Wakeboard Helmets

In the sport of wakeboarding, wakeboard helmets have become much more commonplace and are seen a lot more often these days out on the lake. This is seen by many as a good thing as any seasoned wakeboarder has either experienced themselves, or seen a fellow rider experience a concussion when a trick goes wrong. Concussions have recently gotten a lot of attention from the media in more high profile sports but for a long time were looked at as just another wakeboarding injury that came with trying to progress riding skills. Another big contributor to the rising popularity of wakeboard helmets is the fact that more people are starting to hit sliders or rails and there are many more wakeboarding cable parks now than there were in previous years. Most people go to cable parks to hit wakeboard sliders as there are no wakes to jump and other than kicker ramps and rails the only inverts that can be done are air tricks.

It is imperative that anyone hitting any kind of kicker ramp, slider, or rail wear a wakeboard helmet. The risks are just too great and hitting your head on the hard surfaces these obstacles are made out of can very easily knock you unconscious. To my knowledge, there is not a wakeboard cable park that does not require that a helmet be worn at all times to prevent such things from happening. Many of those in the sport, myself including, are now encouraging wearing a helmet when riding behind the boat as well. The reason is, catching your heelside or toeside edge on a wakeboard will cause a sudden and violent fall that oftentimes results in a whiplash. A wakeboard helmet with good padding that is tight on your head will certainly absorb some of the impact when your head smacks the water. I personally have sustained 3 concussions while attempting to learn new wakeboarding tricks. I got knocked out learning how to do air raleys, one on a roll to blind attempt gone wrong, and another I was doing a simple backside 180 and just caught my back edge. I can't say that I still wouldn't have been knocked goofy, but I know for sure that a wakeboard helmet would have helped to soften to the blow.

These days wakeboard helmets not only serve the purpose of protecting your head, they also look really good too. Since the industry finally started to recognize just how relevant head injuries and concussions are in wakeboarding they have started to make helmets that look good and protect. There are just too many other ways that you can get hurt wakeboarding. You hear about a lot of blown knees, broken legs, and dislocated shoulders assocated with wakeboarding so why not wear a helmet and help protect yourself from the head injuries?

Turmeric Health Benefits and Your Recommended Daily Amount

If you're reading this, you've probably heard of the tremendous turmeric health benefits. You'd like to know more about how this spice can benefit you and your family and your recommended daily amount.

That's understandable. After all, the wonders of turmeric seem to be showing up everywhere these days. It's involved in at least 8 different studies at the National Institutes of Health and prominent naturopaths quote its effectiveness in many more.

So what does it do?

It may protect against cancer. Researchers at Kansas State University found it can reduce carcinogenic compounds in fried and grilled meat by up to 40%.

At the University of Texas, researchers found it can inhibit the spread of breast cancer to the lungs.

Currently, it's involved in multiple cancer studies around the country. Preliminary research shows it may be especially effective with colon, pancreatic, breast and lung cancers. In fact, each of these cancers are 10 times lower in India where turmeric is eaten on a regular basis.

It's a Cox-2 inhibitor. Osteoarthritis patients have used it successfully to treat knee pain. In fact, it may be as useful as a cortisone shot. One study showed patients who received the "best possible care" plus 200 mg of curcurmin -the active ingredient in turmeric-showed significant lowered inflammation.

In fact, some doctors are hoping it can phase out the use of NSAIDS for mild to moderate cases of osteoarthritis.

It's good for your liver. Turmeric is a blood purifier and helps the liver to release toxins quicker because it breaks down two important toxins.

It's so effective, some doctors say it may be able to reverse the effects of cirrhosis of the liver.

It's also good for your skin. Used by Indian women for centuries for beautiful skin some swear it rids your skin of troublesome acne and keeps healthy skin looking great. You can make a paste with yogurt for topical use or take it internally.

Turmeric health benefits are too many to list here. In addition to the health benefits above, it's said to lower cholesterol, protect against Alzheimer's and even reduce the risk of childhood leukemia among others.

