Saturday, January 11, 2014

Natural Care For Aging Knees


Recently an overweight, middle-aged man came into my office suffering with aching knees. It seems that his favorite exercise of running was playing havoc on his body and he was considering giving up this sport for good. I explained the possible causes for his pain could be any of these conditions: tendinitis (inflamed tendons), bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around the joint) or perhaps even cartilage damage. The fact he was over fifty led me to believe that is was most likely osteoarthritis.

If you sense that your joints or bones are hurting from a strenuous activity it too might be osteoarthritis. This medical condition could develop in any of your joints, but the knee's complex design and its position in the body as a weight-bearing joint, make it more susceptible.

As you get older, gravity and the everyday wear and tear on your joints gradually wear away the
protective cartilage that cushions the knee. The bone in the joint gets exposed, and you begin to have pain, stiffness, maybe even buckling or swelling of the knee. Arthritis can also develop as a result of trauma, such as ligament damage or bone fracture.

So what can you do to help those aching knees?

Make A Few Easy Changes In Your Lifestyle

Your first step is to lose excess body weight. Taking the extra stress off your joints may relieve a great deal of pain and discomfort.

Middle aged people often try to stay in shape with running, tennis or other high impact exercise, never realizing that these activities tend to hasten the wear and tear process. But don't let aging knees become an excuse for lack of exercise. You can benefit just as much from low-impact activities such as Pilates, water aerobics, walking, cycling or swimming.

I highly recommend you stretch before any exercising. It is also beneficial to warm up the muscles slightly with light walking before you do stretching exercises. Always stretch slowly. It's also wise to continue stretching after you are done with your workout!

Many arthritis patients can find benefit from physical therapy. A professional therapist will teach you the proper methods of exercise in order to improve flexibility, range of motion, and strength. If you'd had an injury to the knee, therapy can speed recovery and may reduce the chances of developing arthritis later on.
When you've got troublesome knees, it's not always convenient to stay off of them. You may find that a brace, splint, cane or elastic bandage can help you stay active.

Treat Immediate Pain

When pain flares, stay off the knee. Keeping weight and pressure off the joint allows inflammation to subside more quickly. Use crutches if needed. For immediate relief, try an ice or gel pack, especially right after physical activity, to help control swelling. Try alternating the ice with a heating pad. You might also try heat just before athletic activity to loosen the joint. Don't leave either ice or heat on the joint for more than 20 minutes at a time. A hot bath may be comforting, as well, and a hot shower upon arising in the morning can soothe stiffness.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often recommended for arthritis pain, but keep in mind that, if taken too frequently, these drugs can cause stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding-even kidney or liver damage. For natural pain relief, try a soothing ginger tea. Brew 3 - 4 slices of fresh ginger in 1 cup of boiling water. In a Danish study, ginger relieved pain for 55% of osteoarthritis sufferers.

Start Early With Supplements and Diet

Don't ignore pain. If you take action right away with appropriate supplements and diet, you can often reverse the effects of arthritis.

-Glucosamine, a natural chemical, helps to rebuild cartilage and fluid around the joints. Always get the sulfate form, an additional cartilage builder.

-Chondroitin, found naturally in cartilage, may reduce pain and slow breakdown of cartilage.

-Bromelain is an enzyme which helps reduce inflammation. Take a supplement, or get it from eating lots of fresh pineapple.

-Omega-3 fatty acids, especially those from fish oils, lubricate the joints and control pain.

-MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a sulfur compound essential for joint and tissue repair.

-Boswellia, an Ayurvedic herb, reduces inflammation and restores blood vessels around tissues.

-Borage seed oil contains a fatty acid (GLA) which eases pain.

Eat plenty of foods high in vitamin C (such as oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, and peppers), or take a supplement. Boston University School of Medicine researchers studied people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Those who took over 200 mg a day of vitamin C were three times less likely to experience unfavorable symptoms than those who took less than 120 mg a day. Try eating more garlic, onions and eggs. These foods contain sulfur, which aids in repair of bone, cartilage and connective tissue.

If your knees hurt either from arthritis that comes from aging or from a previous trauma to the knee, don't think you have to live with it the rest of your life. There's plenty you can do-without living on pain relievers! And if you start soon enough, you'll most likely be able to avoid knee replacement surgery, as well.

Martial Arts Tips - Stamina and Speed


In addition to strength, the martial arts requires students to develop stamina and speed. Stamina gives you the staying power to perform during a drawn-out sparring match, do roll after roll, and throw a hundred or more techniques in a row. Speed allows you to evade an on-coming opponent, block a punch or a kick, and build enough power to execute a long stunning flying kick.

Stamina and speed are great substitutes for power. What woman lack in strength, they can make up for in stamina and speed. I've seen petite women dance circles around their male opponents, and get in the last punch or kick as their exhausted partner stood too tired to block it.

Common drills for building stamina include running in place while bringing the knees up as high as possible, running back and forth across the floor while throwing punches and kicks, and performing sets of block-punch-kick combinations. During these drills, instructors, in their zeal to get students to attain their best, often count faster than students can do the moves. This is a common practice among instructors designed to push students to their maximum speed. Once in a while you'll be able to keep up; many times you won't. Don't get frustrated. Just look around you. Chances are you're doing better than a lot of the other students, including high-ranking ones.

Speed is also about timing. Developing reaction speed allows you to conserve energy and deliver fast comebacks. Ducking an on-coming technique or jumping out of its way allows you to set yourself up to deliver a follow-up technique. Had you blocked the on-coming technique, it would have taken you more time to set yourself up to throw a follow-up technique.

In addition to strength, stamina, and speed, you'll be expected to increase your flexibility. But unlike stamina and speed drills, flexibility exercises are performed slowly. Long, deliberate stretches prevent muscles and ligaments from tearing, and train your body to execute aesthetically pleasing forms and techniques.

Leg stretches are one of the most common forms of exercises to improve flexibility. But as stated earlier, you don't have to be capable of performing Russian splits to excel in the martial arts. I've never done a perfect split, and most students I've trained with can't do them either. While you're expected to work on improving your ability to master a split, don't let your instructor or anyone force you to do something your body resists.

I recall when my instructor invited a well-known martial artist to our school癒穠a common practice designed to give stu dents a chance to meet with a martial arts celebrity, and give the celebrity exposure and pocket money. This particular mar tial artist is well-known for his high kicks and ability to fall quickly into splits. During class, he asked students to attempt a Russian split. He walked around the class observing us.

Then he stopped behind a student who happened to be facing me. The celebrity martial artist placed his hands on the student's shoulders and with a force that made me grimace, pushed down until the student was in a Russian split. I never saw sweat form as quickly as it did on this student's brow癒穠 it actually popped out in big fat beads. While the student wasn't injured, I seriously doubt most instructors would approve of these methods.

Is ACL Surgery Necessary?


ACL tears are a common knee injury among athletes, from professional to weekend warriors. Over the past couple of decades if you sustained an ACL tear and wanted to get back to an active lifestyle, surgery was required. Recent research now challenges that presumption. How can you decide if surgery is right for you?

The ACL ligament is one of the main ligaments that assist in stabilizing the knee. It is located in the center of the knee joint and assists in controlling the motion of rotation. For those involved in sports, both contact and non-contact, ACL injuries are common. Female athletes are even at a great risk of sustaining an ACL injury because they have a tendency to be quad dominant and lack lateral hip strength that helps to limit knee rotation.

Over the past two decades, significant strides have been achieved in ACL reconstructions. No longer is and ACL injury considered a career ending injury. Now, ACL reconstructions have progressed to allow most of the surgery to be performed arthroscopically with a return to sport activity within six to nine months.
However, surgery does not come without its complications. Anterior knee pain associated with patella tracking issues, knee swelling, stiffness, and even arthritis can all be potential complications. In addition, a small percentage of those that undergo ACL reconstruction have their reconstructions fail.

One of the reasons that ACL surgery is recommended is the potential that knee instability will lead to future increased risk of cartilage injuries and the early onset of arthritis. In addition, for those wishing to return to an active lifestyle, the presumption is that without the ACL, the knee will feel unstable.

For those wishing to return to their previous level of activity after sustaining an ACL tear, surgery was generally presented as the only option. A new research study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, now challenges that assumption. The two year study evaluated 121 young active adults following sustaining an ACL tear. The participants were divided into two groups. One group had rehabilitation followed by early ACL reconstruction. The second group underwent rehabilitation with the option of a delayed reconstruction. Of the 59 participants in the rehabilitation alone group, 36 did not have to have ACL reconstruction. The study found that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the ability to return to prior level of activity.

This study is one of the first in recent years to evaluate the need for having ACL surgery. Based on the study, those undergoing rehabilitation without surgery were able to return to previous levels of activity equal to the surgical group. This study significantly calls into question the need for early ACL reconstruction. Although more studies need to be performed to determine the long term consequences of rehabilitation alone, this study provides options for those with ACL tears.

If you have sustained an ACL injury, discuss with your doctor the options of surgery vs. rehabilitation. You may not have to undergo ACL reconstruction in order to return to the activities you enjoy.

The Basics of Knee Replacement Surgery


Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure. It is medically known as Knee Arthroplasty. The procedure is done if patients are still feeling the pain symptoms during normal activities. The practice is done for patients who have knee diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis.

It can also be applied to patients who have knee injuries. There are two kinds of knee replacement. It can be partial or total replacement. The surgery depends on the severity of the patient's disease or injury. The replacement can also be either metal or plastic.

Normally, the replacement can last for ten to fifteen years. There are non operative treatments to avoid the procedure. Patients are given physiotherapy or physical therapy or they can also do special exercises like walking aids. Taking medicines are also medically advised by their respective physicians. However, if these non operatives can no longer cure the patients, surgery is done.

The traditional procedure of the surgery is when the doctor cuts the knee about ten to thirty centimeters long, until they will reach the knee joint. The worn or damaged parts are removed from the thigh to the shin bone of the patient. Physicians will then, shape the damaged surfaced with the metal or plastic replacement. Once they are done with the fitting process, they will put the knee replacement. The cut will be stitched and closed out.

Nowadays, they have discovered a new method of doing the surgery. The recent medical advances are discovered to lessen the tissue trauma or the surgery marks for the patients. They call it Minimally Invasive Surgery. It is done by just making a small incision and by going between the fibers and the muscles without cutting the tendons.

