New Dizziness Therapy
Dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in the doctor's office, and the number one malady of people older than 70. In the past, those with dizziness or balance problems had nowhere to turn; there simply were no effective treatments. If you suffered from dizziness, you were probably told, "You'll have to live with it."
That's not the case today. An alternate form of therapy, vestibular rehabilitation, can help you overcome dizziness and the helpless feelings associated with it.
But before we discuss the treatment, let's examine how the balance system works. Three sensory systems gather information regarding your body's position and movement in space: the visual, vestibular (semicircular canals and otoliths), and somatosensory (touch, joint and muscle receptors) systems. These systems transmit information to your brain's central processor, the cerebellum.
The balance response is carried out by the motor system located here - the right and left vestibular systems, which are key to maintaining balance because they provide the brain with information about your head movement and position. Disease in one vestibular system will send erroneous information to your brain and cause vertigo or imbalance.
Vision helps orient the body in space by referencing vertical and horizontal axes of objects around you. The somatosensory system gives your brain information regarding support surfaces and the motion of your body's parts in relation to one another.
Balance can be maintained if you suffer a loss of one of these three sensory systems, but when more than one system is lost balance difficulties like dizziness occur. And this is where vestibular rehabilitation comes in.
How does vestibular rehabilitation work?
There are three methods of vestibular rehabilitation. The first is habituation, which means that by continually repeating the actions that bring on dizziness or vertigo you will eventually accustom your body to those actions. The second process involves balance retraining exercises that help reduce unsteadiness and imbalance. The third aspect deals with head-eye coordination exercises that help reduce gaze-induced dizziness.
Specific exercises customized to your particular needs will help decrease dizziness and increase balance function, and may also increase your general activity levels.
Diagnosing vestibular disorders
A physician will diagnose your particular problem by performing a complete medical history, a neurotologic examination, and tests of hearing and balance function. Blood tests for allergies, autoimmune inner ear disease (allergies to your own ear tissue), or hormonal imbalance may also be necessary. In addition, an ultrasound test which evaluates the blood circulation around the brain and/or imaging studies with CT or MRI and a consultation with a neurologist or cardiologist might be indicated. Once a diagnosis is made, the physician (neurotologist) will be able to determine if vestibular rehabilitation therapy will benefit you. In some cases, this can be used as an alternative to medication or surgery. Results have been rewarding, even in the elderly.
The vestibular rehabilitation therapist
A vestibular rehabilitation therapist with create a therapy program specifically for you. First he ro she will discuss your symptoms, and then assess your musculoskeletal system by testing the strength, coordination, and range of movement in your arms and legs. Your balance and gait are also evaluated by observing if you need to touch objects, fix your eyes on stationary objects, and what hip and ankle strategy you use to maintain your balance.
After careful analysis, the vestibular rehabilitation therapist designs a specific home exercise program suited to your particular needs. You will keep a weekly log of your progress, which is evaluated by the physician and the vestibular rehabilitation therapist. You will meet with the therapist once or twice a week for several months, all the while continuing the exercises at home.
It is important for you to understand that your symptoms may become worse before they improve. Even so, therapy should continue in order to overcome the problems.
Benefits of vestibular rehabilitation therapy
The benefits of vestibular rehabilitation vary depending on the cause of your problem and how well your central nervous system compensates. If your condition does not improve within three months, the therapy is usually discontinued.
Vestibular rehabilitation has helped many people overcome the physical sensations and discomfort associated with dizziness and vertigo. But its psychological benefits are perhaps the most rewarding. Returning to a normal lifestyle, no longer afraid of falling, and taking control of your body is worth more than words can say.
Chiropractic Neurologist Gives Patients Another Option II
I saw a young woman in my office this week, who presented to see if I could help her with her vertigo and dizziness, which she has been suffering with for several years. This is not an uncommon presentation in my office, in fact quite the contrary; it is what folks commonly come in to see me for.
