Unbearable Pain in the Knees (curves)

May 9th, 2010 admin Posted in fitness |

By Nathaniel Pollard

Have you ever imagined yourself not having knees? Surely, it is a delight to see those shapely, long legs, but without the knees, those legs will be useless. The knee is a weight-bearing joint that connects the thigh and the leg to each other. The role of the knees is to allow movement of the legs by flexing (bending) and extending (straightening) to perform normal daily functions such as walking, sitting, standing, running, and even kicking. However, today’s active society and fast-paced lifestyle has resulted in the rising number of problems related to knee conditions.

When acute knee injuries and trauma occur, parts of the anatomy may be ruptured, such as the ligaments and cartilages which cause knee pain. Habitual or chronic overuse of the knees can cause inflammation, making the knees swell and painful.

Knee pain is no longer a rare case and has become a very common musculoskeletal complaint that brings people to pay a visit to their doctors. Some people may consider knee pain as a minor problem, but it can lead to serious discomfort and acute disability, especially if the damage is severe. Although most knee pains are caused by an injury, medical conditions such arthritis, gout, infections, and chondromalacia can also bring you to your knees.

Acute knee pain is described as severe pain that comes on suddenly and is usually the result of injury or infection. Some of the more common knee injuries and their signs and symptoms include the following:

Ligament Injuries - when the tough bands of tissue that connect the thighbone (femur) and the lower leg bone (tibia and fibula) together, also known as ligaments, are torn as a result of a fall or contact trauma, most likely it will cause instant pain in the injured area. Discomfort may range from mild to severe. Pain is heightened when you walk or bend your knee.

Tendon Injuries - tendons are thick, fibrous cords that attach muscles to the bone. Tendinitis is irritation and inflammation of one or more tendons and may involve one or both knees. Pain and swelling takes place at the front knee and below the knee cap. One will not be able to straighten the knee when tendons have been totally ruptured.

Meniscus Injuries - involves tears in the C-shaped cartilage that curves within your knee joint. It may hamper knee movement and cause your knee joint to lock so that you can’t extend it completely. When this happens, the knee must be surgically treated.

Loose Body - is when an injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage causes a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. This may not create any problems unless the loose body interferes with knee joint movement - the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge - leading to pain and a locked joint.

Dislocated Kneecap - involves the slipping of the triangular bone that covers the front of your knee (patella) out of place, usually to the outside of your knee. Dislocation is visible and your kneecap swings from side to side. There is intense pain and swelling in the affected area and difficulty walking or straightening your knee. Once a kneecap has been dislocated, there is greater risk of it happening again.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease - affects teens and preteens who are into active sports. This overuse syndrome causes pain, swelling and tenderness at the bony prominence (tibial tuberosity) just below the kneecap and frequently affects just one knee, but may develop in both knees.

Hyperextended Knee - is an injury in which the knee extends beyond its normally straightened position, such that it bends back on itself. Sometimes the damage is relatively minor, with pain and swelling when you try to extend your knee. But a hyperextended knee may also lead to a partial or complete ligament tear.

Septic Arthritis - is a condition when the knee joint becomes infected, leading to swelling, pain and redness. Septic arthritis often occurs with a fever.

Sometimes an injury can lead to chronic knee pain. Often, chronic pain results from a medical condition such as:

Rheumatoid Arthritis - this is considered to be the most debilitating of the more than 100 types of arthritis and can affect almost any joint in the body, including the knees. Aside from pain and swelling, aching and stiffness will be experienced when you get up in the morning or after periods of inactivity. It may lead to loss of motion in the knees and eventual deformity of the knee joints.

Osteoarthritis - is also known as degenerative arthritis and the most common type of arthritis. It’s a wear-and-tear condition that occurs when the cartilage in your knee deteriorates with use and age. It usually develops gradually and may cause varying degrees of pain and swelling when you stand or walk, especially before a change in the weather. It also can lead to stiffness, especially in the morning and after you’ve been active, and to a loss of flexibility in your knee joints.