After the surgery, the patients are encouraged to walk with aids in sticks or walkers. They will also have physical therapists to assist them. It will take time for patients to fully recover. Perseverance and patience are advised for these patients.

Well, in some parts of the world where the surgeries are highly specialized and where everything is governed by robots, knee replacement surgery is not considered a major operation. They categorize it under repairs, whereas other types of surgeries require maximum hands-on operation. It is also important to know the extent of wellness the operation will do to you at the same time the things that you can or can't do.

It is recommended to have an overall examination in a timely manner to avoid misinterpretation and assumptions. It is highly recommended by doctors to immediately seek medical assistance if knee pain is present or felt. It can be just a simple pain but it may give a major medical problem to one's health that can lead to this so called knee replacement surgery.

It is a must that we have to be very vigilant in times of body pains. We do not know what is going on inside our body. What we refer to as a simple muscle or knee pain might already a fatal damage inside. If anything happens or you feel something different, have a check up with your doctor at once to avoid severe complications.

Pulmonary Embolism


The English term "embolus" derives from the Greek word meaning "plug" or "stopper." A pulmonary embolus consists of material that gains entry towards the venous program and then towards the pulmonary circulation. Eventually, it reaches a vessel whose caliber is too small to permit free passage, and there it forms a plug, occluding the lumen and obstructing perfusion.

There are lots of kinds of pulmonary emboli. The most typical is pulmonary thromboembolism, which happens when venous thrombi, chiefly from the reduce extremities, migrate to the pulmonary flow A normal function from the pulmonary microcirculation is to get rid of venous emboli. The lungs possess each excess functional capability along with a redundant vascular supply, producing them a superb filter for preventing little thrombi and platelet aggregates from attaining access to the systemic flow.

Nevertheless, large thromboemboli, or an accumulation of smaller types, can trigger substantial impairment of cardiac and respiratory function and death. Pulmonary thromboemboli are common and cause significant morbidity. They're found at autopsy in 25-50% of hospitalized patients and are regarded a main contributing trigger of death inside a third of those. However, the diagnosis is made antemortem in only 10-20% of instances.

Etiology & Epidemiology:
Pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis represent a continuum of a single disease that has been coined venous thromboembolic disease, or VTE. Thromboemboli almost never originate in the pulmonary circulation; they arrive there by traveling through the venous flow. More than 95% of pulmonary thromboemboli arise from thrombi in the deep veins of the lower extremity:

the popliteal, femoral, and iliac veins. Venous thrombosis below the popliteal veins or occurring in the superficial veins of the leg is clinically typical but not a risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism because thrombi in these locations rarely migrate towards the pulmonary circulation without first extending above the knee.

Since fewer than 20% of calf thrombi will extend into the popliteal veins, isolated calf thrombi may be observed with serial tests to exclude extension into the deep system and do not necessarily require anticoagulation. Venous thromboses occasionally occur in the upper extremities or in the right side of the heart; this happens most commonly in the presence of intravenous catheters or cardiac pacing wires and may be of increasing clinical importance as the use of long-term intravenous catheters increases.

Risk factors for pulmonary thromboembolism are, therefore, the risk factors for the development of venous thrombosis in the deep veins from the legs (deep venous thrombosis). The German pathologist Rudolf Virchow stated these risk factors in 1856: venous stasis, injury towards the vascular wall, and increased activation from the clotting program. His observations are still valid today.

Probably the most prevalent risk factor in hospitalized patients is stasis from immobilization, especially in those undergoing surgical procedures. The incidence of calf vein thrombosis in patients who do not receive heparin prophylaxis after total knee replacement is reported to be as high as 84%; it is more than 50% after hip surgery or prostatectomy.

The risk of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism in these patients may be as high as 5%. Physicians caring for these patients must, therefore, be aware of the magnitude from the risk and institute appropriate prophylactic therapy. Malignancy and tissue damage at surgery are the two most common causes of increased activation from the coagulation system.

Abnormalities in the vessel wall contribute small to venous as opposed to arterial thrombosis. Nevertheless, prior thrombosis can damage venous valves and lead to venous incompetence, which promotes stasis. Advances now permit identification of genetic disorders in up to one third of unselected individuals with venous thrombosis and in more than half of individuals with familial thrombosis. It is now clear that these genetic variants may interact with other factors (eg, oral contraceptive use, dietary deficiencies) to increase thrombosis risk.

Pathophysiology:
Venous thrombi are composed of a friable mass of fibrin, with numerous erythrocytes along with a few leukocytes and platelets randomly enmeshed in the matrix. When a venous thrombus travels towards the pulmonary flow, it causes a broad array of pathophysiologic changes.

Hemodynamic Changes:
Every patient with a pulmonary embolus has some degree of mechanical obstruction. The effect of mechanical obstruction depends on the proportion of the pulmonary flow obstructed and the presence or absence of preexisting cardiopulmonary disease.

In individuals without preexisting cardio-pulmonary disease, pulmonary arterial pressure increases in proportion to the fraction from the pulmonary circulation occluded by emboli. If that fraction is greater than about one third, pulmonary artery pressures will rise out of the normal range and trigger right ventricular strain.

The pulmonary circulation can adapt to increased flow, but this depends on (1) recruitment of underperfused capillaries, which may not be available because of obstruction, and (2) relaxation of central vessels, which does not occur instantaneously. In patients with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, increases in pulmonary artery pressures do not correlate with extent of embolization.

In these studies, there were relatively few individuals with both preexisting cardiopulmonary disease and extensive arterial occlusion. A correlation may be obscured by the possibility that massive emboli may either kill patients with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease or perhaps make them too unstable for angiography.

The most devastating and feared complication of acute pulmonary thromboembolism is sudden occlusion from the pulmonary outflow tract, reducing cardiac output to zero and causing immediate cardiovascular collapse and death. Large emboli that do not completely occlude vessels, particularly in patients with compromised cardiac function, may trigger an acute increase in pulmonary vascular resistance.

This leads to acute right ventricular strain along with a fatal fall in cardiac output. Such dramatic presentations occur in less than 5% of cases and are essentially untreatable. They serve to highlight the importance of primary prevention of venous thrombosis.

Changes in Ventilation/Perfusion Relationships:
Pulmonary thromboembolism reduces or eliminates perfusion distal to the site of the occlusion. The immediate effect would be to increase the proportion of lung segments with high / ratios. If there is complete obstruction to flow, then the / ratio reaches infinity.

This represents alveolar dead space. An increase in dead space ventilation impairs the excretion of carbon dioxide. This tendency is generally compensated by hyperventilation. After several hours, hypoperfusion interferes with production of surfactant by alveolar type II cells. Surfactant is depleted, resulting in alveolar edema, alveolar collapse, and areas of atelectasis.

Edema and collapse may result in lung units with small or no ventilation. If there is perfusion to these segments, there will be an increase in lung units with low / ratios or areas of true shunting, both of which will contribute to arterial hypoxemia.

Hypoxemia:
Mild to moderate hypoxemia having a low PaCO2 is probably the most typical finding in acute pulmonary thromboembolism. Mild hypoxemia may be obscured by the tendency to rely on oximetry alone, because more than half of patients will have oxygen saturations (SaO2) above 90%.

Historically, the A-a PO2 was thought to be a more sensitive indicator of pulmonary embolism because it compensates for the presence of hypocapnia and the amount of inspired FiO2. Nevertheless, the recent Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis II (PIOPED II) study has called this thinking into question.

An A-a PO2 less than 20, which is normal or near typical depending on patient age, was discovered in one third of patients with an acute PE identified by CT scanning.There is no one mechanism that will fully account for hypoxemia. Two causes have been mentioned previously. An increase in lung units with low / ratios impairs oxygen delivery.

In patients whose underlying disease makes them unable to increase their minute ventilation, an increase in lung units with high / ratios can also result in hypoxemia. In some individuals with preexisting impaired cardiac function or with big emboli that trigger acute right ventricular strain, cardiac output may fall, with a resultant fall in the mixed venous oxygen concentration.

This is an important cause of hypoxemia in seriously ill individuals. Finally, there may be true right-to-left shunts. Such shunts have been described in a small percentage of patients with severe hypoxemia in the setting of an acute pulmonary thromboembolism. It is presumed that these represent pulmonary artery to pulmonary venous shunting, or perhaps opening of a foramen ovale, but their exact location is unknown.

Obstruction of little pulmonary arterial branches that act as end arteries leads to pulmonary infarction in about 10% of instances. It is generally associated with some concomitant abnormality from the bronchial circulation such as is seen in individuals with left ventricular failure and chronically elevated left atrial pressures.

Are Hindu Squats Bad For Your Knees?


I'm a big believer in bodyweight exercises, particularly Hindu Pushups and Hindu Squats. However, many people do not even want to try Hindu squats as they believe that as the knee extends beyond the knee, this is dangerous. It will somehow "shear the knees."

There is no doubt in my mind that you want to treat your knees with care. The knee is a delicate joint and may be one of the biggest trouble spots for people (next to back pain). When you lose the cartilage in your knee, it's gone for good. I speak from experience on this. On the right side of my right knee there is cartilage that is severely damaged. What happened to me?

Well, it certainly wasn't Hindu squats. I used to be a big time runner and I suspect all of the "pounding the pavement" I did really pounded the heck out of my knees. I also really twisted my knee over 20 years ago playing football in a park. I didn't think of it at the time, but my doctor suspects this is where the initial damage occurred. So, when it comes to knee pain and damaging your knee, I think I know something about it.

From my experience with Hindu squats, they strengthen the knee. When I first started with this exercise there were some aches and pains, not to mention snapping and popping sounds. However, I took it easy and kept at it. After about a month of consistent training (meaning, training everyday) the pain seemed to go away. It took some time, but this kind of bodyweight exercise, like all of them , not only strengthen the muscles and help you build endurance, they also strengthen the ligaments and tendons. This is something that weight lifting doesn't do.

Some people have told me that baseball catchers have terrible knees. Supposedly, they got this way from all of the squatting they do. This sounds like an old wives tale to me. The people who tell me this can't offer up the actual names of any baseball catchers who believe this. Until they do, I will remain highly suspicious of this claim.

But there is another factor in my thinking here. The fact of the matter is that a good portion of the world sit in a catcher's position on a regular basis for their entire lives. If you've ever been to Asia, you'll see people squatting like this all the time. I'm willing to bet that these people have far healthier knees and backs than North Americans. If there was any truth to the "knee sheering" theory, you'd think there would be an epidemic of shot knees through Asia. It just hasn't happened.

