow may become disfigured, due to poor blood circulation.

Diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a little iffy, because although the symptoms are quite clear, you will have no idea about the extent of the injury or if there is something else to worry about as well, such as a hairline elbow fracture. A trainer, or even a very experienced teammate, can probably look at the injury, perform a surface examination, and pretty well estimate the extent of the injury, but without diagnostic equipment, further evaluation is impossible.

So, the best thing to do is go to the doctor. A physician has access to MRIs and X-Ray machines that can both accurately diagnose the full extent of the hyperextension and rule out any other injuries.

Treatment

Hyperextended elbows, like many other sports and fitness injuries, hardly ever require surgery and may not even require physical therapy. To speed recovery, follow this protocol:

• Immobilization: Injured elbows are very vulnerable to reinjury, so use an elbow brace to fully immobilize the joint. Once the joint starts healing, another kind of brace that partially immobilizes the area may be a good idea. 
• Compression: The elbow brace should also be rather tight to limit swelling. Essentially, the brace should feel like a tightly-wrapped ACE bandage.
• Ice: Fifteen to twenty minutes of cold therapy per day will significantly reduce inflammation and also relieve pain. Your ice pack should remain freezer cold for the entire icing period.
• Elevation: To further reduce swelling, use pillows to elevate the injured elbow above your heart for as long as possible.

There are also a number of elbow exercises you can use to both hasten recovery and also strengthen the joint to help prevent re-injury.

Prognosis

Most people who follow this treatment plan see significant improvement after about two weeks, and complete healing after about another two weeks.

Do not return to sports activity until the injury is 100 percent healed, which means no pain whatsoever and full range of motion without any discomfort. Furthermore, the formerly injured elbow should look exactly like the uninjured one. If you have any questions, consult a doctor or trainer.

Hyperextended elbows happen a lot, and with a little planning and action, they do not have to keep you sidelined for very long.

This is a guest blog entry.

Always busy working? Here’s how you can squeeze in a fine workout every day

If you’re always working, you might have a lot going on for yourself at the moment, but it also means that you are pretty much ignoring some necessities such as keeping your body fit.  If you’re feeling bad about neglecting your workout routine as of late, don’t fret. We have the perfect solution for you.

Try out these simple ideas on how to continue to shape your body even when your schedule permits no break for such things. If you look hard enough, you will always find small cracks in a schedule to fit in a little workout routine. Here are our top picks for how to do that.

TV training

Time spent in front of the TV can be very relaxing. If you are enjoying yourself slouched on the couch watching a movie, then you should feel bad. You can use that time to work out and improve your body’s strength. No, don’t turn off the TV. You can still watch it while you exercise. Get your workout equipment and start doing rope jumps, dumbbell curls and everything of the sort. If you learn to maintain this healthy habit, you will strengthen your legs in a month.

Rocky your way up the stairs

If you’ve ever seen the movie Rocky, try to remember the iconic scene with the flight of stairs. That should be your state of mind any time stairs are involved. Instead of casually walking up the stairs and taking your time, try to one up yourself and increase the speed at which you climb them gradually. It will help you improve your stamina but also your physical condition by a lot. It’s effortless to make it a fast and fun little exercise when you’re clearly in a hurry to get to the end of that flight of stairs.

Work out at work

Just because you’re at work doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise your body. Take small 10 minute breaks now and then to stretch and to fit in a little exercise session. Not only will it be the benefit for your body to get out of that office chair and revitalize yourself, but also for the mind as you get to refresh your thoughts and be ready to jump back into the fray at your desk after you’ve completed your routine. It can improve not only solid performance but also work performance by quite a bit.

Treadmill tasks

If you have a lot of things to take care of that require your hands but not your legs, you could multitask on the treadmill. Whether you’re at your workplace gym, local establishment or at home, you can do a lot of things while you’re waiting on the treadmill. Not only will get a lot of work done but the fact that you will concentrate on what’s on your phone, tablet or laptop will also help you forget about the physical challenge of continuing to walk on the treadmill after a while.

This is a guest blog entry.