Gout - is a form of arthritis characterized by redness, swelling and intense pain in the knee that comes on suddenly and without warning, usually at night time. The pain usually lasts five to 10 days and then stops. The discomfort subsides gradually over one to two weeks, leaving your knee joints apparently normal and pain-free.

There are some relatively minor instances of knee pain that respond well to self-care measures. However, more serious injuries, such as a ruptured ligament or tendon, may require surgical repair. Moreover, not every knee problem can be prevented but one can take certain measures to reduce the risk of injury or disease. Good rehabilitation and focus on strength training of the muscles that control your kneecaps can greatly help in the prevention of dislocation as well as other injuries.

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Protecting Yourself from Unwanted Pregnancy

By Nathaniel Pollard

Married for eight years, Robert and Tanya Maxwell had their hands full trying to raise six children. As devout Catholics, the couple were constrained to follow the teachings of their church. In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical letter entitled Humanae Vitae which stated that, “…it is always wrong to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence.” The couple were active in the Catholic lay community and vowed to follow the doctrines of their church. Of their six children, the first three offspring were “intentional” or were conceived with full intent on resulting in pregnancy. They really wanted to only have three children. However, the fourth up to sixth child could be considered “an accident” brought by the heat of passion. While they remained thankful for having six children, each of whom they saw as a blessing from God, they could not help but feel overwhelmed. Having a big family has really taken a toll on their marriage, time, and finances. After some deliberation, the couple decided to adopt birth control methods or family planning. Definitely, the rhythm method was not appropriate for them. For the sake of the entire family’s well being, the couple decided to be more open-minded about family planning. Even if Mrs. Maxwell was not so keen on trying methods that were not approved by the Church, she realized that their conservative views got them to into trouble in terms of their family’s finances.

Ben and Laura, on the other hand, are from from being conservatives. They got married right after their high school graduation. Laura, who was only 18 at the time she got married, got pregnant soon after tying the knot with Ben. The couple underwent sex education in school and said that they always practiced safe, protected sex. Still, life sprang a surprise on them.

Roger and Lisa Cooper, unlike the first two couples, had a honeymoon baby. But after starting a new business, they agreed that they would wait to try for the next baby after about two years. They made it a condition to achieve success in their business first so that they would be more financially prepared to have a second baby. But after a few short months after her first baby’s birthday, Mrs. Cooper found out that she was pregnant with twins!

A lot of couples are concerned about the size of their family as a response to the need to be more financially and emotionally prepared for the challenges of having a large brood of children. For that reason, contraception has become a serious and necessary issue for many couples. But even with all the advances in science and medicine, many are still surprised and overwhelmed by unplanned marriages. The reason for this is simply the lack of information about methods of contraception and family planning.

Here are a list of practical and effective methods of contraception that all married couples should be informed about:

1. Th Pill - It is still the most widely accepted birth control method. It is a drug that contains estrogen and progesterone — hormones that change how the body works and prevents pregnancy. The birth control pill suppresses ovulation and thickens the cervical mucus around the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach the uterus to fertilize the egg cells. Some studies show that the use of these so-called combination pills helps lower the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer. However, scientific evidence also shows that the use of the pill also increases risk for cervical and liver cancer. The side effects associated with the pill varies from one woman to another. Some of the possible side effects include nausea, spotting between periods, depression, weigh gain, among others. The pill is not recommended for those who are diabetic, women with high blood pressure, and smokers who are over 35 years old. The pill is generally marked as 99% effective as a birth control method.

2. The Condom - A thin latex rubber sheath that fits over the erect penis and bars the sperm from entry into the cervix. It is inexpensive, convenient, and widely available. The main advantage of using a condom is that it can protect the user from contracting sexually transmitted disease including HIV and AID. However, the most common complaint about the condom is that some men find it uncomfortable and that it lessens sexual pleasure.

