Herbalism is a customary medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. The scope of herbal medicine is sometimes extended to include fungal and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.

Unlike many forms of option medicine, herbalism is widely considered by the medical community to have a scientific basis and even plays an important role in the formulation of many medications and dietary supplements, such as oripavine and vitamin C supplements.

Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the preservation of health in humans and other animals. These include aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Many are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated - a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, substances such as alkaloids serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds.

Similar to prescription drugs, a number of herbs are thought to be likely to cause adverse effects. Furthermore, "adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal." Herbalists are often trained to take well-established risks into consideration when patients consult them.

If you want to carry about physiological alter to help the development and patience of back muscles, you must focus your training on those precise muscles and not other muscular groups such as hip extensors, says Christian Larivière, a professor at the Institute de recherché Robert-Sauvé en santé et en securities du travail (IRSST), who conducted the study with Universities de Montréal researchers Bertrand Arsenault, Rubens A. Da Silva, Sylvie Nadeau, André Plamondon et Roger Vadeboncoeur.

The inquiry requested that subjects aged 18 to 65 - some healthy and others with low back pain - complete various exercises. Electromyography (EMG) sensors were used to measure the level of activity and fatigue in various muscles during the routine. "Thanks to this technique, we can target tired muscles which aren't yet showing a decrease in strength," says Larivière.

Test subjects also used a machine designed for back exercises in a semi-sitting position. Results clearly showed that using this machine was advantageous. Using a cushion to stabilize the pelvis brought about a better response from the back muscles. In addition, extending the legs strengthened muscles. "Therefore, we can decrease the use of hip muscles and in turn increase the use of the back muscles," says Larivière.

Such aerobics can only help reduce pain and disabilities caused by back pain, says Larivière. He recommends those who suffer severe hurt begin with stretches on the ground with low to medium effort. "Progressively, the individual will gain confidence and can use machines that require superior strength," he says.

Larivière highlights the fact that six out of 10 Quebecers will suffer from back pain in their lifetime. "Musculoskeletal disorders are a serious public health issue," says Larivière. "They're also an economic problem. In 2007, back pain cost Quebec's Commission de la santé et de la security du travail $516 million in worker compensations."

Magical milk shakes

The Traditional milk shakes-made with ice cream and chocolate-can do diet harm. Luckily, these recipes mingle low-fat dairy products and fruit to provide 11 drinks with less than 300 calories.

Peanut-Butter-Cup Smoothie

This drink tastes like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in a glass, and it contains 20% of your daily calcium.

Ingredients: Banana, low-fat chocolate milk, vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt, natural-style peanut butter, vanilla low-fat yogurt

Calories: 201

In medicine, diagnosis (plural, diagnoses) is a tag given for a medical state or disease identified by its signs, symptoms, and from the results of various diagnostic events. The term "diagnostic criteria" designates the combination of signs, symptoms, and test results that allows the clinician to establish the diagnosis of the respective disease.

However, it has two distinct dictionary definitions. The first definition is "the recognition of a disease or state by its outward signs and symptoms," while the second definition is "the analysis of the causal physiological/biochemical cause(s) of a disease or condition."

Typically, a person with abnormal symptoms will consult a health care provider such as a physician, podiatrist, nurse practitioner, physical therapist or physician's assistant, who will then obtain a medical history of the patient's illness and perform a physical examination for signs of disease. The provider will formulate a hypothesis of likely diagnoses and in many cases will obtain further testing to confirm or clarify the diagnosis before providing treatment.

Medical tests frequently performed are measuring blood pressure, checking the pulse rate, listening to the heart with a stethoscope, urine tests, fecal tests, saliva tests, blood tests, medical imaging, electrocardiogram, hydrogen breath test and occasionally biopsy.

For instance, a common disorder such as pneumonia was nevertheless used as a diagnosis before the germ theory was accepted, and the disease was defined as a complex of many symptoms consisting of cough, sputum production, fever and chills. Later, as the actual cause was assigned to micro-organisms, the term diagnosis included the causality, e.g., pneumococcal pneumonia, suggesting not only a spectrum of symptoms but also a cause for the symptoms.

Definition

Joint pain can affect one or more joints.

•  Arthritis (inflammation of joints)

•  Bursitis

• Muscle pain

Alternative Names :

Stiffness in a joint; Pain - joints; Arthralgia

Considerations :

Joint pain can be caused by many types of injuries or conditions. No matter what causes it, joint pain can be very bothersome.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes stiffness and pain in the joints. Osteoarthritis involves growth of bone spurs and degeneration of cartilage at a joint. It is very common in adults older than 45 and can cause joint pain.

Joint pain may also be caused by bursitis (inflammation of the burse). The burse is fluid-filled sacs that cushion and pad bony prominences, allowing muscles and tendons to move freely over the bone.

Memory and thinking skills can worsen fast in people with mild cognitive impairment, the stage before Alzheimer's disease, says a new study.