How To Make Sport Your Main Addiction

Addiction can be a problematic phenomenon in our lives. If not dealt with at an early stage, it can potentially destroy an individual’s life as he knows it. The problem of addiction is especially more pronounced in the world of gambling. There have been numerous stories about gambling addiction leading to a wide range of issues, apart from the financial ones, for individuals across the world. One of the ways to overcome gambling addiction is to concentrate on other walks of life. Sports is an area where addiction could be a rewarding element.

Gambling is legal in several parts of the world like the United Kingdom, which happens to possess one of the biggest gambling markets in the world. While there are several avenues to help prevent gambling, they are not really ideal. One of the ways is through assistance of responsible gambling, where a punter can place betting limits upon himself in order to restrict the problem. Placing certain boundaries or limits can be a rational thing for an individual.

Sports comes to the rescue with the ability to offer a way out, while also potentially enhancing our life.

Reasons for Gambling Addiction

One of the reasons for gambling addiction is the ‘high’ that it provides when placing a bet or while winning a bet in the casino. Once the addiction goes beyond a certain extent, it is possible for those individuals to derive a high even when they are losing a bet. There are several reasons for an individual to get addicted to gambling in the first place. If he/she is fond of gambling and enjoys reviews of popular online casinos such as mFortune Bingo casino review he/she will definitely become addicted to it.

The prospect of winning money is one of the first reasons, but a large section of people are also gambling just for the fun of it. After a while, the urge to wager becomes more significant than they can notice trying to find out what are mobile slots.

There are a few aspects of the world that can provide a ‘high’ even while keeping an individual safe from physical or mental hazards. A reason for individuals finding it hard to come out of gambling addiction is the lack of necessary replacements that can take its place and provide the same ‘high’ in a safe manner.

Overcoming Gambling Addiction with Sports

Sports provides a physical activity that brings a major improvement to the overall physical condition. However, its biggest facet in the battle against gambling addiction may be the ability to provide a high just like gambling. Many studies have shown that the sport can be a form of a drug that can provide relief from elements like depression and anxiety. At the same time, it can also be an element that will provide pleasure.

This is due to the ability of a sport to activate dopamine, which is a chemical substance secreted by the brain – and which has an effect similar to that of heroin or morphine. As a result, sports or aerobic exercises will be able to provide the same enjoyment as gambling, but they also come with the added benefits of being able to maintain a high level of physical activity and health.

How to Make Sports Your Main Addiction

There are several major types of people who take up sports – obsessive sportsmen, compulsive sportsmen, and addicted sportsmen. The former see sports as a way to get a lot of improvement in health by virtue of using various means of support.

However, this does not make a major difference when it comes to fighting the battle against gambling addiction, as the key focus here is to maintain a high level of fitness. At the same time, compulsive sportsmen see training and the sport as a vital part to the point where they spend a specific routine in the course of the day for those activities.

Lastly, addicted sportsmen are focused on undergoing the sporting activities for a large section of their daily life in order to regulate their mood or any other imbalance issues. As a result, sport plays a major role in the daily life.

While sports addiction does have a few issues like affecting some of the day-to-day functions, it is substantially better than gambling addiction. Rather than losing almost everything in life including money, it is possible for a gambling addict to lose the life as they know it. In terms of sports addiction, though, the disadvantages describe the daily life with enhanced focus on sports. In all other areas, the individual stands to gain a lot of advantage.

Final Thoughts

Physical fitness improved tremendously as a result of sports addiction. Getting addicted to sports may not be tough at all, due to the wide variety of sporting activities or training exercises available today. Merely thinking about all the beneficial aspects will be able to get a person hooked away from gambling or its harmful effects into the world of sports.

This is a guest blog entry.

The Key Benefits of Regular Exercise

There’s no doubt that you already know exercise is beneficial for your health, but do you realize just how good it is? It certainly provides more than just a way to reduce the size of your belly, for example. In fact, from adding more years to your lifespan to improving your sex life, there are many advantages to leading an active lifestyle.

