News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body and is a common source of pain. The nerve arises from the nerve roots of the fourth and fifth lumbar spine and the first three sacral nerve roots. The nerve roots coalesce to form the nerve within the pelvic cavity and exits deep to the large muscles of the hip and buttocks. From there it travels deep within the muscular layers down the back of the thigh to the knee where it divides into the common peroneal and tibial nerve branches. This nerve controls the major muscles of the posterior thigh and lower leg.

There are a number of conditions that can cause or contribute to sciatica such as:

• Lumbar disc herniations
• Arthritic degeneration
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Piriformis Syndrome and muscular compression syndromes
• Trauma
• Pregnancy

Most of these conditions requires diagnosis by a trained professional and the true cause will dictate the best treatment of the pinched sciatic nerve.

Arthritic degeneration of the lumbar spine and lumbar disc herniations are fairly common and can be treated conservatively in many cases but may ultimately require surgery in severe cases. The nerve roots from L4 and L5 contribute to the nerve and compression or irritation of these nerve roots can result in sciatica nerve pain. There have been some great advances in non-surgical treatments such as decompression therapy and inversion therapy.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction can irritate the nerve roots as they practically lay against the inside surface of the joint within the pelvic cavity. Stretching and chiropractic care are the best treatment for this type of condition.

Piriformis syndrome describes the condition where the sciatic nerve is compressed by the piriformis muscle as it exits the pelvic cavity. The nerve passes beneath the muscle in most cases so any irritation or spasm of the muscle can irritate and compress the nerve. In about 15% of the population the nerve actually pierces the piriformis muscle making it even more prone to compression.

Trauma can initiate sciatic pain since any hard impact, like a fall on a hard surface, can injure the muscles and tissues of the hip and buttock and result in compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve.

Pregnancy is another common cause of sciatica nerve pain since the growing uterus puts increasing pressure on the nerve roots and nerve within the pelvic cavity. There are techniques and conservative measures that can help alleviate sciatica during pregnancy and ultimately most cases resolve with childbirth.

Depression is the most treatable of all mental illnesses, and with a few simple daily lifestyle choices, you can beat depression.

First, to beat depression acceptance is critical. Learn the symptoms, and understand that these negative thoughts and feelings is the depression speaking for you. Understand that you must make changes, and seek help. Depression is not a weakness; depressions afflicts millions of Americans every year, and is a common illness and if you face your disease, seek treatment you can beat it.

Second, seek help. This can be difficult at times, expensive too, but even a simple examination by your doctor can rule out physical abnormalities that could be causing or contributing to your depression. Your physician can also refer you to a psychiatrist. However, get the examination; many treatable illnesses can cause depression.

One you have determined that there are no physical ailments contributing to depression, then to beat depression you have to change how you feel. This may require antidepressants, depending on the severity of the depression, and the symptoms. Even with antidepressants, I believe to beat depression some form of cognitive therapy is necessary. Cognitive therapy is nothing more than changing how you think, to change how you feel.

Distortions in thinking are what cause depression. These distortions are broken down into 10 categories.

You might see these patterns of thinking, and a revelation has struck. Knowing is half the battle now on to the real fight. You have to replace the negative patterns of thinking with positive ones to beat depression. How do you do that?

A professional can help with cognitive therapy, but there are many practical tips to beat depression naturally.

Talk to yourself positively, keep doing it even when the depression hits you the worse. Keep telling yourself that these feelings won’t last. Say aloud that you enjoy life everyday; make a mantra that you can repeat of positive thoughts and experiences to counter the negative thoughts. Fight them with positive thoughts. Maybe even visualize picking up the negative thought and kicking it out of your mind before replacing it with a positive thought, but just keep believing, and saying, and thinking that the day will come when you’ll feel better.

Laugh, laugh and laugh, watch a show that makes you laugh, ride a roller coaster if that makes you laugh, write funny articles, draw funny pictures, but laugh. Laughter is one of the best prescriptions you can give yourself to beat depression.

Volunteer, the simple act of giving will make you feel better. In addition, it will get you out in public with people.

Exercise, take a walk, try yoga, swim or go for a bike ride, but exercise. The chemical reactions that occur within your brain are instant antidepressants and will give you a boost immediately. If your walking outdoors the sun will also help beat depression.

In conclusion, you can beat depression with the proper knowledge and help, from the medical community, your friends and family and most importantly yourself.