In conclusion, from my experience, Hindu squats do not damage your knees. In fact, just the opposite. They can actually help you strengthen your knees and get rid of chronic knee pain. You just have to work at it.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Self Defense For Women


Men see women as vulnerable and fragile that is why, in most cases, women are the usual victims of violence and crimes. However, this wrong perception needs to stop immediately. Every woman should be strong and smart to be able to protect themselves from threats and violence. Men and women are equal. If men can be fully knowledgeable and skilled with fighting and martial arts techniques, then women can also be. With training and determination, women can also be great masters of martial arts and they can easily knock down their beefy masculine attackers as well. It is very important that every woman like you will always look and stay physically strong so that you will not be easy prospects for crime and violence victims.

However, if you do not have formal training yet on self-defense or martial arts, still, there are easy ways and techniques you can do to protect yourself. With the right timing and opportunity, you can apply these techniques easily and effectively once a stranger attacked you violently. Some parts of your body can be very helpful when fighting your attacker. The elbow is one of the very useful ones, especially when your assailant grabs you and positions himself at your back. A strong elbow strike at his ribs or belly can cause him so much pain, and if you do it well, you will have better chance to run farther away from him.

Your foot is another effective body part to use for self-defense. A strong and powerful kick to the side or front part of the attacker's knees will absolutely immobilize the attacker. Try to avoid high kick, particularly if you want to aim and hit his face. This might give your assailant a chance to grab your foot while it is on the way up. The groin is another favorite part to kick when you want to get away from an attacker successfully.

Another great asset of women when it comes to self-defense is their brains. Yes, if you know that physical strength is not your advantage, then, use your brain wisely. Always trust and follow your instincts because mostly, they are helpful during those difficult times. Be alert and do not panic when someone attacked and grabbed you. Instead, keep an open and relaxed mind to help you think of a better solution to get away from the attacker.

Always be vigilant and be a keen observer whenever you are in a public area or in a dangerous situation. Once you sense that there is something wrong, go towards the area with many people. Do not let yourself be alone in a dark corner so you will avoid being an easy target for robbery, kidnapping, harassment and other crimes.

It is always necessary for women to stay strong, alert, smart and confident whenever they are in a difficult and dangerous situation so they can protect themselves effectively.

Male Body Mass Index


The body mass index (BMI) is the relationship between the height and weight of an individual, which directly correlates to the body fat contained within the body and explains the degree of health risk associated with the person. It is measured as BMI = Body weight in Kilograms/ height in meters squared.

The male population has special consequences with regard to the body mass index with respect to the ramifications of the different possible relations possible with different height and weight characteristics of men. Characteristically, they are very different to those of female population.

A study by the department of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health goes a step further to prove that obesity in middle age is associated with increased risks of osteoarthritis of the knees.

During the years of 20-29, a greater Body Mass Index has been found to have a direct relationship to osteoarthritis of the knee. This also suggests that a cumulative exposure to an increasing BMI during the growing years in a man leads to complications in old age.

For men, the desirable body mass is said to be somewhere around 22- 24 while obesity is marked at 28.5. Extreme obesity is marked at 33.

Men have different height and weight characteristics and hence different ramifications in general related to different resultant BMI. While it cannot be the sole dictator with respect to health advising, it certainly is a definite guide when it comes to a man's health.

Medical Tourism: The Future Of Healthcare And Travel


One of the greatest achievements of the civilized society is the longevity of human life; this longevity has paved way for new and significant developments in the healthcare industry. The increasing acceptance of surgery added with the excitement of travel and tourism is fuelling a new medical tourism industry in South East Asia, with India and Thailand pioneering the cause.

Healthcare facilitators have realized the potential of the industry and are making sure patients traveling find the destination is not anything like the commonly perceived third world scenario. In contrast they receive luxury amenities complimenting top quality health care. The quality, affordability and accessibility of medical procedures are the main pulses for people considering going overseas for surgery.

Nationals of the United States of America and/or Western Europe find the Third World expenses for medical services quite affordable. Medical tourists have good cause to seek out care beyond their boundaries. The public health-care system is so overburdened in many developed nations that it sometimes takes years to get the needed attention.

While this affordability makes medical tourism attractive to its prospective patients, risks such as lack of protection in cases of malpractice, possible lack of adequate pre-operational assessment and/or follow-up can also accompany it. Yet, the hospitals and clinics that cater to the tourist market often is among the best in the world, and many recruit physicians trained at major medical centers in the United States and Europe.

In some countries, clinics are backed by sophisticated research infrastructures as well. India is among the world's leading countries for biotechnology research. Add to this the fact that some healthcare centers assign patients a personal assistant for the post-hospital recovery period and throw in a vacation incentive as well, and the deal gets even more alluring. Additionally, many Asian airlines offer frequent-flyer miles to ease the cost of returning for follow-up visits. Medical tourism organizations work exclusively with leading and internationally accredited private hospitals to take care of patients from abroad. They make all arrangements including airfares, accommodation, airport/hotel transfers and access to specialists and surgeons.

Market trends guarantee that medical tourism in India will continue to expand in the years ahead. As in most tourist-oriented medical communities, the major attractions are cosmetic surgery and dental treatments. However, eye surgery, kidney dialysis and organ transplantation also are among the most common procedures sought by medical vacationers in India. India has top-notch centers for open-heart surgery, pediatric heart surgery, hip and knee replacement, cosmetic surgery, dentistry, bone marrow transplants and cancer therapy. Virtually all of India's healthcare centers are equipped with the latest electronic and medical diagnostic equipment.

7.5 Ways To Get More Sales Through Your Web Site


Yes, apparently - websites are supposed to make money! Somebody came up with the strange idea that it's really not enough to spend thousands on your site, hundreds of hours creating the content and then sitting back to admire you, and your developer's work. No - apparently it is now 'cool' to have a web site that actually makes it onto a sales column in your chart of accounts.. 'Return on in investment' is a good phrase that's being thrown around - what are you actually making from your web site in cash terms? Ever thought about that?

Well, you should be thinking about it. Not only should you be tracking where the money is coming from but also where it's gone to. No point kidding yourself - it wasn't cheap was it? There was the developer's costs, the graphic design costs and hopefully some costs set aside for taking on web site marketing experts to get your site found.

So, anyway, track what you've spent and then see what's coming through the door rather than going out when it comes to your website. To help you - in what is a constant review and improve process - here are 7.5 ways to get more sales through your web site.

"Get On With It!", I hear you shout, "Tell Me The 7.5 Ways To Get More Sales!"

1. Use a professional web developer to build the site in the first place.

Don't cut corners or budgets. How many business owners have an idea for a business and then take up the science of bricklaying to build their own shop or premises? Exactly - don't do it. Your job is to run your business effectively and worry about where the profits are coming from - not designing websites.

2. Use a professional graphic designer when your site is being developed.

If you use your mate next door we can all tell. It might keep your wallet heavy but hey - if you want a website that looks a million Lira - fine. A rough, made up just now, rule of thumb is to spend 10% of what you would like the web site to make. Just think about that for a minute when you get Dave from down the pub to 'knock you one up for 瞿100..". And remember - you'll need professional web development AND professional graphic design input. Web developers are not designers. Graphic designers are not web developers. Glad we've got that cleared up..

3. Use a professional web site marketing company to get your web site found

You need to get found in the search engines, in the directories and anywhere on the web that matters. Graphic designers can't do this. Most web developers can't do this. And you certainly can't do this - you're supposed to be running your business, remember? Spot the theme here? Yes - professionals. You don't get a plumber in to lay your carpet do you? Don't make the same mistake when creating your web site - pull in the appropriate professionals for the appropriate tasks. Which brings us nicely on to way number 4...

4. Don't be a scrooge.

There is an old proverb that says it perfectly;

once but cries many times. The man who buys expensive cries once but laughs many times."

Remember this the next you think about cutting corners. There are obviously exceptions to every rule but you usually get what you pay for in this life.

5. Ask for the sale.

Yes it's obvious. But are you doing it? If you're actually selling something directly via your website you have to make it an absolute doddle for someone to work out what they need to do. Don't make them hunt around for pricing, ordering information, contact details, delivery information etc. Sock it to them right up front - they'll love you for it. If you're not selling directly via the site you still need to ask for the sale.

6. Throw your web site to the lions.

Not literally, unless it's really bad. (And in case you're wondering how that would be physically possible just load all your web site's files onto a floppy disc, take the number 33 bus down to the nearest zoo, buy a ticket and a map, locate the lions and Bob's your uncle. But I digress..). Basically get as many people as possible to critique your web site. Friends and family are always good for this - though they'll probably be unwilling to be over-critical (unless it's your in-laws) so impartial parties is a better idea, if you can track any down.

Ask your colleagues and friends to forward your web site address onto others and ask for direct feedback, no holds barred. Better to have people test it like this and say it's about as much use as a chocolate fireguard than open your shop doors, so to speak, and have your customers tell you the same thing by voting with their mice and sniffing away in an instant in the search for more professionally-produced cheese...

7. Deliver what you say you will

Yes, another no-brainer but it will pay huge dividends. No point in fighting tooth and nail for all those hard-to-reach prospects if you've got a nice healthy stack of existing customers that already think you're the bees' knees. Once you've got that customer hold onto him / her with all your might - treat them like kings because your competitor will be after them. It's far cheaper and quicker to sell something to an existing customer than it is to find a new one. Simple in theory - not so easy to put into practice. But hey - what are you after here? A free breakfast?!

7.5. "People Laughed At Me When I Said I Could Get Them To Read This Sentence. But Who's Laughing Now?!"

Use headlines in your web site. People are busy. People are impatient and people can't read. Well, okay they can - but they prefer information in small chunks. They like something that grabs them. Why do you think you're reading this article? Because your subconscious read the headline and dived straight in. You really think you would be reading this if the article were titled "Web Site Creating Techniques Aimed At Improving Return On Investment Over Time".?? I rest my case...

Knee Injuries in Hockey Goalies - The Meniscal Tear


Injuries are a part of sport and hockey goalies are not immune. For hockey goalies the meniscal tear can have an impact on performance and may also have an impact on your other daily activities. Let's look at the symptoms of meniscal tears, the mechanisms of meniscal tear and what you can do to prevent or recover from this injury.