What made this case different was the fact that this young lady fell last year as a result of her balance being affected, not only from the vertigo and dizziness, but from the drugs being used in the failed attempt to treat her (the main side affect being that of dizziness). The fall resulted in a fractured shoulder, causing severe limitation of movement of that arm and as such, with her activities of daily living. As I talked to this young lady, I thought to myself, "if only she had come in sooner, I could have treated her successfully without the use of the drugs which likely caused her balance loss, which would have averted the fall and thus the fractured shoulder."
This is all too common a problem as individuals often times wait painstakingly long intervals in anticipation that the problems will resolve on their own, when in fact, they rarely do. Procrastination is the mother of disaster, causing a bad situation to become worse, especially with problems such as vertigo and dizziness.
Over time, these conditions affect your balance by altering the pathways in your brain that monitor the postural systems. Ultimately, you wind up with a new problem, that of balance loss. With falls being the #1 cause of nonfatal injuries in all age groups, and the leading cause of accidental death in people over the age of 65, it is only a matter of time before something bad happens.
Typically with dizziness types of disorders, the sooner an individual presents for treatment, the easier and less involved that treatment is, which is really true of almost everything. As the disorders progress, they oftentimes cause the introduction of new problems involving other areas of the brain or the neuraxis. If you or someone you love suffers with vertigo or dizziness, finding the cause and treating it early can make all the difference between getting on with your life vs. getting on with a lifetime of anguish and medical bills.
Surgery for Sleep Apnea – Consider your Options
In this article we aim to cover albeit very briefly some of the surgical options associated with the condition of Sleep Apnea, most of which will only be appropriate in certain circumstances, but firstly to cover the condition itself......
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder caused by certain obstructions in the breathing process in human beings. Many surgical measures are opted for sometimes for the treatment of this disorder. All sorts of surgical practices can in many instances provide some level of permanent relief from Sleep Apnea.
However No surgical method is effective in treating nervous system related Central Sleep Apnea. The physical hindrances that lead to sleep apnea conditions can be helped through various sleep apnea surgical procedures, and some are outlined below. It is however vital that sufferers seek proper medical advice and discuss all available options prior to embarking on any surgery or treatment.
Life After Knee Replacement Surgery
When you have opted for knee replacement surgery, you probably imagine the best to happen. You anticipate that life after the surgery is going to be great just as it was before the knee replacement surgery. To a great extent, there is nothing wrong about being positive about the whole process. But this kind of vast change takes a lot of effort and knee replacement therapy. This means that you must be proactive so that the healing process definitely brings out a successful outcome.
True, once you have gone through the knee replacement surgery, it would be possible for you to resume most activities. But avoid placing excessive demands on your new knee for the first six weeks. After all, your focus should be to adapt to the new knee and resume your movements safely.
Although your first impulse would be to simply take complete rest after the knee replacement surgery, it is important to work on early mobilization. If you feel considerable pain in your knee, this may be due to the fact that your leg muscles are weak. So you have to build up strength in your quadriceps muscles. This, in turn, will help you to develop control of your new joint. That is why most surgeons recommend early activity as the best antidote to counteract the effects of the anesthesia and trigger faster healing. Consult all these aspects with your doctor and a physical therapist. They will be able to provide you with specific instructions on wound care, pain control, diet, and exercise.
Remind yourself that proper pain management is a must for knee replacement therapy and bring in early recovery. Although pain after surgery may be quite variable, it is something that can be controlled with the right kind of medication. Initially, your doctor may let you use pain control medication through an intravenous (IV) tube. This is recommended as it enables you to regulate the amount of medication that you require. Never forget the fact that it is always easier to prevent pain than to control pain.
As part of post operative care, antibiotics and blood-thinning medication will be administered to you. This is meant to help prevent blood clots from forming in the veins of your thighs and calves. Blood clots are a serious complication that doctors want to avoid so it is important that you cooperate with them as part of the knee replacement therapy.