Tension headache or tension-type headaches are the most common headaches, which are the result of muscular stress. The efforts to bring about a connection between the muscular tension and imbalance in the brain chemicals have not given any logical conclusions. Another assumed cause of headaches is reasoned out to be emotional stress and tension. There are various treatments of tension headaches. The over the counter analgesics are generally helpful in combating a headache very easily. You must avoid the intake of pills as it is not advisable to do it on a regular basis. Chronic or recurrent headaches may force you to take regular medication, which can cause side effects, more headaches and addiction whenever you stop taking the pill.

The natural treatments of tension headaches and home remedies are discovered by the people themselves in their innovative ways. Like the headaches, the home remedies are common among everyone.

One of the most effective home treatments of tension headaches is to relieve yourself of physical and emotional stress. For this, you must relax. You can choose any one of the following self treatments to relieve yourself of stress:
Shavasana is an easy yogic posture, which helps your body to relax. You should lie down like a dead man and concentrate on the breathing patterns of your body.
You should also stretch the upper back muscles and neck. The shoulders should be loosened and head slowly turned from left to right and vice versa. Every muscle or group of muscles must be stretched and relieved of tension right from the facial muscles to shoulders.
Another effective and helpful home treatment of tension headaches is massage. The shoulder and neck muscles must be massaged with the fingers instead of massaging the temples.
The second most effective home solution for headaches is self-suggestion. The more one thinks about the tension headache, the more conscious one is likely to become. You must take all possible measures to forget the headache. Take care not to remember it or mention it to others. Once the headache goes off your mind, you can efficiently do your work and forget the dull pain pricking you in the head. If you are stressed emotionally, you must remember that the best way to overcome all the tension and worries is to have a positive frame of mind. You must always look for positive things in life instead of breaking your head with the negative outcomes. So, stay positive and be happy.

American natural health expert and osteopathic physician, Dr. Sherry Rogers, tells her patients that, for women who have Type 2 diabetes, vitamin D is as valuable as metformin, the most commonly prescribed, and by some measures, most reliably effective diabetes medication. But how much of this vitamin do women with Type 2 diabetes need to help keep their blood sugar levels under control?

Vitamin D regulates the activity of the insulin-making beta cells of the pancreas indirectly, by enabling the parathyroid glands to make calcitonin, a calcium-sequestration hormone. Calcitonin ensures that calcium flows into the tissues where it is needed. This hormone is essential for bone health, of course, but it is also needed for the release of insulin from the pancreas. When calcium flows into the beta cells, insulin flows out. The calcium helps ‘break out’ insulin from its protein-found storage form, pro-insulin.

It is never a good idea to take a megadose, for instance 100,000 IU a day, of this essential vitamin, even though the vitamin is extremely cheap. Calcium has important regulatory functions in every cell in the body, and acute overdose of D can cause a flow of calcium into the kidneys resulting in kidney failure.

If you have had a blood test that shows that you have low D levels, under about 40 ng/ml, then you benefit from taking up to about 5,000 IU of supplemental D every day. When you get your D levels back to at least normal, then you only need about 2,000 IU of D a day, but that’s very difficult to get from food, especially the best food sources of the vitamin which are cod liver oil, cold-water fish, butter (not margarine), and cream. There is also D in milk, but only about 100 IU per glass, and it’s absolutely not healthful to drink 20 glasses of milk per day!

Even when you get your D levels up to normal, it is a good idea to continue supplementation. Pills are fine. You don’t need expensive vitamin sprays. Or you can simply get sun.

Fair skin absorbs more sun than dark skin. Fair-skinned women can make about 10,000 IU of vitamin D after about 20 minutes of sun exposure. Dark-skinned women may need about 30 or even 40 minutes in the sun to make the same amount of the vitamin. It is essential to note though that skin not be covered by sun block… but it’s sunburn, not sun exposure, that’s the risk factor for skin cancer. If you cannot get sun every day, however, be sure to take supplements.

The pain of a gout episode has few equals. It’s also usually a nasty surprise that attacks in the middle of the night. It’s hard to believe that a toe can render you unable to function properly, but it most certainly does. Walking is nearly impossible and don’t even think about shoes.

Once you get over the attack, prevention is going to be high on your list. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do that will help. Unfortunately, it may mean giving up some of your favorite foods. Many foods contain purine, which is found in protein. Purine breaks down to uric acid, which is then filtered out by your kidneys. If there is too much in your body, it can’t all be filtered out, so it recirculates in the blood stream. If it keeps adding up, it will develop into sharp crystals and be dropped off in your joints. This is what causes the pain of gout.