The hinge joint of your knee is comprised of the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). The end of the femur is somewhat rounded like a knuckle, where the tibial plateau is relatively flat. The knee is not the most stable joint so the menisci (you have two - one medial and one lateral) help give a little more depth to the joint surfaces and they provide a little cushion between the femur and tibia.

The menisci are shaped a little like a hockey puck that has been squished a little in the middle. It is a cartilaginous material and the big problem with meniscal tears is the fact that the meniscus has a poor blood supply. The outer rim of the meniscus has some blood supply, so a tear in this area may actually heal. As you move toward the centre of the meniscus there is very little or no blood supply, so tears in this area will not heal.

When I worked as the exercise specialist at a sport medicine clinic, one of the physiotherapists had an awesome analogy for what meniscal tears are and what they feel like. She described a meniscal tear as a 'hang nail' in your knee. You know how you can have a hang nail and it typically feels just fine, not painful at all - until you catch that little flap of skin going against the grain. When that happens - WOW! Look out; major pain.

Hockey goalies who have a meniscal tear may be just fine to complete all activity they wish, but then they may go to walk around a corner or drop into your butterfly and - ouch! The knee may even give away from the jolt of pain. If you feel a general ache under your knee cap, this is likely something more like a patellofemoral irritation than a meniscal tear.

The tricky thing about meniscal tears is that there are numerous mechanisms. I remember one individual who spent an afternoon kneeling on their knees while refinishing a floor and when they went to stand up - yikes - meniscal tear. But for hockey goalies I think there are two common mechanisms.


  1. There is a collision between a skater and a goalie in which the skater falls on the goalie's knee when it is in a flexed position or the goalie is driven backward with their foot trapped beneath them.

  2. The goalie moves into a position where the knee is put under a medial/lateral (varus or valgus) stress and they put stress on the meniscus which overtime or in one instant may cause a meniscal irritation or tear. I am thinking particularly of the butterfly position for goalies.

The goalie will feel pain at the time of injury and there may be some swelling in the knee. If you think you have torn your meniscus, then start with rest, ice and elevation. It may settle down. If your knee is locked, i.e. you physically cannot strengthen it or trying to do so leads to major pain, then you should head straight to the phone and call your local sport medicine professional.

If you have torn your meniscus, you should get some physiotherapy from a good sport physiotherapist. If it is a severe tear you may need to consult an orthopedic surgeon who may either scope the knee to remove some of the rough edges and 'clean' things up a little. If it is a large tear toward the inner portion of the meniscus the surgeon may decide to stitch it back together which helps preserve the meniscus which over time will greatly reduce the wear and tear on the knee over time.

Whether you have injured your meniscus in the past or if you are a hockey goalie looking to reduce the risk of injury, the fundamentals are the same. As long as you are symptom free then you should be sure to include work on your hip internal rotation so you can get into your butterfly by getting range from the hip, not by torquing through the knee.

Osteoarthritis Medication


Medicine is an important component of the treatment of Osteoarthritis. A healthy alternative is to combine over the counter pain relievers with alternate treatment and medicines prescribed by physician.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 20 million Americans. Each affected person has his individual medical and personal history. Medication has to be taken in conjunction with diet, alcohol intake, dosage, and time. For example, if prescribed Acetaminophen, an analgesic, one needs to be careful about fasting and alcohol intake as it could lead to acetaminophen-induced liver damage.

Nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium are prescribed if acetaminophen proves inadequate as pain reliever. A disadvantage with NSAIDs is that they can cause irritation, bleeding in stomach or a decrease in kidney function. It is advisable to follow a doctor's instructions look out for side effects. The newer and more effective NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors, do not cause gastrointestinal irritation but increase risk of cardiovascular problems.

Medication has to follow the course of the disease. The doctor can prescribe Corticosteroids injections for relief and movement caused by increasing inflammation and stiffness in joints. This is a steroid made by the adrenal gland, and if given frequently, quickens joint breakdowns and their eventual failure. A similar injection providing equal relief by cushioning the joints is Hyaluronan or Synervisc. Though effective, they trigger swelling and occasional infection or allergic reactions.

Alternate medication, home remedies, liniments, gels, and creams used to help lessen pain require patience and belief. The treatment can take few weeks or months before improvement is noticed. The creams and lotions contain aspirin-like compounds, capsaicin, menthol, and local anesthetics and have similar impact as NSAIDs. The best advice for an Osteoarthritis patient is to follow doctor's recommendations whether going in for prescribed medicines, alternative medicines, or for surgery procedures.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Top 5 Causes of Gradual Onset Knee Pain


Knee pain which comes on gradually for no apparent reason is probably the most frustrating type of knee pain. Not only is it frustrating not to know what has caused your pain, but this type of knee pain can also be more difficult to treat effectively. This is usually due to a combination of causative factors which must all be corrected to deal with the problem effectively.

Here is our list of the most common causes of gradual onset knee pain:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition which affects the cartilage lining the ends of bones within a joint. It is sometimes also referred to as 'wear and tear'. It is most common in those over the age of 50 and especially in people with a history of previous knee injuries. It can occur in any joint, but is most common in weight bearing joints such as the knee and hip.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Also known as anterior knee pain or patella mal-tracking. This is where the knee cap moves excessively towards the outside of the knee, rather than running in its groove. This can cause damage to the cartilage lining the underside of the kneecap. Symptoms include vague pain at the front of the knee which is worst when going down hill or stairs and after exercise.

Osgood schlatters

Osgood schlatters disease occurs in adolescent sports players. It causes pain below the knee and a lump to develop at the attachment of the patella tendon into the shin bone. It is most common in those going through a growth spurt whilst also playing lots of sport. Treatment involves rest or at least modification of activity, as well as ice, stretching and massage.

Jumper's knee

More accurately known as patella tendonitis. This is a degenerative condition affecting the tendon which connects the kneecap to the shin bone. It is aggravated by repetitive jumping or bounding and pain gradually builds up. It may initially only cause pain during activity but may become painful even at rest.

IT band syndrome

Also known as runner's knee. This is an inflammatory condition causing pain and tenderness at the outside of the knee, where the IT band moves back and forth over the lateral condyle of the Femur. This is common in runners and cyclists where the knee is repeatedly bent and straightened.

Please visit our knee pain page on sportsinjuryclinic.net for more injuries which could be causing your knee pain!

Arthritis, Knee Pain and Gout!


There are many types of arthritis. The three basic types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and the most commonly one rheumatoid arthritis. Any type of arthritis can affect our body in a different way. The difficulty here is: When it comes to treating any discomfort or pain the results can vary; not every one's body will respond the same way or any treatment.

What causes the pain?

Knee or sometime hip pain is usually caused by any of the three types of arthritis. Also gout is a distributor to pain. There are other causes of knee pain, such as injury, overuse in a workplace, obesity and the wrong diet. In young people and children chronic knee pain can have the first sign of rheumatoid arthritis or simply "growing pains".

Gout is another main reason for knee pain. Gout is a condition that causes sudden and severe attacks of pain, redness and swelling of joints. There have been some reports saying too much exercise can cause knee pain or joint pain. On the contrary, exercise is a great benefit.

Gout where does it come from?

Gout is a condition that has been known for many centuries. It affects mostly a single joint in one episode, often the big toe or a finger. About 9 out of 10 affected by gout are men over the age of 40. The highest age of attack is 75 years; it can occur in young ones on rare occasions as well. Gout is due to accumulations of uric acid within the fluid of your joints. Uric acid is actually a waste product of many foods that we eat.

In order to properly digest food and rid our body of waste, we produce substances such as uric acid. However, when transportation of uric acid accumulates in the blood stream, pain and gout may result. When the uric acid level becomes too high, painful attacks of gouty arthritis joint pain will occur. There are other symptoms that include kidney stones, and ultimately can cause kidney failure.

Uric acid and gout!

Tests have revealed that the relationship between uric acid levels in the blood stream and gout is unclear. Some people with gout have normal or near normal blood levels of uric acid; other people have very high blood levels of uric acid with no symptoms of gout.

Other risk factors that can bring on a gout attack. These are obesity, sudden weight gain, excessive intake of alcohol, and abnormal kidney function. Also some medications include risk factors, such as thiazide diuretics to control blood pressure etc. Another risk factor is such foods as organ meats, liver, kidney, herring, anchovies, and to an extent most processed meat products. Sodas and soft drinks or any sweet drinks be best avoided as well.

A detoxifying program would help to remove harmful poisonous substances from your body to ease the pain and gout symptoms.This brings us back to the point that every one's body reacts different to any type of disease and healing.

Some of the super foods!

Check your overall food consumption because a healthy eating plan is important for arthritis inflammation and pain. Include some of these super-foods in your daily diet such as broccoli, berries, spinach, pineapple, onions, squash, olive oil and fish, just to mention a few. Increase your omega-3 acid's; those healing omega-3 fight joint inflammation that is responsible for any aching sensation in your knees, hips, hands and sometimes spine.

Natural foods as such have the best healing power without any side effects, far greater than any script medicine. Include a good quality natural liquid supplement to all that super food and you will feel the benefit.

As the pain becomes less, the joints more flexible and easy to move, you are on the way to a better, pain-free, and relaxing life.

Knee Pain and Stiffness - How You Can Be Pain Free With a Combination of Pilates & Physical Therapy


Are you using the handrail more and more often when you go down the stairs. Are your knees failing you?

More people are now seeing their doctors because of painful joints, muscles and tendons than for the common cold, and the knee joint is responsible for over 20 million doctor visits each year in the US alone. Your knee plays a major role in the chain of weight bearing in the leg. It has to respond to ground forces from below and the load of your body from above. It is a relatively simple joint, but it has to be ready to quickly react to force from the ground while balancing the load of the rest of the body at the same time. Your knee is at the mercy of what's going on in the joints directly above and below: the hip, pelvis, ankle and foot.

Although there are many reasons for knee pain (arthritis, meniscus and ligament damage for example), long term relief of knee pain has to start with an assessment of your whole structure. This assessment begins with your feet to see how they influence the alignment and forces at the knee. Any joint is only as good as its structure, and poor alignment in the feet and ankles has a negative influence on the knee, creating muscle imbalances and eventually pain and stiffness.

The hip joint also has a similar affect on the knee - poor mechanics and muscle imbalances in the hip creates problems for the knee. And because the socket of the hip joint is formed by the pelvis, it has to be aligned correctly too. In fact, when doing a full assessment of the knee, the whole body must be evaluated, since any structural imbalances in the body can affect the knee's ability to function.