"These results show that we need to pay attention to this time before Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed, when people are just starting to have problems forgetting things," study author Robert S. Wilson, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 1,158 people, who averaged 79 years old. The group included 149 people with Alzheimer's disease, 395 with mild cognitive impairment and 614 with no thinking or memory problems. Each participant completed a memory and thinking skill test at the start of the study and again every three years. Participants took part in the study for an average of 5.5 years, and up to 11 years.

The scores of people with mild cognitive impairment declined twice as fast each year as did scores of those with no memory problems. The scores for people with Alzheimer's declined four times as fast as those of participants with no cognitive problems, the study found.

The results are in the March 23 issue of Neurology.

"The changes in rate of decline occur as the brain atrophies due to the disease, first mainly in the hippocampus during the initial symptomatic stage, referred to as mild cognitive impairment, then in the temporal, parietal and frontal cortex during the dementing illness phase of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. David S. Knopman, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.

The Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which your bones require to grow. A lack of vitamin D can guide to bone diseases such as osteoporosis or rickets. Vitamin D also has a role in your nerve, muscle, and immune systems.

You can get vitamin D in three conducts: through your skin, from your diet, and from supplements. Your body forms Vitamin D naturally after exposure to sunlight. However, too much sun exposure can lead to skin aging and skin cancer. So many people try to get their vitamin D from other sources.

The Vitamin D-rich foods include egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver. Some other foods, like milk and cereal, often have added vitamin D. You can also take vitamin D supplements. Check with your health care provider to see how much you should take. People who might need extra vitamin D include

Ø  Seniors

Ø  Breastfed infants

Ø  People with dark skin

Ø  People with certain conditions, such as liver diseases, cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease

Ø  People who are obese or have had gastric bypass surgery

Vegetable juicing is decisive to good health since it is an important source of raw food. Each of us needs raw foods every day, and juicing is an excellent way to make certain you receive large quantities of such raw foods.

Fruit juicing is surely good for you, but it has one drawback over vegetable juicing: fruit juice tends to boost insulin levels when consumed.

Vegetable juice does not increase insulin levels like fruit juice. The only omission to this would be carrot or beet juice which functions similarly to fruit juice. Nevertheless, fruit juicing is certainly better for you and your children than drinking soda, which is a very bad idea.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are substances that may defend your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Vitamin A also plays a role in your

* Vision

* Bone growth

* Reproduction

* Cell functions

* Immune system

Vitamin A can come from plant or animal sources. Plant sources include colorful fruits and vegetables. Animal sources include liver and whole milk. Vitamin A is also added to foods like cereals.

Vegetarians, young children, and alcoholics may need extra Vitamin A. You might also need more if you have certain conditions, such as liver diseases, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn's disease. Check with your health care provider to see if you need to take vitamin A supplements.

	Apples
	Banana
	Grapes
	oranges
	Papayas
	Pineapple
	Strawberries
	Watermelon
	Nuts
	Avocados
	Coconuts

 

 

Definition:

Gas and gas pains can beat at the nastiest possible moment - during an important meeting or on a packed elevator. And although passing intestinal gas (flatus) usually isn't serious, it can be embarrassing.

Everybody has gas and gas pains, and passes gas normally at least 12 or more times a day. But some people have excessive gas and gas pains that bothers them most of the time. In some cases, gas you can't expel can cause intense, blinking abdominal pain.

The good news is that although you can't stop gas and gas pains, a few simple measures can help reduce the amount of gas you produce and relieve your discomfort and discomfiture.

Symptoms:

For most people, the signs and symptoms of gas and gas pain are all too obvious. They include:

* The voluntary or involuntary passing of gas, either as belching or as flatus.

* Sharp, jabbing pains or cramps in your abdomen. These pains may occur anywhere in your abdomen and can change locations quickly. You may also have a "knotted" feeling in your stomach. The pain may sometimes be so intense that it feels like something is seriously wrong. When the pain occurs on the upper left side, gas pain may be mistaken for heart disease. When the pain occurs on the right side, it may be mistaken for gallstones or appendicitis.

* Abdominal bloating (distension).

For more: http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/gas-and-gas-pains/DS00080/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

Bio-Rad Laboratories, a international manufacturer and distributor of life science investigate and clinical diagnostics products, has signed an contract to acquire certain diagnostic businesses of Biotest, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical, biotherapeutic and diagnostic products, for E45 million.

The provisos of the agreement were not disclosed at this time. The transaction is subject to definite closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.

Integrating Biotest's diagnostic business into Bio-Rad's product portfolio will broaden the company's offering in the area of immunohematology and provide Bio-Rad access to the US markets with a full range of products.

Norman Schwartz, president and CEO of Bio-Rad, said: "Biotest has an impressive reputation for offering quality products and customer service, and we believe their array of products in the area of immunohematology will fit in well with Bio-Rad's existing diagnostics business."

(HealthDay News) -- Summertime brings pool parties, lazy days at the beach and boating trips to the lake.

All that time in and around water also brings a heightened risk of drowning, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Each year, nearly 3,000 people drown in the United States. Young children are particularly at risk, Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of the ACEP, noted in a news release from the society. "It only takes a few seconds and a few inches of water for a child to drown," he said.