Turmeric comes from a plant native to India. It's a bright yellow spice and found at any grocery store though you can find tinctures at health food stores. Commonly used in Indian cooking, scientists are now giving it credit for the lower rates of cancer and Alzheimer's found in India.

It's the curcumin in the plant that's the active pharmacology agent. Curcurmin gives the turmeric its yellow color and you want to make sure you're getting plenty of it in your diet.

Turmeric Health Benefits and Daily Recommended Amount

With all these health benefits, you may wonder, how much is your daily recommended amount?

Well, it depends. If you have cancer or arthritis, you should speak with your doctor before adding large amounts of turmeric to your diet.

If you'd just like to include it for preventative measures, you can take a vitamin with turmeric that includes over 90% of the active pharmacology agent, curcumin so you receive the maximum health benefits.

When Patella Surgery May Be Necessary

The knee is a remarkable creation. It is both durable and vulnerable at the same time. The way the knee is assembled, with the patella (kneecap) virtually "floating" in front of the joint with relatively large spaces between the related bones, the knee depends on surrounding muscle and ligaments to keep it stable and strong. Damage to the knee is common in athletes, and is generally thought to be associated with the bones though that is not the case. Knee injuries are most often associated with the ligaments, muscles and cartilage that holds it together.

Actual kneecap injuries are not the usual source of knee problems. The cartilage and ligaments are. Consequently patella surgery is not performed as a first line treatment of most knee injuries. Most knee problems are minor and can be effectively dealt with by simple home treatments such as rest and ice. Others may require advanced physical therapy under the care of a licensed therapist. And finally others may have to be dealt with by surgery or other major interventions. But in every case there will be eventual exercise to retain or restore the normal range of motion of the knee joint.

Patella surgery is most often performed after a severe trauma to the knee such as kneecap dislocation from a hard twist to the leg. I've seen people in martial arts tournaments dislocate their knees while free sparring. It causes horrendous pain and is immediately disabling. It is generally from these type situations, if less invasive methods do not work, that surgery will be performed to realign and strengthen the kneecap.

Another issue that regularly results in surgery is Chondromalacia patella which is the softening or degeneration of the cartilage underneath the patella. In young people the condition is generally thought to be related to injury or excessive force on the knee joint. In older people it may be a sign of arthritis. People who have had a dislocation of the knee or other previous injury are most likely to develop this condition. In either case the condition inhibits the correct alignment of the kneecap. My mother has the condition in both knees and the cartilage is virtually gone between the bones of the knees leaving her in chronic pain and with very limited use of both knees.

Initial treatment of Chondromalacia patella may include anti inflammatory medications and rest to relieve pain combined with physical therapy to keep the knee's range of motion. If therapy does not work to realign the kneecap then patella surgery may be required. This is normally a last resort after all the other therapeutic methods. And doctors will not perform the surgery if it is determined that in very elderly individuals the surgery would not alleviate the problem.

Finally, as a preventive measure, be sure to exercise using full range of motion with the knees. Strengthening the muscles around the knee is the best protection you have against knee injury and deterioration. This, along with good walking posture and good nutrition will go a long way in getting a full life's use from your knees.

In any case, be sure to check with your physician if you experience any pain, problems walking straight, or injury to the knee. Problems left untreated can take what could be corrected, and turn them into chronic lifelong issues.

Essential Judo Tips - 5 Exercises to Try

Let us study the method in judo of creating centripetal pressure and of invigorating the waist and abdominal region. This is one of the best judo tips to learn.

a. When standing or sitting, keep your body erect without bending in any direction so as to put the center of gravity just above the center of the base.
b. Project the lower part of the abdomen to the front and the hips toward the back by bending the loins at the junction of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae (arching the lower back).
c. Form a right triangle with your legs and your feet when standing and with one foot and the lower half of the other leg when you have a knee on the ground in a squat-like position.

These conditions are fundamental to creating and preserving correct centripetal pressure.

When you stand in a position with your feet spread about shoulder-width, you are in natural posture, or shizen-hontai. Let us try a few experiments.