The good news is that a well balanced Pilates-based Physical Therapy program addresses the whole body. Pilates is a recent addition to many Physical Therapy programs and is rapidly growing in popularity throughout the world. Combining Pilates with Physical Therapy will improve your body awareness, alignment, strength, flexibility and balance. You'll learn how to move with more efficiency and less pain.

At first, new and balanced movement habits feel weird and unfamiliar because they're foreign to your nervous system. Working with a skilled Pilates trained Physical Therapist will help you understand your own unique postural and movement habits and help you practice correct patterns effectively.

Here are a couple of things you can do right now to find out how your knees stack up:

1. Stand in shorts, barefoot in front of a full length mirror and look at your leg alignment. What do you see? Are there any funny angles between your hips and your knees? What about your feet? Do you have an arch on the inside of your foot? Can you see that your whole leg influences the alignment of your knee? This includes the alignment of your pelvis, since the pelvis is the top of your hip joint. Be aware that when you do any exercise "for your knees", you must also consider the rest of your body, especially the foot, ankle and hip.

2. While standing, imagine a line going through the center of your leg from your hip joint, through the center of your thigh, your knee joint, the center of your lower leg, ankle and out the 2nd toe. This is the ideal alignment for your leg. A word about your hip joint: did you know that your "hips" are not the wide bones of your pelvis, but the place where you crease when you bend your knee towards your chest? This is where your heel should line up when your foot hits the ground when walking. The hip joint itself is really quite narrow - about the same distance apart as your sits bones in the back.

3. When you stand, walk and exercise, the alignment of your whole leg affects which muscles you use to move. And the way you use your muscles strongly influences your alignment. Be very aware of keeping correct alignment from your pelvis to your foot - hip to 2nd toe - so that you create good balance around your knees. If you do exercises like squats and leg press, do you pay attention to your leg alignment? Your knee program will be far more effective if you do. Remember that pain is your body's way of telling you that something's not right, so if you can't modify your position to relieve the pain, skip the exercise. Remember also that not every "recommended" knee exercise is right for every knee - you need to find out what's right for your knees.

The point is that your knee pain is usually just a result of the alignment you set up from the ground (you feet and ankles) and the load you put on them from above (your hips, pelvis and trunk). Figure out how to de-stress your knee joints by changing your whole-body alignment and your knee pain and stiffness will resolve.

If you have knee pain and want to find out how to get relief, see a Pilates trained Physical Therapist who will assess your whole body, rather than looking only at your knees. A Pilates exercise program, with a home routine, is a great way to reduce pain and stiffness in your knees, and a 2nd pair of experienced eyes will help you sort out your unique imbalances. Then you'll know exactly what to do for YOUR knees.

How do you find a Pilates trained Physical Therapist? Many PT clinics now offer Pilates, and many Pilates centers employee Physical Therapists. Check your local PT clinics and Pilates centers. And make sure that your practitioner has completed a comprehensive Pilates training program.

Copyright © Park Meadows Pilates 2008

A Door Way to a New Crime Wave


The Internet in and of itself can be an intimidating network filled with hoaxes and criminals that are out to make what was intended to be an new source of communication freedom, seem like a trap in which any one of us in this world can become an unsuspecting victim to a number of cyber crimes. As these crimes increase, so to does the terminology and definitions that describe them. Viruses are no longer the sole worry of those who look to defend themselves from a computer or information systems attack. There is a laundry list of definitions that the common user needs to be aware of to avoid making themselves and their private computer and information systems vulnerable, which would allow the cyber criminals of today to exploit the many door ways to their Identity Theft crime waves.

Malicious Software Codes

Have you noticed that your computer system is running unreasonably slow? Does it stall when shutting down, or refuse to turn off. Do some of your applications freeze on startup? Are you often prompted to download a Malware removal tool from a websites that had conducted a “Free Courtesy Virus Scan?” If you experience any of these frustrating and sickly computer symptoms, then your workstation is probably the victim of some form of malicious code. Malicious code is the first avenue that an attacker can take on a vulnerable information system. When the common computer user thinks of the Malware, the majority would probably think the words viruses, or spy-ware. Very view would be aware of the other malicious codes that exist, codes such as worms, zombies, logic bombs, software key-loggers, backdoors, or root kits. The US Department of Homeland Security has termed all of these codes as Crimeware, as they are typically used to breech the security of an information technology system, and perform criminal activities such as data compromise or theft. The old trend of attack was to knock down or disable the workstation, which probably forced the user to reinstall the operating system. But with the advent of e-commerce, a new trend of intrusion is emerging.

Cyber criminals now wish to gain as much access to a user’s data as possible and a clean install probably destroys the target. The trend now is to attack with out being detected, which would slow the system down to some degree, but would allow the attack to probe the user’s data, and possibly reveal credit card numbers, account information, and other data which could in turn be used to steal ones digital self.
Though the home user is more vulnerable to attack, due to the lack of major corporate funding to implement the advanced intrusion detection/prevention tools of today, the target is shifting to corporate America. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, and the Science and Technology Directorate, cyber criminals with the use of Malware or Crimeware, are targeting more and more corporations to gain access to intellectual property and general business data. Malicious code being Malware or Crimeware is dangerous enough when it is deployed on its own, but when coupled with social engineering, it becomes a dangerous avenue of attack for any unsuspecting user.

Denial of Services

According to Cisco Press Denial of Services is a type of network attack design to bring the victimized network to it knees by flooding the network with useless traffic. This attack is by far the most commonly feared among major corporations in that an attack on its services is an attack on the business model of the company itself. In other words, denying the web service of an online search engine, or the FTP service of online FTP site, causes down time, this in turn translates in to the loss of corporate income. Denial of Service attacks can be deployed using a number of venues. According to Michael T Simpson, the Ping of Death is a modified ICMP packet that is redesigned to violate the maximum ICMP packet size of 65,535 bytes, which is then used to crash or freeze systems as they attempt to respond to the oversize packet. This simple but effective packet can completely deny a Network Interface Card access to the Internet just by the overflow of pings that the host under attack is attempting to respond to.

The Distributed Denial of Services attack can use the malware code known as zombies which have been installed on a multiple home user’s computers, to then attack a single corporate information system. This type of attack is used to fool the Intrusion Detection Systems of the corporate office into logging the IP addresses of the zombie infected host, and hides the true origin of the attack. This has the added tactical effect of the attacked host being digitally surrounded by the attacker’s probes and spoofs, and an attack that can exist for extended periods of time due to the fact that the originator of the attack can reproduce the attack at will from a number of unsuspecting hosts. Zombies can be coded as viruses, worms, or logic bombs. The virus is downloaded when the user opens a non-suspicious looking email, probably a hoax, and would unsuspectingly download the virus onto the workstation. As a result the virus would then use services running in the background of its host machine to then carry out an attack on the destination server or workstation. Worms would act in the same manner, but do not have to be attached to a message to spread to and from the host. The logic bomb could exist as either a virus or a worm but would begin the Denial of Service attack at a predetermined date or the start of an event, rather than relying on the user to execute the malicious program.

Social Engineering and Identity Theft

According to Michael T Simpson, Social Engineering is using an understanding of human nature to obtain information from people, and is the most common form of information security breech. Human nature in the case of social engineering is people’s natural instinct to trust one another. Social engineering can take the form of the “chain letter email” where the attacker states that bad luck or other miss fortunes will strike the user who doesn’t pass the message on, and good fortunes await the user who passes the message on to a pre-determined amount of “friends.” Social engineering can also be exploited through a simple telephone call asking for an email address of a fellow employee. A social engineering attack is often just a precursor to more devastating attack. Though the leaking of an email address may not seem important, it may give the attacker a means to introduce countless forms of malicious code into the company’s internal information systems infrastructure.

As a result of these various forms of cyber attacks, a new and terrifying form of cyber attack that has emerged within the last decade. Identity Theft has evolved out of social engineering and malware attacks and now encompasses almost every aspect of information system security exploits. According to the Federal Trade Commission, this form of attack uses information technology to gain access to an individuals data to then reproduce a digital copy of that individual that can then be used to make false purchases with credit cards, pose a an citizen of a nation to which the attacker does not belong, or falsely accuse the Identity victim of a crime that that individual did not commit. The Federal Trade Commission also notes that nearly 8.5 million Americans were the victims of Identity Theft crimes in the year 2006. This form of attack is becoming more frequent and more destructive. According to reports Identity Theft 911 Inc., TJ Max and its subsidiary stores were victims to an Identity theft attack where more than 60 worldwide banks reported fraudulent charges that used the information obtained from this attack. A more dramatic and compelling article from Identity Theft 911 Inc. notes that the biggest banking security breech in American history was used to access 676,000 accounts during and inside attack from employees of Bank of America, Wachovia Bank, Commerce Bank, PNC Bank and the former manager of the New Jersey Department of Labor.

This attack also gives rise to the firm believe that employees, and not the advance cyber terrorist and hackers of today are truly the most dangerous attack in a corporation. A cyber-terrorist who wishes to attack and compromise data must first break in to the corporate network, by pass the Intrusion Detection Systems, avoid honey pots which are designed to fool and entrap attackers, and then locate the most useful and profitable information to make the attack worthy. An employee on the other hand could easily dumpster dive by not shredding documents as ordered, piggy back into a more highly secured area of the office due to their relationships with fellow employees, or shoulder surf passwords or other data by looking over a fellow employee, or a customers shoulder All of these internal attacks are another form of social engineering, which in the banking identity theft case, was used with disastrous consequences. The premise of this attack used a false collections agency under the scam name of DRL which sold its information to 40 law firms to conduct collections on behalf of the shell company using the Social Security numbers, account numbers, and account balances of the stolen data. Many of the targeted New Jersey customers had to close old accounts and open new accounts ranging from the normal checking accounts to some brokerage accounts.

Proper Defenses

What can be done to defend ones self from these advanced digital attacks. Well the most low cost form of defense comes from awareness and a little common sense. Leaving the workstation on even thought it is not in use is almost a sure fired way of being attacked with out the user’s knowledge. If the workstation is not password protected, an attacker can simply sit down and start obtaining data with little or no effort. Preventing a remote password guessing or brute force attack is as simple as shutting down the workstation during non-business or off hours. This will limit the attacker’s time frame in which the actual brute-force attack can be implemented. The easiest manner in which a user can prevent data theft or corruption is powering off the device which stores the data. However, turning of workstations or servers is simply not an option for some corporations. Advanced firewalls and Intrusion Detections Systems are often used as combined forces to deter or prevent attackers.