Most patients tend to lose their appetite and feel nauseous or constipated for a couple of days. If you experience such symptoms, don't press the panic button and worry endlessly as these are normal reactions. You may be fitted with a urinary catheter during surgery. You may also be given stool softeners or laxatives to tackle the problem of constipation after surgery. In addition, you will be taught some valuable breathing exercises. These exercises would help to prevent congestion from developing in your chest and lungs.
As an integral part of your knee replacement therapy, a physical therapist will typically visit you on the day after your surgery. The job of the therapist would be to brief and teach you about how to use your new knee. Follow the directions of the therapist and let's definitely see you recover as early as possible!
Are Your Vitamin Supplements Helping You?
We are told that the keys to longer and healthier life are simple: eat right, exercise, manage stress and get enough sleep. However, putting this into practice is more difficult. For example, take eating right. The National Cancer Institute is now recommending that adults eat between 7 to 9 servings of fruit a day. However, over 90 percent of us are unable or unwilling to follow this advice. Given our diets and lack of access to healthy foods, and given the dwindling nutritional quality of food generally available today, our bodies need vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements to fill in this nutritional gap. Fortunately, the majority of us take supplements to compensate for this. About 100 million Americans take supplements - at least occasionally. About half of us pop vitamin and mineral supplements every day, spending about $4 billion annually. Do you ever wonder whether you should be taking supplements or whether the supplements you are taking are right for you?
Background
Vitamins and minerals - or at least foods containing these nutrients - have been used as therapy for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians ate livers of roosters and oxen to combat night blindness caused by Vitamin A deficiency, and sea sponge as a source of iodine to treat goiters. However, it wasn't until 1906 that vitamins were theorized, because protein, fats and carbohydrates were insufficient in-and-of-themselves to sustain life. In 1926, Vitamins were isolated and named vitamine (for vital amine, amine being a chemical structure).
There are at least 13 vitamins and 15 minerals that are considered essential for good health. Vitamins are organic compounds, which means they contain carbon, and are found naturally only in living things. Four of these vitamins - A, D, E, and K are fat soluble - meaning they can be stored in the body. Vitamins C and the eight forms of vitamin B are water soluble, meaning that excess amounts are eliminated through urination, and thus must be consumed daily. Vitamins C, E and A are known as antioxidants. They help our bodies fight damage from free radicals, highly reactive compounds that create oxidative damage to your cells. Vitamin C, once suspected of boosting our immune systems, has now come to the forefront in cancer, cataracts and cardiovascular therapies.
Minerals are simpler, inorganic compounds and are found in all foods. Minerals are also classified in two categories - major minerals (macronutrients), such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, that are found in relatively high concentrations in foods, and trace minerals (micronutrients), such as copper, iron, zinc, and chromium, that are usually only found in minute amounts.
All of these vitamins and minerals play an important role in your body's ability to build cells, releasing energy from our food, and in maintaining the good health of our organs, bones and immune system. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements can help us target deficiencies in our diet, to fill in the gaps.
Is your supplement right for you?
Our vitamin and mineral requirements vary at different stages of our lives, generally because of changes in how effectively our bodies absorb these nutrients. Additionally, our vitamin and mineral requirements vary with our daily caloric intake. The more calories you consume, the more vitamins and minerals your bodies need.
Many people select their vitamin and mineral supplements based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The RDA, developed by the Food and Nutrition board in 1941, is updated periodically. However, the RDA is a general one-size-fits-all measure about daily vitamin needs to avoid vitamin deficiency diseases. Current research shows that higher levels of some of these vitamins and minerals are required to truly achieve good health and for therapeutic benefits to undo years of environmental damage our bodies have suffered.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals are increasingly recognized as playing a crucial role in proper absorption of nutrients and in cellular function and regeneration. Phytochemicals are nutrients found in fruits and vegetables and their extracts, that are generally not present in synthetic vitamin supplements.
You can find help in determining if your mineral and vitamin supplements are meeting your daily vitamin requirements and are nutritionally available to your body. You can also find out about phytonutrients that your body needs to maintain good health and ways to get phytonutrient sources conveniently into your diet.
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