"Health Articles"

Really. Not a great big skull-splitting headache. Just one of those little low-pressure guys. And I know why. It’s because I’ve been thinking too much. I really need to try to cut back on that.

Actually, my headache is not the result of just thinking – it’s due more to what I’ve been thinking about. I can normally go for months and months and months without any perceptible twinge of intracranial discomfort. No problems at all. Well unless I decide to chance it and watch more than one reality show in a week. Then I’ll notice a bit of distress. But apart from that, life is good and the old gray matter just keeps cruising along in the smiley mode.

But today is different. Here’s what happened. I decided to do a bit of research on healthy living to include diets (not necessarily to lose weight) and supplements. In the course of doing this, I naturally came across a pile of information related to what foods to avoid and what other foods or supplements could potentially prevent physiological malfunctions. A big pile of information. A gigantic pile of information! A super-mega-humungo pile of information! (Are you beginning to get a clue as to why I have a headache?)

In an attempt to turn all of this into a positive, beneficial experience, I need to pass along what I’ve learned. So here it is.

I’ve learned that:

Everybody – that’s EVERYBODY – has an opinion about what works and what doesn’t. About what’s good and what’s bad for you.

There are as many folks who disagree with other folks opinions as those who agree.

The phrase “studies have shown” can be translated to “the studies that I agree with have shown”. Let’s try this… studies have shown that there are probably way too many studies.

We are thinking entirely too much about the possible effects of weird stuff like d-chromo-anti-lycoperene beta 4 and how it binds to the interceptural neural hair follicles to create left ear moles. Or something like that.

There are more dietary supplements which are guaranteed to be “ultimate solutions” to all of our health problems than there are galaxies.

For only $79.95 we can all receive the “secret” to a long, happy, healthy life.

They eat guinea pigs in Peru. (I don’t recall how I stumbled onto that one…)

Passing gas in the bathtub is not bad for your health. (Actually, I didn’t find that one. I just instinctively knew it.)

There is something either in tropical ocean waters or equatorial jungles that will solve your problem.

Veggies and fruits are good for you. Whole-grained foods, too. Duh…
As I did my research, I thought about growing up in the Midwest. I thought about all the old folks I knew that lived long (like up into the 80’s and 90’s) healthy lives. Shucks, they didn’t know about all of these wonderful dietary discoveries we’ve made in the last 50 or so years. They obviously didn’t have a clue that their health could have been improved dramatically by taking one of the thousands of supplements that we have available to us today.

Instead, these old farm folks just ate what they had – including lots of red meat, greasy fried potatoes and eggs, butter, lard, and a gob of other “unhealthy stuff” – and worked their buns off to make a living.

The conclusion seems to be pretty simple, doesn’t it? Farm food (“natural food”?) – no matter what it is – is probably very good for you. So is hard, physically demanding work. Instead of worrying so much about what causes or cures what, maybe we should just focus mainly on eating a good, balanced diet of wholesome “farm-type” foods and get a whole bunch of exercise. A good vitamin supplement probably wouldn’t hurt either. Who knows – it might even help prevent headaches…

When dealing with acute pain, like pain in the heel, people remedy it by taking pain relievers or analgesics for quick relief.

However, there can be a lot of causes of for heel pain that one may not be aware of so it is very important to find out where the pain really comes from.

Here are some possible causes and treatments for heel pain.

You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis. The tissue on the arch of the foot gets inflamed therefore giving heel pain. This condition is quite common.

This is due to standing and walking for long periods of time. You can also have heel spur. This is usually seen in patients who have plantar fasciitis.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome can also be a cause for heel pain. This is the counterpart of carpal tunnel syndrome which is associated with the hands.

Similar to that of a person with CTS, there is a nerve at the back of the foot that becomes entrapped. This is what gives the person pain.

Stress fractures can also cause heel pain although this is very uncommon. This is usually experienced by athletes like long distance runners. It affects the calcaneus located in the foot.

One treatment for heel pain can be shoe inserts. More often than not, it can totally eradicate heel pain. These inserts do not interfere with your daily routine thus are very comfortable to wear.

Since heel pain can also be unknowingly caused by one’s footwear, it is better and safe to wear shoe inserts.

You can also consider getting gel heel cups. This can be helpful for patients with plantar fasciitis and heel pain. What these heel cups do is that they provide a soft cushion or padding to the area of the foot that has the most pain.

It elevates the hindfoot slightly therefore reducing the pressure on the plantar fascia. Use them on all your shoes to provide you with more comfort.