Firewalls are hardware of software systems that are designed to block specified TCP/IP ports that are used to access services both in and out bound on a network interface. Intrusion Detection Systems are most commonly used to track or log these port attacks base on administrative rules defined by a systems administrator or Chief Information Security Officer. Honey pots, which are information security traps that are designed to be vulnerable to attack to lure the criminal in to an unsuspecting trap can also be used in combination with an Intrusion Detection System to increase the corporations IT security. Still, these systems are not enough to protect corporations from attack.
As seen in the Bank Identity Theft Case, no firewall could have blocked the intrusion into the private lives of the holders of the 676,000 bank accounts of the Wachovia, Bank of America, Commerce Bank, and PNC Bank Identity theft crime. This crime was committed from inside these security barriers, which exploited another gapping and often overlooked hole of information security. Social engineering exploits peoples natural instinct to trust others, but more so, it exploits the lack of corporate training of recognizing this and other forms of attack.

As a home or corporate user, self awareness above all is your best defense amongst this digital crime wave. There are a number of websites and journals that provide the most recent news and information concerning the types of potential attacks that a computer operating system, network operating system, or corporate information systems infrastructure may be vulnerable to. Symantec, the corporation that has one of the most deployed Small Office Home Office security systems in Norton Internet Security, also lists the latest common Malware threats to computer operating systems on their Threat Awareness Website. IT professionals may also find the latest corporate level security exploits at http://cve.mitre.org/ which is a list the standardized names of the security vulnerabilities and exposures that has been submitted by various vendors and agencies associated with the information technology industry. Corporations should conduct quarterly and annual preventative training, with special focuses on social engineering.

Summary

The Internet, and networking in general has, become an intricate part of our everyday lives. As the businesses and countries of this world continue to link and communicate between one another, we must all keep a watchful and ever aware eye on the barrage of attacks used by the same technology that was meant to increase the standard of living and commerce. No Information System will ever be 100% secure from the attacks that are possible, but training and preventative maintenance can make the attacks more detectable, and reduce the downtime of a service if an exploit is breeched. We should all continue to be mindful that no matter what advances we experience in information technology, more and more the target in the end, is becoming the human individual themselves. Corporations and individual home users must learn from past mistakes, incorporate those mistakes and the lessons learned into training, so that the door way to these cyber crimes will ultimately begin to close.

Bibliography

US Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate (2006) “The Crimeware Landscape” 3-5, 9-18

This is a joint report that defines and describes the affects of various Malicious Software Codes, termed Crimeware in the report, and how these codes are coupled with other forms of attacks such as hacking and social engineering.

Michael T Simpson (2006) “Hands on Guide to Ethical Hacking and Network Defense” 3, 50-57, 4, 76-83

This book covers in preventative measures, and tools used in the avoidance of information systems attacks. It explains the importance of vulnerability testing, and ethical hacking both at home and at the corporate office.

Federal Trade Commission (2005) About Identity Theft

Retrieved March 4, 2007 from http://www.ftc.gov

This website offers government recommendations and advice concerning protecting individuals from Identity Theft.

Identity Theft 911 (2006) “TJ Max being sued over ID Thefts”

Retrieved March 1, 2007 from [http://www.indentytheft911.org]

This article reviews the fall out from the TJ Max and Marshalls stores Identity theft crime that was discovered in January 2007. It review several civil lawsuits slapped against this company and the possible punitive punishments should any fault be found in the handling of this crime by TJ Max

Identity Theft 911 (2005) “Wachovia, B of A Nailed in Inside Job”

Retrieved March 1, 2007 from [http://www.indentytheft911.org]

This article reviews the charges and persons involved in the New Jersey Identity Theft crime spree that victimized 676,000 bank accounts of Wachovia, Bank of America, Commerce Bank and PNC Bank.

Symantec Corporation (2006) Latest Threats

Retrieved March 4, 2007 from
http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/security_response/threatexplorer/threats.jsp
This website is used to quickly identify the latest malware threats by name logged by the Symantec Corporation. Each threat in this list has a threat level, and has a detailed description on how to remove the threat should a system be infected.

US Department of Homeland Security, US CERT (2007) Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures

Retrieved February 3, 2007 from http://cve.mitre.org/

This website offers a standardize list and numbering system of information security vulnerabilities and exposures. It is an attempt to take all of the possible terms and syntax used to identify threats and convert those terms into a standardized IT language.

Cisco Press (2004) “CCNA 1 and 2 Companion Guide3rd Edition” 1, 5-6

This book describes internetworking, over viewing industry as well as Cisco proprietary routed and routing protocols, and various Cisco devices.

What Is the Cost of Partial Knee Replacement?


Studies show that the average knee replacement in the United States is going to run you anywhere from $40,000 to as much as $70,000! This is if you don't have any health insurance, and you're going to get your knee replaced completely. What you're going to find out is that many people just can't afford it.

Now, instead of bailing and not getting anything done, a lot of people are resorting to a few things, when it comes down to knee replacement. They are either going to a foreign country to get the procedure done, or they are going with a partial knee replacement to save even more money.

Average cost of partial knee replacement:

If you're insured with an insurance company, you will want to consult with them. Let them know what process you're going to get done, and what they are going to cover. If the Doctor recommends that you go this route, you're going to find out that it is going to be required, so most insurance companies will have to cover it. Generally, your deductible, as well as other things are going to cover a majority of the process. Again, this is something that you will want to dig into to see what you're going to have to pay.

Now, if you don't have insurance, you're going to have a wide array, because there are going to be many factors. The location of the hospital, the doctor doing the procedure, as well as how long you're going to stay will all influence the cost of your surgery.

The average partial knee surgery is going to cost you around $15,000 to $30,000+. Usually, it's going to be slightly cut in half, when you compare it to a full replacement. If you do decide that you want to do a partial, you may want to compare prices to a full replacement.

How to save on your surgery:

What people are doing today is by going to different countries. Places like Taiwan, and more do the process for 80% less. Hospitals will also give you massive discounts, if you pay up front. Some hospitals don't participate in something like this, but you will find that reputable hospitals will. This alone can save you 50%.

Call up the hospitals to discuss pricing, as well as what's going to happen. The more you know, the more comfortable you will be with the process.

The New Zealand Maori Tiki Is A Testament To The Art And History Of Our Country


The term tiki is applied to carved human figures generally, both by the Maori and by other Polynesians. The name possibly has some connection with the myth of Tiki, the first man created by Tane. On the other hand tiki or tikitiki is also a general term for carving in many parts of Polynesia, as, for instance, in Niue, where the Tiki myth is unknown and human figures were not carved. In New Zealand, however, tiki is usually applied to the human figure carved in green stone as a neck ornament. The full name is hei-tiki.

It has been suggested that this ornament is a fertility charm representing the human embryo, and that it should be worn only by women. However, early European visitors saw men wearing the hei-tiki and it is probable that the squat shape of the figure was influenced by the hardness of the material and that it was later likened to an embryo and endowed with magical powers. The shape is also probably due to the fact that tiki were often made from adze blades. Adzes and chisels made from greenstone were also prestige items and the shape of a green stone adze lends itself to conversion into a tiki. There are several extant examples of half-finished tiki evidently originally small adzes and sometimes on completed tiki, traces of the original cutting end shaping of a adze can be seen, usually at the foot.

Tiki or heitiki are most commonly made from nephrite, a stone related to jade and found in several places in New Zealand's South Island. It is called pounamu in Maori, green stone in New Zealand English. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, refers to this stone. There are traditional accounts for the creation of the stone which relate it to the children of Tangaroa. It is a very hard stone and is laborious to work, especially so with the primitive grinding tools available to the neolithic Maori. The tiki in the form illustrated here is unique to New Zealand and arguably the most archetypical Maori artifact, although the work tiki applied to fertility symbols is extremely common throughout polynesia.

Green stone, like jade, is a beautiful stone - classed as semi-precious - and quite variable in appearance. The varieties have Maori names. Its luster improves with age, reputedly as a result of being worn next to the skin. Tiki were worn around the neck - the hei part of the name carries this implication. They are more often, but not exclusively, worn by women in recent times. Suspension is usually vertical but some are suspended on their side.

Some traditional tiki in bone and ivory exist, made from whale bone or teeth, but as bone tiki are now commonly made for commercial trade, a bone tiki found in a shop is more likely to be recent and of cow bone. Most tiki are one sided but a few are reversible showing a figure on both faces.

Although the Maori have occupied New Zealand since about 1000 AD, the historical origins of tiki are not understood as they are virtually absent from the archaeological record. For a precious item, this is not surprising because few would have been lost or discarded. Conventionally though they are associated with the later part of New Zealand's prehistory, as nephrite is uncommon in early sites. They were certainly in use at the time of the first contact with Europeans. Some individual tiki have names and traditional histories extending well back into the past. Others have renewed suspension perforations replacing old ones that have worn through, showing they have seen much use over a long time.

Sites of manufacture of nephrite tools and ornaments have been found on the east coast of the South Island. However, the tools and ornaments were much used in the North Island where most of the population lived. Trade and exchange appears not to have been all in finished goods because there are regional styles of nephrite ornaments in the North Island which suggest that at least some of the manufacture was local, either from native stone or from green stone adze blades.

There is some variety in the forms of tiki but this variation has not been very fully studied in relation to region of origin. The head inclined left or right appears to have no particular significance. One clear variation is between tiki with the head upright and those with the head tilted sideways. The likely explanation for the latter form is that it comes naturally from the use of rectangular adze blades as raw material. Iron axe and adze blades rapidly replaced nephrite adzes in the early 19th century and coincided with an increasing market for commercial tiki. Other variations occur in the positions of the arms. In some the arms are asymmetric with one arm on the torso rather than the legs, or up to the mouth.

The eyes are often filled with red sealing wax of European origin. Wax was added to the eyes of older tiki, and some have paua (Haliotus, the abalone) shell eyes.

The arrival of 19th century technology allowed a major burst of commercial manufacture of tiki mainly for a New Zealand market. Many supposedly old tiki date from the late 19th century and reveal themselves through details such as the suspension perforation being straight sided. Some nephrite ornaments were gold mounted in the 19th century. Again this does not necessarily indicate the nephrite ornament was of that date.