3. Injectable Contraceptive - Injectable contraceptives contain the hormone called Medroxy Progestorone Acetate and prevents ovulation for three months. This method can be used by breastfeeding mothers and offers the woman both privacy and ease. However, the injectable offers no protection against STDs and the effects of the shot are not immediately reversible once you have been injected.

4. Norplant - This method involves the surgical insertion of six matchstick-sized rods in the underside of the upper arm. These rods release a low-dose hormone called levonogrestrel which thickens the cervical mucus, thins the lining of the womb, and inhibits ovulation for as long as five years. The drawback is that some women experienced skin irritation, headaches, dizziness, acne, weight gain, hair loss and nausea.

What contraception is right for you? The right answer can really come only from you and your partner.

Talk to your health care professional about safe and proven birth control methods. Always remember its best to use some form of birth control method rather than leaving everything to chance. Every couple should be responsible enough to practice safe sex and prevent unwanted pregnancy.

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Hypnosis as a Path to Stop Smoking

By Quintin Whitfield

Smoking is one of the most difficult vice to let go. It is because it is difficult to drop the habit that techniques and devices were created to help smokers in their fight to become smoke-free. It includes the use of smoking aids like: nicotine patches, artificial cigarettes, nicotine gums that help smokers get through nicotine cravings. Some techniques use the help of relaxation exercises like deep-breathing exercises or yoga to help calm a person down during moments of restlessness when withdrawal symptoms attack. And some people find it easy to just undergo hypnosis to get rid of their smoking habits. But how does hypnosis help in the fight to stop smoking?

Hypnosis isn’t just a simple technique wherein a trained professional embeds thoughts into your mind and you’ll wake up wanting to do what they tell you. It also involves positive affirmations and suggestions to back you up on your chosen cause. Hypnotherapy has a particularly high success rate in helping smokers fully quit, making it one of the most commonly sought out treatments for quitting smoking. It is also partly because, instead of focusing on the negative aspects of smoking, it informs the smoker of the positive effects they can enjoy if they stop smoking.

Usually people who use the natural method of quitting smoking complain about the most crucial part of the process, this is the time when withdrawal symptoms start kicking in. These withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, dry mouth, nicotine craving, quitter’s flu, irritability, fatigue, an inability to concentrate, constipation, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. These symptoms are largely a result of powerful conditioned responses. With hypnotherapy as a means to quit smoking, you can do away with the hassles of experiencing these withdrawal symptoms. With hypnosis, we reinforce these conditioned responses with positive thoughts. This means creating new conditioned responses to override those that think you will fail to stop smoking.

Here is an easy and simple way to get yourself started in stopping smoking for good: make a list of all the benefits you can enjoy from being a non-smoker. Close your eyes and imagine your future self where you are no longer a smoker. Let your future self think back on the time line and remember how quick and easy it was for you to stop smoking. Reflect on the wonderful feeling you felt when you realized the one day you’ve let go of the desire to smoke and stopped giving it any thought. Think of how proud you will feel the next time somebody offers you a light and you were able to successfully refuse. Enjoy that freedom and bring it back with you to your present self. To create an anchor for this feeling, press your thumb and forefinger together on your right hand and hold it for about thirty seconds.

After having anchored that new, powerful condition response follow these steps when you feel a craving to have the treatment work more effectively:

1. Take three deep breaths, hold each breath for at least eight counts, and then exhale fully.

2. Drink a large glass of water all at once.

3. Use the anchor you’ve created and have a nice, long moment of peace and quiet.

4. Eat an orange. Oranges have bioflavinoids that combat cravings. The act of peeling an orange also gives your hands something to do, and the smell of the orange is a lot better than that of cigarette.

Hypnosis is more than what we see in television shows or movies. In fact, you cannot make people do anything using hypnosis. The truth is, if someone doesn’t want to stop smoking, they will be even more definite about that during hypnosis sessions! People can always lie during hypnosis sessions, the effectivity of this treatment only depends on a person’s willingness to let go of this habit and finally stop smoking.

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