Asparagus: If you aren’t a fan of vegetables, this may provide you the excuse you need, at least as far as asparagus goes. It has a couple of things that make it on the “don’t consume” list. First, it is high in purine, which may come as somewhat of a surprise. Second, it is a diuretic, so it may cause some problems with hydration.

Beer: While technically not a food, it is a commonly consumed beverage and like asparagus, it has two strikes. One is the yeast…you guessed it, it’s a protein. Second, the alcohol content is bound to create hydration problems, as it is an even more potent diuretic.

Mushrooms: There is some debate about the role of mushrooms. Some feel that plant based proteins are safe and others point out that all possible sources should be eliminated. I kind of lean to the latter. Use a lot of caution.

Organ Meat: The highest amount of this constituent is found in the organs of animals. All animals. If you have gout, don’t consume these products.

Processed Meats: You may feel I’m being redundant here to a certain extent. Many processed meats contain “meat byproducts” which may translate to organs. However, all processed meats are in this category…including bacon.

Seafood: Shellfish and salmon may be a part of a healthy, low fat diet, but they probably shouldn’t be on your dinner menu. You may also wish to use flax seed oil for your omega-3s, as the fish oil capsules can add up.

Your doctor may recommend that you see a nutritionist to help you plan out a healthy diet that limits the main causes of flare ups. If you also have other medical conditions, this becomes a priority, as many of the foods recommended for one condition can cause another. That’s especially true of gout. Make sure your doctor knows of any other conditions you may have, as well as a complete list of medications and supplements. That will go a long way towards preventing future flare ups.

Just like women, more and more men are becoming concerned about the way they look as they get older. As a result the number of men who are looking for clinics that carry out hair transplant procedures has been on the increase. But one shouldn’t go for just the first clinic that one comes across there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration beforehand.

In this article we take a look at what some of these things are, because you need to remember that procedure requires the surgical removal of hair from another area of the body. The first thing you need to do is actually discuss the matter with surgeon at a reputable hair transplant clinic who is certified to carry out this type of procedure.

For those who want to see the right results it is vital that they spend as much time as possible learning as much about the procedure as they can. Of course you could spend time going through the yellow pages to then speak on the phone with various clinics. But if you go online you will find that there are plenty of places that can provide advice so you are able to evaluate the clinics reputation and credentials much more easily. So make sure that you spend a few hours surfing the web to learn everything that you possibly can.

When it comes to choosing the right clinic make sure you select one where the surgeons who carry out the procedure have been certified by the necessary medical board. In Australia the certification the surgeons have should have come from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. A surgeon who has such credentials is one that you know will have undergone the specialist training required to be able to carry out the procedure correctly and will have passed a number of exams to be presented with their certificate.

But it isn’t just the surgeons having the right training, certification and experience at carrying out this procedure that you should be looking at. Ideally what you should be looking for is a surgeon who has been performing this type of procedure for a number of years. By opting for such a person will ensure that the results you want are achieved.

As for the clinic you should be looking for those that do specialise in carry out hair transplant procedures and will offer a variety of different ways to deal with the problem. This way a person seeking assistance can be assured that not only will the procedure be carried out correctly but the right one will be undertaken to rectify the problem.

“Is there any cure for diabetes” is a frequently asked question nowadays. The disease is spreading like an epidemic. This is increasing the craze of the people to find out the cure for diabetes.

Luckily diabetes and its resulting complications can be cured without the help of any medication. There are some natural cures for diabetes as well.

Diet: The best and the first cure for the patients of diabetes is diet. The best diabetic diet plan should contain the foods that have a low glycemic index value. This indicates those food items must be incorporated that contains low level of carbohydrates. At the same time the food plan should be high in fiber and must contain only moderate amount of proteins. This type of diabetic diet plan helps to lower down the blood glucose levels. It also lessens the need of taking insulin injections or prescribed medications.

Such a diabetic diet plan also helps to lose unwanted weight and reduces blood pressure. This cures the diabetes by supporting the overall body’s energy and health.

Snacking on handful of groundnuts daily also help the diabetic patients in lowering down the blood sugar level.

Juice of rose apple, tomato, cucumber, lemon, spinach, bitter gourd, cabbage and cabbage is helpful in curing diabetes.