(1) Sit with your feet tucked under you, your thighs forming a right angle. Next, by breaking the right angle combination, put both knees together. You will notice that the force of the waist and abdominal region becomes weaker and the body less stable. Even a slight push can knock you down. This is because the muscles of that region cannot contract vigorously and harmoniously.

(2) Next, stand in a natural posture position. Break the right-angle combination, pointing toes in or out. You will find that you are less stable, while the force of your waist and abdominal region becomes weaker.

(3) Stand or sit as you wish, bending the loins forward as well as putting your center of gravity somewhere other than above the center of the base. You will find that you cannot give a strong and harmonious contraction to the muscles of the waist and abdominal region.

(4) Advancing a step further, let us see how we can strengthen the forces of the waist and abdominal region. This is another of the best judo tips you can learn. You can train these muscles if you sit or stand still for a long time, taking the postures described above. But the best method of training is to take advantage of the reaction produced when you step forward and drop one foot to the ground while still keeping the right-angle combination.

(5) Step forward with the knee bent and drop your foot quickly so that toes and heel touch the ground simultaneously. The advanced foot should make a right angle with the other foot. At this moment you can probably shout louder (from the abdomen) than when you are standing still, and the abdominal region becomes as strong and hard as stone. This shout in judo is called kiwi (pronounced "key-I"). The deep diaphragmatic outburst of air creates strong abdominal muscle force.

If you step out with the angle smaller than 90 degrees, the force of your step is weaker. The contraction of the muscles of the waist and abdominal region also decreases proportionately. The more vigorous the step, the stronger the correct centripetal pressure becomes. The less vigorous the step, the weaker the pressure.

By taking advantage of stepping out in this manner, you can give maximum contraction to the muscles of the waist and abdominal region, with the effect that these muscles can be strengthened by training. Eventually you will be able to produce a tremendous force in the waist and abdominal region with ease.

Take advantage of these judo tips, practice these exercises and your judo will improve.

Operation Games Online and Offline

If you are interested in finding games with a medical theme you can look into some exciting online games and some hilarious board games. There are also games for PC and console games to consider.

All of the games discussed on this page revolve around operations and surgery. Many are genuinely educational. Some are just for fun. Anyone of them could start a child on the route to being a fully fledged health professional.

Operation Board Games

Operation Game (with Cavity Sam)

The board game 'Operation' with Cavity Sam is a game that has been around since the mid-sixties.

It has delighted generations of kids (and many adults too) with its recreation of a trip to the operating theater that rarely goes according to plan.

The principle of the game is very simple. The player needs to use tweezers to remove various objects from the patient's body without triggering a negative response. The kinds of thing the player needs to remove range from water on the knee to a frog in the throat. Responses usually involve shrieks of pain, grumbles and pleas for mercy that are hilarious for kids, along with flashing lights.

It is essentially a dexterity game that is very similar to those electrical loop games that were once so popular. You might not remember electrical loop games but they involved the player working their way along a wire with a metal hoop. If the hoop touched the wire an alarm sounded and the player lost the game.

Since the objects that need to be removed from the patients body in 'Operation' are small and the cavities they are housed in are only a little larger, it takes a very skillful person to win the game.

Nowadays, versions of the game with Homer Simpson as the hapless victim of fumbled surgery can also be found. There is even a Spongebob version where you can operate on Spongebob's Barnacle Brain, Clammy Hands or Patty Pleasure Center. These games are recommended for children of 8 and older.

Operation Brain Surgery

In this game, it is the ability to recognize objects by touch alone that is developed. Instead of a flat board with the figure of a patient, the player is confronted by a large electronic, talking head. Inside the head are various shapes. The players are dealt cards with a shape on each. They need to reach into the head and fish out the shapes that match their cards.If the player is too slow or too rough the head's nose lights up, a buzzer sounds and the operation is declared a failure.

A lot of work has gone into making this simple game fun. The shapes have names like 'block head' and 'train of thought'.

A recent variation on the game is a Shrek version with a grinning, green head. Children as young as five will enjoy this game.