However, getting started with regular exercise is the most difficult part of the process. There’s always a convenient reason to delay your entry into the world of physical activity – even if you know the aforementioned rewards. With that said, and if you need that extra bit of convincing, read on for some of the main benefits of regular exercise.

Promotes a healthier mind

If you struggle with anxiety and/or depression, exercise is one of the best ways to battle these conditions. Getting in better shape will help boost confidence, while staying active with a regular routine also promotes a healthy mind.

Regarding mental health, getting active will also help to overcome relatively smaller issues. For instance, if you’ve had a stressful day at work, a quick workout will lower that stress and result in you feeling more relaxed.

Delivers a boost to energy

You might be thinking: ‘but surely exercise exerts energy and will leave you tired?’ While this is the case in the sense that you’ll be worn-out straight after a strenuous workout, it will supply a giant boost to your energy levels overall. This is because consistent physical activity will improve both your muscle strength and stamina.

Keeps the pounds off

When it comes to exercising, arguably the main motivator for many is losing weight. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a frequent visitor to the gym to drop a few pounds. Simply using the stairs instead of an elevator or jazzing up your daily chores (think dancing while hoovering) will help burn those calories. It also goes without saying that the more calories burned, the better it is for losing weight. To boost the weight loss effect, combine a healthy diet plan with your exercise.

Battles against health issues

There are numerous health issues – including various forms of cancer, arthritis and diabetes – that can be helped by conducting regular exercise. This is also a great way to solve a common concern such as high blood pressure. This is because if you exercise, you keep your heart healthy – which then means that blood circulates through your body more smoothly. For more information on lowering your blood pressure, CareNow’s article on the subject can be incredibly informative, therefore, visit website and learn how to lower your or a loved one's blood pressure naturally.

It’s Sociable

Getting fit and going to the gym doesn’t have to be a singular experience. In fact, exercise is a great way to socialize. Whether it is exercising with friends or meeting new people in a team activity, completing physical activities is more enjoyable when interacting with others at the same time. Also, it might also provide that added level of motivation to stick with your exercise plans. 

This is a guest blog post.

How Busy Moms Can Get (and Stay) Fit Too

When you think of people getting in shape, moms are not the first things that necessarily pop into your mind. The main reason for this is because most mothers don’t really have time to spare. They spend every waking moment tending to their children, sorting out the housework, and even holding out a job. This is why many mothers are simply not happy with the way they look and are certainly disappointed in their fitness levels.

There is good news for these moms – you don’t have to continue in this way! With some helpful tips, you will be on the right track again in no time at all:

Sort Out Your Workout Days 

For most mothers, especially working ones, exercising everyday can seem quite drastic in the beginning. Therefore, settle for two or three days in the week where your load is a little lighter. Perhaps your partner comes home a little early on those days or maybe you can arrange a playdate. Make sure that everyone is aware that you will be unavailable for a set period of time on those days.

Carve Out Half an Hour on Workout Days

Ideally, getting in an hour of exercise is best but this may be a bit improbable. So, try working out for half an hour instead. A good way to make time for yourself is to wake up a little early – even just fifteen minutes before you usually do. Then, you can fit in another fifteen-minute workout later on.

To make the most of it, make sure you create specific workouts for these periods. You can create a list of exercises that you are capable of doing and then decide how many sets and reps to do for each workout. This way, you will not waste precious time trying to figure out what you should do.

Walk Instead of Drive 

Getting your kids out of the house can be trying so no mother is looking forward to complicating things even further. However, it will be much better if you can walk instead of drive, whenever possible. Look at all of your common destinations and see just how far away they are. You should also consider routes that can be walked instead of driven. If it can be done, it is time to strap your little one into a stroller instead of a car seat. You will be amazed at your stamina as well as how toned you get.

An Important Note for Moms 

The more you exercise and eat a healthy diet, the more weight that you lose. Still, you may notice that some problems just won’t go away. The most common remnants of your pregnancy days are extra skin around your middle and breasts that are sagging or drooping. To take care of this, you will have to see a mommy makeover surgeon in Scottsdale as these issues require the intervention of a cosmetic surgeon.