Tiki remain prestige items in New Zealand today; heirlooms (toanga) in Maori families and European families as well. They are worn by Maori on ceremonial occasions. Most tiki are not ancient and some are 19th century commercial products but nonetheless highly valued treasures to their owners.

Materials used

Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu (green stone) and worn around the neck. They are often incorrectly referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small wooden carvings used to mark sacred places.

One theory of the origin of the hei-tiki suggests a connection with Tiki, the first man in Māori legend. According to Horatio Robley, there are two main ideas behind the symbolism of hei-tiki: they are either memorials to ancestors, or represent the goddess of childbirth, Hineteiwaiwa. The rationale behind the first idea is that they were often buried when their kaitiaki (guardian) died and would be later retrieved and placed somewhere special to be brought out in times of tangihanga. In terms of the idea of Hineteiwaiwa, hei-tiki were often given to women having trouble conceiving by her husband's family.

The most valuable hei-tiki are carved from green stone or pounamu. New Zealand green stone consists of either nephrite (a type of jade, in Māori: pounamu) or bowenite (Māori: tangiwai). Pounamu is esteemed highly by Māori for its beauty, toughness and great hardness; it is used not only for ornaments such as hei-tiki and ear pendants, but also for carving tools, adzes, and weapons. Named varieties include translucent green kahurangi, whitish inanga, semi-transparent kawakawa, and tangiwai or bowenite.

Types of Hei-tiki

Traditionally there were several types of hei-tiki which varied widely in form. Modern-day hei-tiki however, may be divided into two types. The first type is rather delicate. with a head/body ratio of approximately 30/70, with small details included, such as ears, elbows, and knees. The head is on a tilt, and one hand is placed on the thigh, and the other on the chest. The eyes are relatively small. The second type is in general heavier than the first. It has a 40/60 head/body ratio, both hands are on the thighs, and the eyes are proportionately larger.

Manufacture

From the size and style of traditional examples of hei-tiki it is likely that the stone was first cut in the form of a small adze. The tilted head of the pitau variety of hei-tiki derives from the properties of the stone - its hardness and great value make it important to minimise the amount of the stone that has to be removed. Creating a hei-tiki with traditional methods is a long, arduous process during which the stone is smoothed by abrasive rubbing; finally, using sticks and water, it is slowly shaped and the holes bored out. After laborious and lengthy polishing, the completed pendant is suspended by a plaited cord and secured by a loop and toggle.

Current popularity

Among the other tāonga (treasured possessions) used as items of personal adornment are bone carvings in the form of earrings or necklaces. For many Māori the wearing of such items relates to Māori cultural identity. They are also popular with young New Zealanders of all backgrounds for whom the pendants relate to a more generalized sense of New Zealand identity. Several artistic collectives have been established by Māori tribal groups. These collectives have begun creating and exporting jewelery (such as bone carved pendants based on traditional fishhooks hei matau and other green stone jewelery) and other artistic items (such as wood carvings and textiles). Several actors who have recently appeared in high-profile movies filmed in New Zealand have come back wearing such jewelery, including Viggo Mortensen of The Lord of the Rings fame, took to wearing a hei matau around his neck. These trends have contributed towards a worldwide interest in traditional Māori culture and arts.

Because the nature of our culture is graphical please visit our store for more details http://www.maoricertified.com

Do You Need Hip Surgery and Knee Surgery?


For those who are struggling with pain, having hip surgery and knee surgery may be something your doctor brings up. It may seem like this is a big decision to make and one you do not want to rush into making. The good news is that most doctors will put off providing this type of procedure for as long as possible. That is the best possible way to ensure that the results you get are going to last long term and that you will not need to have a secondary procedure. Yet, when may you need this help?

Consider Your Pain

Only you know how much pain you are in and how much pain you can handle. It is a good idea to select a doctor that offers every option possible for minimizing that pain, including the use of other treatment options. However, for many, the pain is chronic, severe, and always there even when medications are taken. If this is the stage you are in, having hip and knee surgery may be necessary. At some point, the pain meds do not work as effectively as they used to, and you need more help.

Are You Unable to Do Things?

One of the hardest parts of joint pain and breakdown is that it becomes so significant that many people simply stop doing the things that they used to enjoy doing. You may feel as though you cannot get up and down as easily as you used to. You may no longer hike, go for walks or be social because the pain of being active is simply too much. When this happens, many people find themselves worried about what steps to take. Replacing the joints may be all you can do to get back the movement you need to get active again.

Are You Not Getting Relief?

You may need hip surgery and knee surgery if other treatment options are no longer working. Your doctor can only provide you with so much pain medication. Injections that are often used to treat this type of pain may only be effective for a short amount of time. If you are noticing that the medications are becoming less beneficial to you, it may be time to consider turning another option for relief.

Before you put off hip and knee surgery too long, talk to your doctor about your options. Discuss the level of damage present in these joints. Find out how much improvement you could see from having this type of treatment. If it could improve your life, it is likely worthwhile to do.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Surgery to Treat Arthritis of the Big Toe Joint


Arthritis of the big toe joint is common, and can be particularly disabling. Options to manage this condition non-surgically are few, given the express need for the big toe joint to attempt bending during the walking cycle. This article discusses the cause of this painful arthritis, as well as surgical treatment options to relieve pain.

The big toe joint consists of the first metatarsal bone forming the 'ball' of the joint, and the initial bone of the big toe (the first proximal phalanx) forming the 'socket'. It has an important role in how the body moves when walking, and limitation of its motion forces other joints and muscles to function abnormally to take up the slack. Arthritis of this joint, or cartilage wear, occurs when there is abnormal pressure or positioning of the joint bones. This results in grinding down of the smooth cartilage that covers the bone surface at the joint, allowing for smooth motion. As this cartilage erodes, the bone underneath begins to become exposed, and parts of the joint surface start to see bone rubbing during joint motion.

In addition to this, thickened spurs of bone can develop along the margins of the joint, further hampering motion. When bone grinds on bone and when spurs limit joint motion, pain usually results. This condition will gradually worsen, leading to destruction of much of the joint surface. In severe cases, the bones will even partially fuse together. The structural cause of arthritis can be due to many factors. Natural bone structure can contribute to this, such as seen in people with longer or shorter first metatarsals, as well as first metatarsals that are angled too steeply in elevation or declination with respect to the ground surface. Bunions and other rotational deformities of the big toe joint can also contribute to cartilage wear and tear. Fractures, crushes, sprains, and other injuries to the joint can also result in arthritis after awhile. Finally, certain body-wide joint-affecting diseases will cause joint erosion as well, such as seen with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Non-surgical treatment is limited, consisting of measures to limit the painful motion of the joint and decrease the resulting inflammation. Stiff soled shoes and specialized custom foot inserts can be used to limit the painful motion. Anti-inflammatory medications and steroid injections can reduce the inflammation, although this is not nearly as effective as it is in larger joints like the knee. However, the unique structure of the big toe joint generally necessitates surgical treatment in many cases of arthritis. Surgical treatment is divided into procedures that destroy the joint and procedures that maintain the joint (in the case of mild arthritis). When joint destruction is severe or significant, the joint destruction technique is chosen as the cartilage of the joint will have to be replaced or removed entirely in order for the pain to be resolved.

The choice of whether to use an artificial implant or fuse the joint surgically is up to the health of the patient and the preference of the surgeon. Joint implants have been in use for fifty years, and are made of metal or silicone gel. Various designs can replace the ball of the joint, the socket, or both. There are advantages and disadvantages to each design, and certain conditions like diabetes with nerve disease, poor circulation, and obesity limit their use. Their lifespan is much longer than hip or knee implants, which have to be replaced after a certain number of years. The motion restored by these implants is rarely equal to the motion of the joint before the onset of arthritis, but in generally is significant enough to relieve all motion pain and limitation. When these fail, or if the surgeon is not advising their use, a joint fusion is the preferred method of relieving joint pain.

This procedure fuses the bones across the joint, resulting in no motion at all. It differs from painful arthritis that is partially fused in that there are still areas of motion in those cases that produce pain. By removing all motion, the joint is no longer painful, leading to a stiff lever upon which the foot rolls off during the walking cycle. Eventually the body adapts to this, although some minor strain can occur to the joint in the middle of the big toe, or the complex of joints in the middle of the foot. If the arthritis is only mild, the surgeon may elect to preserve the joint. In this technique, the surgeon simply removes any bone spur limiting motion, and drills holes in the eroded areas of cartilage.

The drilling promotes growth of a tissue called fibrocartilage, which is a rough form of cartilage that is not as functional as regular joint cartilage, but is better than the bare bone below. It is usually necessary to address the underlying structural problem if this procedure is selected, as leaving the reason behind the arthritis alone will simply result in further arthritic change years down the road. These additional procedures could include procedures to elevate, lower, shorten, or shift over the first metatarsal back to a proper position based on the underlying structural problem. Often a bunion is corrected if present. Follow-up with long term orthotics foot supports is usually needed, along with periodic monitoring.

Regardless of the selected procedure, repair of the big toe joint is generally successful, with good long term results. Complications, including infections and implant or hardware failure, do occur. However, they are uncommon and most patients are restored to pain-free or significantly reduced pain-limited walking within a month or two following the surgery. Nearly all podiatrists (and a small number of specially trained orthopedic surgeons) perform these procedures. If one is suffering from big toe joint arthritis, a visit to their foot and ankle specialist can lead to relief and restoration of activity.

Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees


It is not uncommon to hear about former Yoga students, who dismiss the practice, due to the knee pain they experienced during a complex pose. At the same time, it is not uncommon to encounter devoted students, who point to Yoga practice as a therapy and practical cure for the knee pain they once experienced, prior to beginning practice. As a result of these two conflicting ideas, people might wonder what is the truth.

Just like anything in life, the truth about Yoga, and knees, is both simple and complex. It is simply true that some Yoga asanas (postures) place strain on the knees, and that incorrect form can lead to knee pain or injury. It is also true that good therapeutic Yoga sessions can effectively end years of knee pain and debilitation.

This is where the complexity comes in: Practicing Yoga correctly can be difficult for many students because poses are often complex and challenging. Padmasana (lotus pose) looks easy enough, but an adult from a chair-sitting culture may cause harm to the knees or hips by trying to get into the posture. For this reason, new Yoga instructors should be aware that students would be better off working with Ardha Padmasana (half lotus posture) as a warm-up to Padmasana. It is possible for a student to attempt Padmasana for life and not be able to master this posture. Rather than frustrate our students, half lotus or Sukasana (easy posture) are viable options.