Exercise: Different research studies have revealed that exercise is of great health for all diabetic. Scientifically it has been proven that exercise can cure diabetes. Regular physical activity daily helps the diabetic patients to reduce the body weight, lower down the level of blood glucose, improve insulin’s sensitivity; improve blood circulation, lower down the level of bad cholesterol and increase the level of good cholesterol. This is the best way of reducing the risk of heart related disease.

Asanas of yoga are helpful in curing diabetes. Some popular asanas are Bhujangasana, shalabhasana, dhanurasana, paschitmottasana and sarvangasana are more helpful in curing the diabetic patients.

Brisk walk daily and light jogging is helpful in curing the diabetes. Some games like swimming or badminton is helpful for reducing the level of sugar in the bloodstream.

Nutritional Supplements: Some diabetics take supplements on daily basis for curing diabetes in a natural manner. These supplements work well in curing diabetes naturally. These nutritional supplements are good and help to lower down the blood sugar, lower down the cholesterol level, reducing the blood pressure level, improving energy and lowering down the risk of heart related ailments.

Most of these supplements are natural and protect the blood vessels, kidneys and other major organ from the destruction.

Diabetes Mellitus is very alarming. We know very well that the disease itself is not dreadful, but its complications. A person with diabetes is most likely to pass on the disease to his/her offspring. Common complications include high blood pressure or certain heart illnesses, liver problems, or other internal problems. How do we know if we are on the verge of acquiring Diabetes Mellitus? It is simple. We will know it based on the symptoms. The treatment therefore depends on the type of diabetes a person has.

We know very well that there are certain types of Diabetes. We have the type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Well, Gestational Diabetes is an exception to the rule since it is only limited to pregnant women. This article will be dealing more about the two types of diabetes and the treatment for each type.

Type 1 diabetes resulted from the lack of insulin in the bloodstream. This is because the body cannot produce insulin at all. Well, if this is the case, it implies high glucose content in the blood. To remedy this situation, we have to increase the insulin content of the body through the intake of insulin. It might be through oral or injection means. At the same time, if there is a need to subject a patient continuously to the insulin treatment, we do have the insulin pump therapy through which the body will be given ample amount of insulin therapy to help dissolve glucose.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by the inability of the cells to respond to the insulin production of the body. The body can still produce insulin but the body cells refuse to react to it. There are a number of treatments apply for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. One treatment includes oral medication of insulin. There is also another treatment that involves the Type 2 medication reference. Another remarkable treatment of Type 2 diabetes is the use of Januvia, which is the term used for the newly discovered drug for diabetes. There is also what we call Byetta which is a new approach for the disease. This includes proper management standards for managing diabetes.

Aside from the regular medical approaches for the types of diabetes, the patient should also adjust his/her dietary approaches as well as manage his/her lifestyle. If a patient is subject to the medical practices in managing diabetes, they are require to make ample changes with the way they are managing their diet and the way they live their lives. The medical approaches and treatments are worthless if the person cannot manage and make changes with his/her way of living.

It is said that Diabetes Mellitus develops because of the way people are living their lives. Thus, it is also essential that managing the disease should start in adjusting the way we are living it. If we wanted to live longer, we have to make sure that we should not exceed the body’s limitations. We should live within our limits, and not push ourselves too much.

Do you love horses but fear that you will never be able to ride with a bulging disc or herniated disc?

A back or herniated disc injury does not mean your passion for riding horses needs to end. Like any injury, a recovery time is required and it may be a lesson in patience, but there is no reason why you can’t eventually get back on a horse again.

After herniating my L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs causing severe sciatic pain, I was told surgery was my only hope and that there’d be many activities I wouldn’t be able to do again, horseback riding being one of them. I instead chose to heal myself naturally, and within 16 months was I not only living life pain free, but I was also back on a horse. I was actually doing a lot of other activities pain free a lot sooner. The key for me though with horseback riding was making sure I had fully healed first, and not to take unnecessary chances.

After a disc injury your body will never be completely the same as it was before, and you will have to make some adaptations. Your body has sustained damage, and your goal should be to be the best YOU can be. Both during and after recovery, building up strong core muscles is one of the most important things you can do in order to protect yourself from re-injury. For anyone with a herniated disc injury, and even for people without injury, strong core muscles and core stability will protect your spine while on a horse. Exercising your core muscles needs to be an ongoing part of your lifestyle, not something you stop doing once the pain is gone. Even after a disc injury, a person who learns and gains good core stability and proper spine alignment can actually further strengthen their back and core stability by horseback riding.