There is no denying that it can be tough for mothers to get fit, let alone stay fit. As long as you know how to go about doing it, however, you will find it easier to achieve your personal fitness goal.


Danielle Ward

6 Ways to Deal with Tailbone Pain

Wincing every time you sit down? Experiencing sharp pains in your tailbone after prolonged standing? The tailbone, also known as the coccyx, is a small multi-segmented bone that sits directly at the bottom of your spine. In addition to helping stabilize and support your spine when sitting, the tailbone is a structure through which many connective tendons, muscles, and ligaments run.

Women are reportedly five times as likely as men to develop tailbone pain, or coccydynia, in part because of menstrual cycles and pregnancy. In the final months of pregnancy, the body naturally widens and loosens some of the ligaments that run through the coccyx to prepare for the birthing process. Other risk factors for tailbone pain include degenerative joint damage from years of wear and tear that come with aging, being overweight, a fall or injury to the tailbone area, and prolonged sitting on a narrow or hard surface. Rarely will a tumor or infection be to blame for tailbone pain.

Tailbone pain can range from mild to severe and is typically worse when sitting down, leaning back on the tailbone, standing up from a sitting position, standing for long periods of time, when menstruating (for a woman), and even when using the bathroom or having intercourse. Sometimes tailbone pain can radiate up the spine, or down through the pelvis and even into the legs.

If you’re experiencing tailbone pain, try these common treatments:

Sit on a Donut Pillow: An inflatable donut pillow, round with a hole in the middle, helps coccydynia sufferers by dispersing the weight and pressure applied to the vulnerable tailbone pressure point when sitting down. Use a donut pillow when driving in your car or sitting at work to alleviate pain, enhance your posture, and keep legs from becoming restless.

Adjust Your Body Position: Practicing bad posture habits overtime can place unnecessary stress and pressure on the spine and tailbone. Adjusting your body position to practice better posture can include sitting upright, avoiding crossing your legs, and keeping feet flat on the floor. Leaning forward when you go to sit down, and don’t forget to get up at least every 20 to 30 minutes to relieve the pressure on your coccyx and move around.

Ice and Heat Therapy: Just like with other common injuries, applying cold packs or heating pads to the sore tailbone can provide a temporary analgesic effect that either numbs the area or provides warming relief and diminishes the pain sensations.

Physical Therapy: If your pain doesn’t subside within a reasonable time, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to help strengthen (and relax) specific stomach and pelvic muscles that support your tailbone.

Manipulation: Physically adjusting the tailbone back and forth through manual manipulation or massage (typically through the rectum by a doctor) may alleviate painful pressure of the coccyx.

Medical Intervention: Doctors may recommend patients with tailbone pain take over-the-counter pain relievers like NSAIDS or Tylenol, and in more severe cases, receive cortisone shots, nerve blockers, or local anesthetics. Occasionally surgery will be performed to remove part of or the entire coccyx.

Tailbone pain typically subsides within a few weeks to a few months, but if persistent and chronic, it can make daily living difficult and uncomfortable. Definitely see your medical provider if chronic tailbone pain is bothering you. With manual examinations and even x-ray imaging, they will be able to diagnose the problem and get you on a path to pain-free sitting and standing.

This is a guest blog posting.

Bouncing Back From Mild Fitness Injuries

Most all of us know that if we twist our ankles we must walk in a boot for a few weeks, if we injure our knees we must walk on crutches, and so on. But what about mild fitness injuries, like sore muscles or excess fatigue? Should we ignore them, suspend our fitness regimens altogether, or take some action that lies somewhere in the middle?

As in many other areas of life, the answer is probably “do something in the middle.”

Sore muscles are perhaps the most common mild sports injury, and many times, our first reaction is to find the best muscle relief cream possible and begin using it straightaway, and this idea is not a terrible one. However, be aware that if the discomfort persists after one or two applications, the pain may indicate that there is a problem in that area, and this potential problem should not be overlooked or masked with additional creams.

Hydration

For athletes, water is the most important, and usually the only, way to lubricate muscles. Without lots of water, these muscles work harder and therefore become inflamed. Similarly, there is also some evidence linking dehydration with some back issues, because the viscous substance inside the spine can dry out.