Operation Games for PC

Many PC games offer simulations of aspects of the medical world. '911 Paramedic' deals with the kind of emergency situations that an everyday event in a busy hospital. ER The Game takes you into the world of ER, the TV show, 'Sarah's Emergency Room' is about first responses to patients entering a hospital.

Console Games

The most successful operation games for Wii and Nintendo are from the 'Trauma Center' series and include titles like 'New Blood', 'Second Opinion' and 'Under the Knife'. The player must perform many different operations to proceed through the games.

An older game-but one that can still be found- is 'Lifesigns Surgical Unit' for Wii.

Operation Games Online

There are many games online that feature the kinds of skills required during an operation. Some are for younger children and are designed to develop manual skills, others are sophisticated introductions to real surgical techniques.

'Operation Mania', for example, is actually an online version of the classic 'Operation' board game featuring Cavity Sam. Children can remove things like butterflies in the stomach of their patient with a large net. If they catch the butterflies without touching the stomach walls they win that part of the game.

'Let's Operate' is a simple game where a player tries to follow a wandering line with a scalpel. Just as Cavity Sam screeches in anguish if you are clumsy, the patient in this game cries out if you stray from the line. There is a also a time element to add to the pressure. In this case, the passing of time is represented by the draining of a blood bag which adds a nice ghoulish touch.

Much more sophisticated games that give older children (13+) the chance to learn about operations involve such things as knee replacement surgery or heart transplants. These games often come with a strong educational element. Some are made especially for teachers to use in the classroom and have supporting notes and suggested activities. The educational tag hasn't stopped these games being popular with teenagers who seek them out to play with or without the classroom experience.

For children showing an interest in a career in medicine, any of the games mentioned here could help cement their ambition. For those children who just want to have fun, they can still offer a rich experience.

Non-Surgical Knee Pain Relief With Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy, also known as low level laser therapy or LLLT, is an alternative, non-surgical method of treatment that has existed since the late 1960s. Cold laser therapy was being utilized in Europe and Asia for decades before the FDA finally cleared the first cold laser in the United States in 2001. Since that time there have been hundreds of clinical studies that support the efficacy of cold laser therapy for knee pain relief. It is a great option for those searching for alternatives to conventional methods that might have failed them in the past.

Which Types of Knee Conditions Does Cold Laser Therapy Help Relieve?

A cold laser is a non-surgical treatment tool used by a licensed physician to help relieve knee pain caused from a knee injury, degeneration, arthritis knee pain, baker's cysts, meniscus tears, bursitis of the knee, tendonitis of the knee, chondromalacia patella, and failed knee surgery. Individuals who suffer from chronic knee pain can benefit tremendously from treatments. The therapy is unique in that it enables patients to experience knee pain relief without knee surgery, medications or knee injections. Unlike pain medications and knee injections cold laser therapy treatments are considered non-invasive,do not cause any harmful side effects, and are completely painless.

What Other Conditions Are Treated With Laser Therapy?

In addition to relieving knee pain and inflammation the treatment can be used by physicians for treating a myriad of other musculoskeletal conditions. The treatments have also proven to be effective for neck pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain and arthritis pain. Researchers are also investigating the possibilities of cold lasers being used to heal broken bones more quickly, to help regenerate the nerves in injured spinal cords and to help regenerate new skin in burn victims.

How Does The Treatment Work?

Cold laser therapy treatments work by using highly focused, specific wavelengths of light to target the area of injury. The light penetrates deeply into the tissue in the form of non-thermal light photons. This light helps stimulate and excite damaged and injured cells' mitochondria. The mitochondria is considered the 'powerhouse' of the cell. By exciting the mitochondria the metabolic rate of the cell improves thereby healing and repairing the tissue at a faster rate. In addition, to relieving knee pain, treatments have also been shown to improve tissue growth, cell communication, and cell nutrition. As a result of cellular excitation, lasers also accelerate lymphatic activity which ultimately helps reduce edema or swelling in and around the knee joint. Additionally, the therapy aids in achieving an increase in blood flow and in the formation of new capillaries in and around the knee joint.

How Many Knee Treatments Does it Take to Experience Relief?