How Does Yoga Protect Knees?

Knee injuries occur under a variety of circumstances. Often, knee pain is a result of torn or strained ligaments or of a worn down meniscus, which is the cartilage within the knees meant to provide padding and cushion during movement and impact activity. Knee pain can also be caused by osteoarthritis in the knee or by misalignment of the kneecap.

In many cases, these knee injuries are related to a sudden injury (auto accidents, sports-related injuries, etc.) or a muscular imbalance. In the case of a muscular imbalance, quadriceps that, in their strength, over-compensate for weaker hamstrings, can cause an over-rotation of the knee, which results, over time, in pain and higher risk for tears, sprains, and osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic Yoga protects the knees by strengthening the knee and bringing stabilizer muscles in balance with each other, which aids in correct knee alignment and a more equal muscle strength distribution.

Tips for Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees

1. In order to avoid the risk of knee injury inherent in some poses, a Yoga instructor must emphasize that students not force themselves into high risk poses that strain the knee. Often, these poses require flexibility that takes time to acquire, and students need to be reminded that this is a practice in patience and mastery rather than quick progression.

2. Yoga students, recovering from knee injuries, should also avoid quick transitions from pose to pose, as more abrupt movements, especially in complicated poses, can cause injury.

3. Yoga teachers should emphasize that some stretching sensations are necessary to improve flexibility, but practitioners should back off if knee pain flares up, regardless of the perceived level of expertise.

4. Legs should be thoroughly warmed up and stretched before a student launches into a pose, such as Padmasana, which can put pressure on the knee. Yoga instructors should consider modifying poses for students with persistent knee pain, ailments, or injuries.

穢 Copyright 2012 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Deadlifting for Serious Size and Strength


Advancing technology is a great thing - after all, it's seen us progress from TV to video and now the DVD. Advancing technology for gym goers has seen the rise of the multi-gym, the Smith Machine and the Nautilus variable cam. One of the unfortunate side effects of such progress, however, is that sometimes the old, tried and true basics get lost in the rush to try out the new and exciting. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the deadlift. Once the king of mass and power movements, the deadlift is virtually unknown by modern day weight trainers. Those who are familiar with it have been taught to leave it alone as a useless and potentially dangerous movement for bodybuilders. The truth of the matter, however, is that there's only one way to build a physique that emanates rugged power and thick, deep mass - and that is to enter the dead zone.

WHY IT'S SO GOOD

There is no other exercise that will increase your core strength while packing thick slabs of muscle onto your torso than the deadlift. Every muscle group at the back of your body is involved in this deceptively simple movement.

Here's how each of them comes alive when you deadlift:

Calves: The gastrocnemius, along with the soleus, is the part of the calf responsible for plantar flexion at the ankle, which naturally occurs when you deadlift. Result? Deadlifting will increase the size of your calf muscles.

Hamstrings: The hamstrings do two things - they extend the hip and flex the knee. So it follows that to fully develop them we need to mimic both of these movements. Leg curls, which are the start and finish of most bodybuilder's hammy program, only flex the knee. Enter the deadlift - it provides full hip extension and, therefore, a great hamstring work out (the stiff legged variation even more directly targets this muscle group).

Glutes: The gluteus maximus is the biggest, strongest muscle in your body and it gets direct stimulation from the hip extension involved in the deadlift. As well as giving you a kick-ass butt, it's development will give you tremendous thrusting power when you jump or sprint (or whatever else you choose to do).

Spinal Erectors: These are two thick columns of muscle that run alongside the spine from just above the hips to the mid back. Their prime functions are to straighten the back from a bent position and arch the spine. They are also largely responsible for maintaining a fit and problem free lower back. Deadlifts will hammer them mercilessly.

STANDARD TECHNIQUE

Place a loaded barbell on the floor in front of you. Squat down, with feet shoulder width apart, grab it with an overhand grip, arms slightly wider than shoulder width. With arms straight and back arched, lift to an upright position. Pause at the top before lowering back to the floor.

OPTIMIZED TECHNIQUE

Stand in front of the bar with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing out slightly. With back arched, squat down to grab the bar with a reverse, shoulder width grip (one hand should be supinated (palms facing you) and the other pronated (palms facing away)). Hold the bar as high on the palm as you can to allow for any bar roll as you lift. Begin the upward pull by driving your heels into the ground as you pull the bar towards you and up. As your knees straighten, the bar should be right up against your legs. As you near the top of the movement push your hips forward and your shoulders back. Lift to an upright position with legs straight. Your shoulders should be pulled back and your lower back arched. Pause for a two count and then slowly lower to the floor. Pause and move into your next rep. Don't let the momentum of a fast rep rate do the work for you.

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO WHILE DEADLIFTING

(1) Round your Back: Rounding your back is the natural reaction to going heavy on the deadlift. But, unless you want to take 20 excruciating minutes to get your pants on in the morning, you must avoid this tendency at all costs. Keep your chest high, chin up and eyes focused on a spot above you and you're back will naturally remain arched.

(2) Jerk the bar up or move so quickly between reps that momentum is doing most, or any, of the work. You want to have a smooth cadence and a slight pause at both the top and bottom of each rep.

(3) Lean back at the top position. While this was recognized as good form in decades past, we now know that it puts too much stress on your lower back. If you want to hyperextend, do hyperextensions.

(4) Move your foot position during the movement. Keep your feet planted in one spot and push through your heels as you lift. Juggling your feet with a handful of heavy iron could give a whole new meaning to the DEADlift.

(5) Lift your hips faster than your shoulders. Correct technique has the hips and shoulders moving together. If you have already straightened your legs before the bar has hardly left the floor, you need to drop the weight back and get your form on song. Failure to get this right could lead to serious back rounding with its associated problems. It would pay to have a spotter check out this aspect of your technique.

SETS, REPS & FREQUENCY FOR CRITICAL MASS

Apart from the squat, there is no exercise that will knock the stuffing out of you as quickly as the deadlift. You can't deadlift for a long period of time and hope to keep perfect form - you'll simply get too tired and that inevitable back rounding will start happening. Fortunately, then, the deadlift can be fully utilized in a sensible bodybuilding program with the addition of just three working sets per week. Place them at the beginning of your back day workout as follows:

Warmup - 15 reps

Set One - 12 reps

Set Two - 8 reps

Set Three - 6-8 reps

Clearly, that last set is an all-out effort. Try to add some weight to the bar every work-out but never sacrifice form for poundage.

Continue your back work out as follows:

Wide Grip Chins 2 x 10-15 reps

Seated Rowing 2 x 10-12 reps

Upright Row 2 x 10-12 reps

VARIATIONS

(1) Romanian Deadlift: This is a great exercise for the hamstrings and glutes because it involves flexion of the hip joint. The fact that it is neither a true deadlift nor has its origins in Romania doesn't stop this from being an excellent tool to have in your leg building arsenal. Do this movement inside a power rack, with the pins set at about knee level. Approach the loaded bar, squat down slightly, grabbing the bar at shoulder width. Step back and stand upright so that the bar is at mid thigh level (the finish position of a standard deadlift). With back arched and chest up move your hips back so that your butt pushes back behind you. This will have the effect of lowering the bar 6-8 inches to knee level. Your lower back should hardly move and should not lose its natural curvature. Now reverse the movement to complete your first rep.

(2) Sumo Deadlift: Stand before the bar with a stance similar to that of a sumo wrestler (feet wider than shoulder width and feet turned out at a 45 degree angle). Squat down and grab the bar with a closer grip than in the conventional deadlift (the arms are inside of the legs). Perform the rest of the movement as in a conventional deadlift, remembering to keep the back arched, the head up and the butt low. The extra wide stance here places more of a workload on the inner thighs and hamstrings and lessens the likelihood of lower back injury.

(3) Stiff Legged Deadlift: This variation will again place the major emphasis on the back of the legs (hamstrings, glutes and calves). Stand before the bar with a shoulder width foot spacing. With knees slightly bent - but locked in that position - lean forward to grab the bar with an overhand grip. Make sure your back is arched and your chest pushing out. Now bring the bar to an upright position. This is the start position for the movement. Tilt your pelvis forward - keeping your knees locked - so that the bar returns to the ground. At the end of the movement your hamstrings should be fully extended and your torso roughly parallel with the floor. Return to the top position to complete the rep.

(4) One Armed Deadlift: Stand alongside a loaded bar so that when you reach down you are able to grab the bar at its mid-point. With back arched and butt down low, squat down to grab a hold of the bar with one hand. Now raise yourself erect as if doing a conventional deadlift. Start with a light weight to get the correct balance of the weight when bringing it up. Do an equal number of reps on both sides. This exercise was a famous with the old timers, and for good reason - it not only hits the legs, traps and shoulders but also gives a great workout to those stubborn obliques and side intercostals.

EXTRA - THE DEADLIEST OF THE DEADLY

The deadlift is perhaps the truest test of raw power - what's the heaviest weight you can grab a hold of and stand up with? Being a competitive powerlifting movement, there are plenty of figures around that allow us to measure our pulling strength with the best of the best. Check out the cream of the crop and see how your one rep max compares:

BODYBUILDERS:

Franco Columbu - the Sardinian powerhouse was renowned for his deadlifting ability and regularly repped out with 700 pounds at the old Venice Gold's Gym in the early '70's - and that was more than three and a half times his bodyweight!

Dorian Yates - this British bulldog hoisted some heavy iron on his way to bagging 6 Mr Olympia titles - including 720 pound deadlifts for 4 reps.

POWERLIFTERS:

Andy Bolton - This guy is definitely the Alpha male of the deadlifiting pack. No one has pulled 900+ pounds from the floor more times and at the 2003 Arnold Classic he smashed the record books with a 933 pound lift - and he made it look easy!

Ed Coan - Pound for pound this guy is in a league of his own. At a bodyweight of 220 pounds he deadlifted a staggering 902 pounds (Bolton's record lift was at a bodyweight of 275 pounds). Coan is equally adept at lifting huge weights in both the conventional and the Sumo style of the lift.

Centurion Muscle - In 1990 retired dentist Collister Wheeler managed to deadlift 195 pounds for 3 reps
- not bad for a guy who was born in 1893! In his prime Wheeler could do a one handed deadlift with 340 pounds.