Arch supports can also provide relief to patients with heel pain. These supports do not change the mechanics of the foot but it eradicates the symptoms in a number of patients. It can also be helpful to problems like flatfoot and overpronation.

Heel wedges can also be used for heel pain relief. These are placed at the back of the shoes. It takes the pressure off from the hind foot by elevating the heel a little bit.

It can be used to treat patients with Achilles tendonitis. Though people with plantar fasciitis can also use these wedges, the heel cups would be more appropriate for this.

You can start with a small one and then you can increase the wedge if necessary.

Metatarsalgia is a condition wherein pain is experienced underneath the ball of the foot. Metatarsal pads can help in this condition by relieving symptoms.

To decrease heel pain, it pays to take a rest. If you are an athlete, you can take a day or two off from prolonged jogging, running, or walking.

In case your foot or the structures within your foot might be inflamed, it can allow the inflammation to subside.

You can also apply ice packs. Ice packs are commonly used as first aid to pain because like analgesics, it is give quick relief to the person in acute pain.

There is a right way of applying ice packs. Only fifteen minutes is required to do this. Remember that you have to apply the ice immediately after an injury. After forty eight hours, the effect of the icing will subside.

You have to apply the ice directly to the affected part. Move the ice around. Do not let it stay on one spot only. Elevate the injured part. It should be higher than the heart.

This helps reduce the swelling. Do the icing for 15-20 minutes only because if you exceed this time limit, you can damage the tissues more. You may also get frostbite from icing too long.

You can repeat the process if you want but allow it to warm first for at least 45 minutes to an hour. The injured area has to have normal sensation and is warm before starting the procedure again.

Dealing with heel pain is not that complex. However, you have to consult the experts first before anything else since heel pain can be a result of certain factors that need immediate attention.

All efforts of relieving heel pain will render useless without knowing the real root of the discomfort.

There are other risks as you sit in front of that computer but it would be to much to write about in this article, so if you would like to learn more about other risks such as:

Eye strain
RSI (Repetitive Stress Syndrome)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Constant Head Aches
Dizziness
Breathing Problems
Difficulty Concentrating

Did you know that spending long hours at your computer can put your health at serious risk? Most people does not even consider that possibility, but it does, Working at a desk is extremely hard on your body, and I would like to share this with you so maybe you can avoid some of the most common health risks. One of the most common one is: FOOT PAIN

FOOT PAIN

Suffering from unbelievable pain on your foot? Can’t walk long distances without stopping from time to time? Can’t wear your favorite shoes but the pain coming from the ball of your foot, the arch, or the heel kills you?

Foot pain, known as metatarsalgia, usually occurs between the arch and the toe. It usually occurs in the foot’s mid-portion.

A callus may cause foot pain. It is a skin build-up that developed due to pressure over the bone. It is usually found on the foot’s bottom, and causes pain when walking. Shoes may also cause foot pain – too loose or too tight shoes may give you incredible pain in your foot. Ill-fitting shoes may also cause pain because they tend to squeeze the foot, causing the pressure inside the increase. Loose shoes on the other hand creates friction by providing space for sliding and rubbing.

If the pain is in the underside of the foot, it might be due to a torn ligament or maybe a joint inflammation. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon to further evaluate the damage and assess the status of the joint.

Some practical tips may help relieve foot pain. One of this is using a shoe insert which is available in drugstores and department stores. Many different brands are available and promise to help you with your foot pain problem. This shoe insert will be an excellent shock absorber so that you can wear any pair of shoes you want comfortable. Since calluses causes foot pain, soaking feet to soften the calluses will help. Using a pumice stone or a file will help relieve you of your foot pain.

Of course the most practical and simplest way to prevent and relieve foot pain is to buy a pair that fits perfectly. It should be wide enough not to cause cramping inside the foot. For maximum comfort, heels should be flat or high-heeled but not higher than 2 ¼”.

Burning feet is a fairly common condition and involves the whole foot. It may be so severe that people who have the condition are usually kept awake at night because of the pain. It happens more often to people over 50, although some younger people may also experience the condition. Diabetics often encounter this condition as a part of the nerve damage that may develop from their disease.

Another location of foot pain is the heel. Because the calcaneus or the heel bone is the largest bone that can be found in the foot, it usually hits the ground first when the individual walk, causing foot pain. Another cause is due to strain on the ligament at the foot bottom, called plantar fascistic. Usually pain is felt early on the morning, upon waking up. Heel pain may also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Athletes also tend to develop heel pain from stress fractures.