The exact number of treatments depends on the duration and severity of the pain. In addition, an examination, an x-ray or MRI evaluation of the knee joint must be performed and taken into account in order to help determine an accurate treatment plan. The good news is that the effects are cumulative and improve with each treatment. It usually takes a series of 10 to 30 treatments for knee pain sufferers to get the most beneficial results; however, in many acute cases the relief can be immediate. Moreover, it is important to continue the treatments until the doctor has indicated that the therapy is complete.

Contraindications to Therapy...

While the FDA has classified cold lasers as "non-significant risk" devices, the treatments are not appropriate for individuals who are pregnant, or who observe the presence of potentially cancerous skin lesions near the site of the knee injury. This knee treatment is also contraindicated for individuals who take medications that result in photosensitivity.

The Most Important Step...Choosing The Right Knee Pain Relief Doctor...

Finally, choosing the right doctor that specializes in cold laser therapy for knee pain is as important as the treatment itself. Any health care professional with a license can own a cold laser, but in order to get the best results find a doctor who only treats the knee joint and who has devoted their practice to using this type of therapy. If you choose wisely, you will have a greater chance of achieving knee pain relief and ultimately avoiding knee surgery.

All rights reserved Copyright 穢 2011 Dr.Schnee,D.C.,PA

Heart Complications With Total Joint Replacement Surgery on Knees and Hips

Doctors have always known that there is some risk of heart complications associated with major surgery, especially for those who are older or who have preexisting heart problems. There was a study done in the summer of 2008 that looked at the risk factors for cardiovascular problems after total joint replacement (TJR) surgery on the knees and the hips. Two new heart risk factors in TJR surgery were identified: having bilateral joint replacement, replacing joints on both sites of the body during one surgery, and having revision surgery to replace an earlier joint implant.

Researchers looked into the heart risk of TJR by studying the medical records of those who received new or revision total hip or knee replacements over the time of 29 months at a large hospital in New England. From these, the researchers identified the records of patients who, during their hospitalization, had experienced an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart attack, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, or blockage of an artery in the lung. Records were then matched with those of another group of those who had joint replacement surgery but no documented heart problems. These groups were matched as closely as possible according to surgeon, approximate age of the patient, and year when they had their total joint replacement. Eliminating incomplete records, the researchers had a total of 418 patient records for the study with an average age of 71.4 years; 55% were women; and 51% had knee surgery, 49% were hip surgeries; 20% of the operations were revisions; the rest were initial joint replacements; 11% were bilateral procedures, replacing both knees or both hips in one operation.

The researchers obtained information about any preexisting heart risk factors fro the medical record reviews and fro physical exams, electrocardiograms (EKG), and patient intake questionnaires. Included in these are the well known risks like high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease, and smoking just for example. Researchers also sifted through data to pick out the factors associated with cardiac problems during the patients' hospital stays. In 70% of the patients who had some post-surgical heart problems irregular heartbeat was present; 24% had a drop in blood pressure; 8% had unstable angina; 2% had a heart attack; 11% had congestive heart failure and in 1% there was death.

There were many factors had no effect on the risk of heart complications, including gender, being overweight, type of anesthesia, use of NSAIDs, knee versus hip surgery, or having diabetes or high blood pressure are just a few examples of these factors. Some of the traditional factors known to raise heart risk in other types of surgery also hold risk for those who are getting a TJR; age over 75 years; some preexisting heart problems like coronary artery disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, or diseased heart valves; and irregular heartbeat were confirmed by this study.

A new finding from this study is that patients getting a bilateral joint replacement or revision surgery have 2 to 3.5 times the risk of heart complications during a total joint replacement compared to those getting a single, first time joint replacement.

There were two drawbacks to this study, and they were that it included the data from only one hospital and the results were not typical for other populations where there were TJR's or hospitals.

Researchers hope that their findings will help doctors to do a better job of weighing the risk and reducing the heart complications that come up in total joint replacement patients. And giving that more than 700,000 total hip or knee replacements were done in the U. S. in 2004, it is essential that there are targeted measures to reduce cardiovascular risks and potentially save many lives.