The following paragraph about the signs of dehydration is rated PG-13.

A significant number of athletes, even people like marathon runners, are dehydrated. Many people believe that they should only drink water if they feel thirsty. But, if you do not have the urge to urinate, you are probably dehydrated. Moreover, if your urine is colored or bubbly, regardless of the volume, you are probably dehydrated.

The rule of thumb to stay hydrated is eight, eight-ounce servings of water, sports drink, or juice a day. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, so people who drink lots of soda, coffee, or tea may need even more water than that. However, it’s not very hard to work in all those servings. If you drink one bottle before exercise and one bottle after, and drink water with meals, that’s probably five or six servings, so you would only have two or three to go.

Rest

Another good way to relieve sore muscles is some added rest. After all, it works for baseball pitchers. This season, Detroit Tigers righthander Justin Verlander, who may have a new home after the trade deadline, has a 6.11 ERA when pitching on four days’ rest and a 3.18 ERA on five or more days’ rest.

Verlander likes to stick to the same schedule and pitch every fifth day, but the extra day of rest may be a necessary concession to keep his performance at a peak level. After all, he isn’t doing anyone any favors, except for the other team’s batters, by giving up six runs a start.

Regular exercisers are much the same. We like to stick to the same schedule and sometimes consider skipping a day to be a sign of weakness. However, if that is what it takes to keep your body in top condition, take the extra day, because physical condition is what it’s all about.

This is a guest blog entry.

5 Challenges Your Loved One Might Face and How to Overcome Them

Whether your loved one is elderly or has disabilities that limit her daily life, it's important to face the challenges that greet her head on. Falls are one of the worst things that can happen to your loved one and a little bit of attention and preparation can help to forestall them. Consider some of these challenges that your loved one might encounter and brainstorm some ways you can solve those difficulties quickly.

Trouble with Stairs

Stairs can be particularly dangerous for your loved one to manage. Having extra sturdy hand rails can help, but if your loved one doesn't feel that those are reliable enough, other alternatives are worth looking into. Something like an EasyClimber makes stairs effortless for your loved one. What helps even more is that you don't have to worry at all. Keep stairways clear of clutter and anything that could impede your loved one's progress and make sure that the entire stairway is well lit.

Difficulty with Knobs

If your loved one has arthritis or trouble with grip strength, then operating door knobs or even faucet knobs can be painful and sometimes even impossible. Switching out those knobs for levers is a fast and easy way to make a difference for your loved one. Your loved one can operate a lever with her wrist or elbow with far less effort. This works best for interior doors, of course. For exterior doors that still need knobs for security purposes, consider adding a door knob helper which squeezes down easily and allows the knob to turn more readily.

Trouble with Entrance Areas

Entrance areas can pose a special set of problems for your loved one. Assess the area thoroughly and look for anything that might give your loved one particular trouble, such as stairs or wobbly hand rails. Fix what you can correct, or consider adding additional assistance in the form of a ramp or an extra hand rail. Try to look at the area from your loved one's unique perspective. Something that is easy for you to navigate won't necessarily be simple for your loved one.

Making Room for Assistive Devices

One big problem that your loved one might run into is lack of room for the devices that she now needs to use regularly. Wheelchairs, walkers, and even canes need a little more leeway around them than you might think at first. If your loved one doesn't have enough room to maneuver safely in a doorway or hallway, you might need to consider modifications that give your loved one the room that she needs. Look for space in living areas, too. Rearranging furniture, even a little, can open up way more space than you realize.

Instability in the Shower

When your loved one is in the shower, she's at her most vulnerable. The first thing to do is to ensure that the floor of the shower stall or tub isn't slippery. You can do this with a non-slip shower mat inexpensively. You may also want to install grab bars. If your loved one has difficulty standing in the shower, a shower chair can help quite a bit. Consider also a shower head with a longer hose and handle to help your loved one to wash and rinse with greater ease.

Keeping your loved one safe at home might mean exploring different tools or methods to help correct existing issues. Revisit these solutions regularly to make sure they're still working for your loved one.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.