Stroke Treatment Using the Feldenkrais Method
Stroke is quite common worldwide, and is currently the third leading cause of death in the U.S. If you or a loved one has had a stroke, there may be permanent loss of function on one or both sides of the body. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of your brain is disturbed or reduced, robbing brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. A stroke can occur because of a clot or actual bleeding inside the brain. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. As a result, the affected area of the brain is unable to function, causing symptoms like the inability to move an extremity, labored speech, and headache. Treatment for a stroke is both immediate and ongoing. Ongoing treatment is usually referred to as stroke rehabilitation.
Because the effects of a stroke feel permanent, it is hard to imagine that help for a stroke is possible. A Feldenkrais approach to stroke treatment takes the following neuroanatomy into consideration:
Areas of the brain responsible for specific functions are vastly underused. The body has a way to communicate right and left (corpus collosum) the functional efforts of the unaffected side. This allows the affected side to have a "model" of function from which to learn. New neural connections around areas of damaged brain can be formed, a process called neuroplasticity. These new connections respond to stimuli in much the same way as the old connections, restoring lost function.
If physical therapy has not worked to your satisfaction, the Feldenkrais Method can be used to treat all problems for which surgery isn't necessary. Feldenkrais uses simple, gentle movements to reorganize posture, flexibility, strength and coordination. Based on the neurological processes by which we learn movement skills, it is a novel approach to stroke therapy, harnessing the power of the brain to help the body function more efficiently. More efficient use of self creates environments within which chronic problems can improve. Limbs can move more freely, sitting and breathing improve, and everyday activities become possible again. Let Feldenkrais show you how to improve your ability to function after a stroke, and get more out of life.
Top Five Killers For Women: Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, Osteoporosis, Depression Etc
Imagine living without illness to slow you down. While there are no lifetime guarantees, enough scientific research has been done to make long, healthy living a possibility. To help women boost health, we list five medical conditions that are of great concern: heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and autoimmune diseases.
1) Heart Disease: Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths. Yet death in itself isn't the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real trouble is in premature death and disability. There are far too many dying of heart disease in their 60s. There are (also( women who, for many years, are really ill with heart disease- being out of breath, not being able to walk even one flight of stairs... because heart disease impairs their ability.
Must Read: Heart Attack Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment- You can actually prevent heart attack at http://www.weightloss-health.com/prevent%20heart%20attack.htm
2) Breast Cancer: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. Experts say the fear of breast cancer can sometimes be exaggerated, stopping women from going to their doctors for screening, or pushing women to make rash decisions about mastectomy, when it may not be necessary. There's a lot of treatment for breast cancer. Women should educate themselves.
Must Read: Passive smokers can get Breast Cancer, a Report at http://www.weightloss-health.com/passive_smokers_cancer.htm
3) Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis threatens a lot of people, of which 68% are women. Osteoporosis is largely preventable. The behaviors that women develop in their childhood, in their adolescence, and in their early adult years really play a significant role in the development of the disease. That's because bodies build up most of bone mass until age 30. Then new bone stops forming and the focus is on maintanance of old bone. It is never too late to keep bones strong and avoid fractures.
Must Read: Bodyache? Headache? Don't pop painkillers indiscriminately. They can have side-effects at http://www.weightloss-health.com/painkillers%20side-effects.htm
Random Tip: US scientists have claimed that secondhand smokers are at higher risk of Breast Cancer. Earlier, their research also led to the conclusion that young women smokers are more likely to get addicted to smoking than young men. The Breast Cancer findings are part of a 1,200 page report of the Air Resources Board, which has done ground-breaking work in regulating US auto-emissions
4) Depression: Depression appears to affect more women than men. About 12 million women are affected by a depressive disorder each year. Women need that sustenance, and if they don't have it, they tend to get depressed. Sometimes, hormonal changes can also trigger the condition. Statically, the healthiest adults are people in significant relationships. Adults not in nurturing relationships can reduce their risk of depression by making efforts to reach out into the community.
Must Read: What is Depression? Know its facts, symptoms and treatment at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Depression.htm
5) Autoimmune Diseases: Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks the body and destroys or alters tissues. There are more than 8- serious chronic illnesses in this category, including lupus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.
It is believed that 75% of autoimmune diseases occur in women. by themselves, each disease appears to be uncommon- except for diabetes, thyroid disease, and lupus, but as a group, the disorders make up the fourth-largest cause of disability among women. It is not known what causes the body to turn on itself, but genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors are suspects.
Since autoimmune diseases are not very well understood, pinpointing specific risk factors is difficult. Symptoms can also be non-specific, hampering proper diagnosis. However, if you know something is wrong with you or a loved one, it is important to become an active health advocate. It is very common for women to make multiple visits to multiple doctors to finally get a diagnosis, but someone should take their symptoms seriously.
Must Read: Diabetes: The Symptoms of Diabetes, Treatment and Prevention for Diabetes at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Diabetes.htm
Vertigo, Dizziness and Dysequilibrium
Many people with balance disorders confuse the symptoms that they are experiencing, which can have harmful consequences when presenting to your doctor, who will often medicate you based upon your complaint. First off, vertigo is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
It is a symptom of spinning, or feeling as though you, or the environment is going around and around. The most common form of this is when you get into or out of bed, and suddenly you are holding on as the room begins to spin violently. This is the most common form seen in my office, which is also the easiest to treat with close to 100% success in a single office visit.
Dizziness, also a symptom, not a diagnosis, is a sense of lightheadedness, or almost a feeling as though you are going to pass out. Dizziness does not include the rotary spinning sensation of vertigo.
Dysequilibrium, again, a symptom, not a diagnosis, is quite simply a loss of balance. You may feel as though you lean to one side or fall to one side on walking, or just feel as though you may fall at any instant. Often, dizziness and dysequilibrium are the direct result of untreated vertigo. Left untreated, each attack of vertigo changes the brains monitoring and regulation of the postural systems, which over time, causes less than desirable changes, which include poor stability and thus increased risk of fall.
This is actually an endemic problem currently, with falls being the leading cause of death in the elderly, and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in all-remaining age groups. To appropriately treat any of these symptoms however, the key remains in being able to accurately diagnose what is wrong. This is the focus of my office, fit with a complete vestibular laboratory and balance center. Drug therapies such as frequently prescribed vestibular suppressant medication such as Meclizine, (Antivert), will often magnify symptoms of dysequilibrium due to the slowing of nerve conduction and thus slowed reaction times, comparable to that of alcohol use. Worse still, they have no benefit as a treatment. They merely reduce ones perception of symptoms temporarily.
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