In fact, more dangerous than the act of riding itself are the throwing and twisting motions involved in the care of your horse (putting on a saddle, carting feed, lifting the tail ramp of your truck, etc). An equal or even greater amount of attention to your back and core needs to be given to these activities.

As the repetitive jolting of riding can aggravate underlying back problems, it is important to always stretch before getting on your horse. While riding you should be wearing some sort of a back brace or lumbar support belt. CoreShorts are highly recommended, not just when riding but when doing any physical activity. In terms of stirrups, the Herm Sprenger System 4 stirrups soften the impact on cartilage and ligaments, relieving tension in the hips, knees, ankles and calves, and thereby reducing referred pain and tension in the lower back. Choosing the right saddle can also make a big difference. If one saddle doesn’t feel right, try another. After the ride, a moist heating pad placed against your lower back may be helpful.

Remember to start off slow and ease back into your riding. Expecting to ride full gallop again immediately out of a disc injury is not only unrealistic but also foolish. Start off walking your horse for a few days. If no pain is present, work your way up to a light trot, and so on. Avoiding jumps would be recommended due to the sheer impact. Ease into posting, and only post if you are very comfortable doing do. Mis-timing a post can cause greater impact and compression of the spine.

Horseback riding can be a wonderful pastime, and the bond riders often share with their horses can be just as wonderful. This is not something that needs to end with the disc injury. In fact, as mentioned above, riding, when done properly and carefully, can actually be beneficial to your back. Be patient with yourself. Focus on your healing first, building up your core strength and stability. Then, get back out on the range. Hi-yo Silver!

Arthritis is a common term that refers to a category of diseases that involves damage to the joints of the body. I’m sure you know someone personally or know of someone that has some type of arthritis, especially since there are over 100 different types and because it is so prevalent not only to adults but in children as well. Arthritis main symptom is constant pain. This pain is normally associated to inflammation or swelling in the joint.

The human body is typically made up of on average 200-300 joints (depending upon the number of bones and the classification of a joint). A joint is the site where two or more bones meet. At this juncture is what’s called a joint capsule, which encompasses the joint where the bones meet. Inside this capsule is what’s called synovial fluid. Synovial fluid keeps the joint moving freely. However over time this fluid can decrease because of age, improper nutrition, injury or toxins. This can cause arthritis to form within the joint.

Pain from arthritis is normally caused by inflammation in the joint. Inflammation is the body’s own reaction to remove harmful stimuli and initiate healing. Although, inflammation is an integral part of the healing process, the body regulates it very closely because if left unmanaged inflammation can lead to other diseases such as arthritis. Inflammation in the joints is normally caused by damage or injury, daily wear and tear, or muscle strains.

To determine the different types of arthritis it is important to look at the symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, the degree of symptoms, the symptom patterns and location.

Arthritis symptoms include:

• inability to use extremities
• fatigue
• fever
• weight loss
• poor sleep
• muscle aches and pains
• tenderness
• stiffness
• difficulty in movement of a joint

The two most prevalent types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. These types of arthritis occur for completely separate reasons and in different locations in the body.

Osteoarthritis normally occurs as people get older, on average after age 55. Osteoarthritis occurs in the larger joints of the body that are weight bearing such as the hips, knees, or the spine. Osteoarthritis is usually caused from normal wear and tear of the joint but can be brought on through prior injury, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. Degeneration occurs initially in the cartilage and leads to the opposite bones grinding into each other. This can cause immense pain without ceasing. Pain of this natural can be debilitating and prevents the person from not only exercising but doing any daily activities. Although, there is no cure for osteoarthritis treatments are available to help the symptoms and prevent further worsening. For the obese weight loss is the first step to decreasing the pain. Physical therapy, pain medications and even joint replacement are additional options for people who suffer from osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis on the other hand, occurs for no known reason. The body’s immune system begins to attack the joint tissue, lining and cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the fingers, wrists, knees, and elbows. Where as osteoarthritis normally occurs later in life rheumatoid arthritis normally arises around age 20 and up. In rare cases children can be affected with rheumatoid and presents as a skin rash, fever, pain and disability. Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis the treatment revolves around easing the symptoms. There are several drug regimens that include steroids and antibodies.

About 16 percent of Americans are suffering from one form or another of arthritis. Most forms of arthritis can lead to disability throughout life. Arthritis can cause severe limitations in functioning and mobility. Since it has such debilitating effects relief is the most important aspect to for arthritis sufferers.