Drowning accounted for nearly 30 percent of deaths among children aged 1 to 4, according to 2005 statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"For every child who dies, more than 10 others are treated in emergency departments for near drowning," Jouriles said in the news release.

As families uncover backyard pools and make plans for vacation trips to the nation's lakes and beaches, emergency department physicians are bracing for the tragedies they see every summer.

Some 70 percent of child drownings in Los Angeles County occurred during June, July and August, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

In two-thirds of cases, the parents or caregivers of toddler-aged children found dead or nearly drowned in a pool or a spa thought their children were either sleeping or playing elsewhere in the house.

Drowning deaths can happen quickly. Most young children who drowned in pools had been out of sight less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the CDC.

When it comes to water safety, particularly involving children, you can never take too many precautions, emergency physicians say. Ways to prevent deaths from drowning include:

• Never leave a child unattended near a swimming pool, wading pool, bathtub or hot tub.
• Don't leave open containers of water near children. Small children can drown in just a few inches of water. Since 1973, more than 500 children have drowned in bathtubs, hot tubs, toilets and five-gallon buckets, according to University of California, Los Angeles Health Services.
• Take your children for swimming lessons, with a qualified swimming instructor if possible, as early as you can.
• Never permit anyone, adults included, to swim alone.
• Enclose pools and hot tubs with fences with self-locking gates. This includes pools in backyards, neighborhoods and apartment complexes. Pools should be kept clean and free of covers or rafts that could obscure your view of a child.
• Always outfit young children with life vests or approved personal floatation devices whenever they are near water.
• Don't allow rough play -- pushing or jumping on others -- while in the water.
• Never consume alcohol and swim, especially if you are responsible for watching children.
• Avoid head and neck injuries by not diving into unfamiliar water.
• Choose beaches, pools and lakes that are watched by certified lifeguards, and always swim or surf in designated areas.
• Know basic CPR skills in case of an emergency. Studies show people who have received CPR in cases of near-drowning are less likely to suffer brain damage or death.

Legislation released June 9 by Health, Education, Labor Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy expand access to pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management ( for patients suffering from chronic diseases.

The Affordable Health Choices Act - not yet introduced in the Senate - would provide grants to expand opportunities for pharmacists to deliver MTM services through local community-based, multi-disciplinary health teams to patients who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The announcement was welcomed by a coalition of 14 national pharmacy organizations established to raise awareness about the human and financial costs of inappropriate medication use.

The U.S. healthcare system currently more than $177 billion annually in mostly avoidable health costs treat adverse drug events from the inappropriate use of medications. In addition, the treatment of chronic disease costs our health system $1.3 trillion annually - about 75 cents of every healthcare dollar.

MTM services provided by pharmacists, working with physicians and other healthcare providers, helps improve therapeutic outcomes, reduces medication errors drug events, enhances coordination of care, improves patients' overall quality of life, and reduces overall healthcare costs.

The pharmacy profession, encompassing all practice settings, applauds the Senate HELP Committee proposal for identifying the problems associated with inappropriate medication use and for recognizing the important role of pharmacists as providers of clinical care services that can improve the quality of patient care by focusing medication use and can contribute to reducing overall costs in the treatment of chronic diseases.

The coalition particularly recognizes the efforts of Senators Kennedy, (R-NH) and Mikulski (D-MD) who worked hard on behalf of patients to secure these important provisions.

Millions of Brits are dicing with disaster and placing their health at risk when taking overseas holidays, research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) reveals. The RPSGB's Holiday Health report, released today, shows our laid-back attitude to our wellbeing can quickly turn perfect holidays into perfectly ghastly experiences.

The RPSGB is urging Brits to visit their local pharmacy for holiday health advice and essential products before they head off on their summer holiday - after all, no one wants to be part of the 44 per cent who suffer from nasty insect bites, or the 40 per cent who find themselves struck down by diarrhoea while abroad.

Other common illnesses which can turn dream holidays diabolical include sunburn or heatstroke - causing misery to 37 per cent of British holiday-makers - headache or migraine (20 per cent) and vomiting or food poisoning (14 per cent).

Even more worryingly, the research shows half of all Brits who have travelled to countries where tropical diseases are prevalent have suffered illness or infection - yet one in nine says they do not take even basic medication and health essentials, like water purification tablets and insect repellent, with them on their travels despite these products being readily available at pharmacies.

The good news is many ailments can be avoided, or treated effectively, if members of the public go to their local pharmacy for products and advice before leaving for that well-earned holiday. Pharmacists are among the most accessible of healthcare professionals, with branches open in the high street at convenient times - often when GP surgeries are closed. In addition, many pharmacies also offer private consultation rooms. Research from the RPSGB shows 99 per cent of people can reach a pharmacy within 20 minutes.

The RPSGB's Head of Practice, Heidi Wright said: "Pharmacists are medicines experts and are ideally placed to help with your holiday health needs. It is important people visit their local pharmacy for a free consultation, and to stock up on health essentials, before embarking on their summer holidays."