Foot pain may also occur over the arch. It is caused by a strain in the structure in that part of the foot. Toe pain is also a common condition and might be due to an ingrown toe nail. An ingrown toe nail results in an infection and pressure in the nail fold area which can be very painful. It is important to consult an expert to have the ingrown nail evaluated. He will prescribe you the antibiotics appropriate for your condition which you will have to take for several days. He will also advise you proper care of the foot so that you will not have to suffer from foot pain again.

Foot pain can also occur in the ankle. It is usually due to long term wear and tear of the ankles, and activities that causes the ankle to tip over. Foot pain may also be due to nerve damage.

Pain that occurs on the ball of the foot may be because of masses or growths of tissues which wrap around nerves and causes pain. This is called Morton’s neuroma. It usually occurs in a single foot and women are at increased risk. Mild ache with some burning or tingling usually is felt around the third or fourth toe. Wearing narrow shoes and pointed shoes exacerbate the symptom, like a rock is inside the shoe.

There are other risks as you sit in front of that computer but it would be to much to write about in this article, so if you would like to learn more about other risks such as:

Eye strain
RSI (Repetitive Stress Syndrome)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Constant Head Aches
Dizziness
Breathing Problems
Difficulty Concentrating

As a chronic pain sufferer, with a diagnosis of a herniated disc along with bone disc degenerative disease, for many years I have needlessly suffered from chronic pain. During the many years of needlessly suffering in pain, I have learned how chronic pain is treated, or should I say undertreated.

First of all, patients seeking treatment from the medical community are greeted with a negative stigma that’s associated with chronic pain treatment. This is due for a variety of reasons. Some physicians and healthcare professionals are afraid of the new and ever changing government regulations, patient addiction, diversion, or just the pure lack of knowledge when it comes to treating chronic pain.

Its a sad fact that chronic pain is grossly ignored and undertreated by healthcare professionals. Too many Americans are needlessly & silently suffering from chronic pain. It also appears that doctors are hesitant about what types of treatment is best for people that suffer from constant daily pain. As in my case, a doctor told me that he recommended back surgery. After several second opinions, and talking to many surgery patients who already had surgery with the same diagnosis as me, going under the surgeons knife didn’t seem like a reasonable or logical option.

With failed back surgery being very common, and needed follow up surgery from damage or complications due to surgery, and the possibility of permanent nerve damage and paralysis from having surgery, again surgery wasn’t worth the risk. But it seems physicians & surgeons try to pressure you into surgery, or some kind of invasive measures so they can justify the prescribing long term narcotic medications.

After trying physical therapy, biofeedback tactics, countless steroid injections, anti-inflammatory, to several different over the counter medicines with no great results, I felt helpless. Luckily, after years of low back and leg pain, I finally found the help needed to address my pain. I am now on a responsible drug therapy program. I no longer feel like a drug addict, or not believed when obtaining the proper pain medication needed to treat my pain. But after years of enduring chronic pain, I know there’s so many people like I was, who are still silently & needlessly suffering in pain.

Chronic pain patients are discriminated against tremendously. If someone has tried every treatment program to treat their pain with no positive results, they should be entitled to the proper pain medication needed to address their pain. Chronic pain sufferers should not be a victim of the system and suffer needlessly. I myself am a chronic pain sufferer dedicated to helping other chronic pain sufferers live a more productive and a better quality of life.

They tell me my diagnosis is pretty common, that millions of Americans suffer with low back pain. I’ve also heard that next to the common cold, missing work from low back pain is the biggest reason. With these two major known facts, I then wondered why getting the correct treatment for low back pain is so difficult.

After being diagnosed with a herniated disc and bone disc degenerative disease, I was immediately scheduled to see a surgeon. The surgeon suggested I have back surgery. To make a long story short, after a lot of prayer, a lot of thought, and after talking to many people who already have had surgery with my same diagnosis, I chose against surgery.

After deciding against surgery, I found I was immediately cast in a different light, by my doctor, and the medical community in general. I found my pain was then not taken seriously. I felt disbelieved about how much I hurt. I actually felt like a drug addict when asking for something for the pain. It appeared my physician felt back surgery was the end all cure all to my back & leg pain.

To the contrary studies have shown, back surgery may actually cause more pain, complications, and even damage that requires more follow up surgery. Knowing physicians and surgeons are already aware of this, it really makes you wonder why they would put you at such risk. I wish some of these healthcare professionals would just once switch places with me for one day living with chronic low back pain.

Magnetic Therapy is making a comeback worldwide, companies are selling magnetic underlays for all sizes of beds, and they come in Cotton or Genuine Sheeps Wool.

There are small sized units, to fit on the wrist, fit on the waistband of underwear, belts to fit around your back, your knees or just about anywhere that you are likely to suffer pain. Some ladies are using a magnet that fits on the waistband of underwear at the front, when they are suffering menstrual pain, and they swear that it eases the pain.

It has been claimed as a drug free alternative for insomnia, headaches and migraines, by sleeping with a magnetic pad in the pillow, it reacts on the Pineal Gland which is in the center of the brain and responds to a magnetic field.

Magnetic Therapy, is not new, it has been around for about 3000, years, it was supposed to have started at that time in India. The red dot worn by some Indian women on their forehead, was originally made from a magnetic powder. It was put on a important nerve point midway between the two eyes, an area that some believe is the third eye, it supposedly calmed down the brain and reduced stress, thereby keeping the ladies looking beautiful.

Magnets work on the circulatory system by making the blood flow faster and at the same time refining the blood. This helps the body to dispose of waste and toxins. A number of health problems are frequently due to a sluggish circulatory system and magnets appear to overcome a lot of these problems.

Science has shown that by placing a magnetic field next to the body, a bioelectric activity occurs. At the cellular level, it is the trace elements of Iron and Potassium in the blood that are drawn to the magnetic field causing a mild effect in the blood stream.

A large number of people feel heat when sleeping on a magnetic underlay, this is quite normal, this increases vasculation, oxygenation, balancing of energy flow and stimulation of the Lymphatic System.

Magnetic Therapy today is being used to treat many illnesses and painful conditions, it is a Natural Therapy, that really has no adverse side effects, you should increase your intake of pure water, to help the waste and toxins flush from the body, you might feel a little hot, but if you are in a cold climate, this is probably a beneficial side effect.

Scientists are researching the therapy and the benefits of treating colds and flu arthritis, reduction of stress and nervous problems. It has even been tried on people with partial damage to the spinal cord.

A number of famous people are using Magnetic Therapy, including Hollywood Stars and even one ex US President. Magnets have become an interest to the medical world. The powerful effects of healing through magnetism on thousands of patients, has caused some doctors to have another look at the situation.

Magnets themselves of course don’t heal anything; they stimulate the body into healing itself.

The body has a Natural Healing system installed at conception, this is the Immune System, but if it does no harm, why not give this system a bit of a boost along. The Immune System has quite a struggle in our modern day, fighting the effects of Chemicals, Pesticides, Herbicides gasses and a million other things that we eat, drink and breathe daily.

Ever given a piece of thought to how actually one feels that a part of his/her body is paining? Majority of the response to this question will be in the negative. And ironically it is one piece of information that a person should be aware of.

Whenever a part of our body is hurt, the pain makes that part ache but the actual sensation is felt in the brain. There are various kinds of receptors in our brain and each is attributed with a different type of sensation. The process can be explained as follows. Every time part of our body is damaged, the damaged tissue releases chemicals – called prostaglandins – making the pain more acute. These chemicals on coming in contact with the cells in the damaged tissue, with the help of enzyme called cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), further release chemicals. Also, these prostaglandins react with the nerve endings to send signals to the brain where the sensation of the pain is felt.

One importance of pain that can be highlighted here is that they keep reminding a person of the hurt, so that till the time injury is healed they are more careful about it. Pain can also result without a direct injury being caused, for example arthritis. Thankfully because of the advancements of the medicine, various types of medications are available to deal with different types of pains felt. A wide range of medicines start right from one as mild as Aspirin to something as strong as Narcotics, which should be only taken through a proper prescription of a medical practitioner and thus, it becomes necessary to take such medicines with highest degree of caution as every medicine has its own kind of side effects.

One of the most common pain relievers is Acetaminophen (popularly also known as paracetamol , and has established its 30 years of usage. It can also be used for curing fevers in children and adults apart from relieving pain.

As against acetaminophen, Narcotics are also used to cure pain but is adopted if no other medicine is able to effectively affect a patient, even though it is the greatest pain reliever than any medication prescribed. This is due to the numerous side effects that are associated with it, which includes chemical dependence. There are various types of Narcotics (OxyContin, Demerol, Hydrocodone) and have their own set of side effects. One of the most peculiar features of Hydrocodone is that it can even cause death.

There are various cautions that one should adopt while undergoing a pain relief medication, as many risks are associated with it. Primarily one should make the doctor aware of the medicines that are normally taken by the patient in the normal course for ordinary pains or any other thing as they can react with the pain relievers to cause side effects. Also, it should be told to the doctor if the patient is already associated with any disease apart from the on for which the doctor is consulted. Another thing to be kept in mind is that the pain relievers taken by the patient should not be stopped without consulting his doctor.

So now knowing this every one has a reason to take utmost precautions. God bless us all.