BACK PAIN
Back pain is a common complaint. In fact, most people in the Philippines will experience low back pain at least once during their lives. Moreover, back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work.
On the bright side, you can take measures to prevent or lessen most back pain episodes. If prevention fails, simple home treatment and proper body mechanics will often heal your back within a few weeks and keep it functional for the long haul. Surgery is rarely needed to treat back pain.
Symptoms of back pain may include:
* Muscle ache
* Shooting or stabbing pain
* Pain that radiates down your leg
* Limited flexibility or range of motion of your back
* Inability to stand straight
Back pain that lasts from a few days to a few weeks is considered acute. On the other hand, pain that lasts for three months or longer is considered chronic.
Most back pain gradually improves with home treatment and self-care. Although the pain may take several weeks to disappear completely, you should notice some improvement within the first 72 hours of self-care. If not, see your doctor.
In rare cases, back pain can signal a serious medical problem. Contact a doctor if your back pain:
* Is constant or intense, especially at night or when you lie down
* Spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain extends below your knee
* Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
* Causes new bowel or bladder problems
* Is associated with pain or throbbing (pulsation) in your abdomen, or fever
* Follows a fall, blow to your back or other injury
* Is accompanied by unexplained weight loss
Also, see your doctor if you start having back pain for the first time after age 50, or if you have a history of cancer, osteoporosis, steroid use, or drug or alcohol abuse.
What causes back pain? Your back is an intricate structure composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and disks. Disks are the cartilage-like pads that act as cushions between the segments of your spine. Back pain can arise from problems with any of these component parts. In some people, no specific cause for their back pain can be found. Back pain most often occurs:
* From strained muscles and ligaments
* From improper or heavy lifting
* After a sudden awkward movement
Source: www.mayoclinic.com
For more information on physical therapy, visit us at www.bodytherafix.com.
Why Muscles Get Sore
As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince.
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Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints.
The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.
Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joint’s motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint.
If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion.
Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue-muscle and connective tissue-limit the motion range.
The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky.
Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use
What happens next is that the muscles become shortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue.
However, other factors trigger sore muscles. Here are some of them:
1. Too much exercise
Have you always believed on the saying, “No pain, no gain?” If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles.
The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together.
2. Aging and inactivity
Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packed fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways.
3. Immobility
Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the body’s reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain.
First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back.
4. Spasm theory
In the physiology laboratory at the University of Southern California, some people have set out to learn more about this cycle of pain.
Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.
Source: www.natural-health-directory.com
For more information on physical therapy, visit www.bodytherafix.com.
Passage to Manhood
Now that your boy is growing up fast, it’s about time that you give him his golden ticket to manhood. Help him become a man by letting him undergo the passage to manhood.
For only Php 3,500, you can avail of Healthway’s circumcision package that already includes the physician’s fee and the use of our operating room.
Don’t miss this opportunity to have your boy cross over from boyhood to manhood.
Promo runs from March 1-June 15, 2010 and is available in all Healthway Medical clinics. For more information, call our hotline at 751- (HWAY) 4929 or log on to www.binatilyo.com.
Healthway Pushes Occupational Safety.
OSH is a cross-disciplinary specialty that seeks to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the workforce. Its objective is to protect every worker against the dangers of injury, sickness, or death through safe and healthful working conditions. This conserves valuable manpower resources and prevents loss or damage to lives and properties, consistent with Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) development goals and Bureau of Working Conditions’ (BWC) commitment to the total development of every worker as a complete human being.
Occupational Health Medicine Consultant Dr. Marilou D. Renales, MSc, FPCOM is a diplomate and fellow of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) and an accredited DOLE – BWC OSH Consultant. Dr. Anthony R. Busque is an occupational medicine practitioner experienced in policymaking and program development in OSH and quality improvement, as well as in the clinical management of work-related illnesses.
Ms. Emily M. Terso, Healthway CCSMEDI-access Business and Operations Manager, says it is imperative to establish good occupational safety and health standards. “Moral, economic, and legal reasons all come into play,” says Terso. “An employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. Also, government realizes that poor occupational safety and health performance results in expense to the State, for example, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the worker’s ‘employability’.”
Terso adds that legally, occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil or criminal law. “It is accepted that without the extra ‘encouragement’ of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations.”
For more information, call 7514957 or 7502027. You may also check out websites, www.healthway.com.ph, www.healthwayatwork.com and www.medi-access.com.
Positive thinking Reduce stress, enjoy life more
Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Overcome negative self-talk by recognizing it and practicing with some examples provided.
Understanding positive thinking and self-talk
Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
The health benefits of positive thinking
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
* Increased life span
* Lower rates of depression
* Lower levels of distress
* Greater resistance to the common cold
* Better psychological and physical well-being
* Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
* Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It’s unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It’s also thought that positive and optimistic people live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and have reduced rates of smoking and alcohol consumption.
Positive thinking: Reduce stress, enjoy life more
Identifying negative thinking
Some common forms of negative self-talk include:
* Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
* Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
* Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. You refuse to go out with friends for fear that you’ll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily routine leads you to think the entire day will be a disaster.
* Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you’re a total failure.
Focusing on positive thinking
Because your self-talk is mainly negative doesn’t mean you’re doomed to an unhappy or unhealthy life. You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it takes time and practice — you’re creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive way:
* Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
* Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
* Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.
* Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people, those who believe they have no power over their lives, may increase your stress level and may make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
* Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about yourself.
Examples of typical negative self-talk and how you might apply a positive twist include:
Negative self-talk
Positive spin
I’ve never done it before. It’s an opportunity to learn something new.
It’s too complicated. I’ll tackle it from a different angle.
I don’t have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
I’m too lazy to get this done. I wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.
There’s no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
It’s too radical a change. Let’s take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me. I’ll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I’m not going to get any better at this. I’ll give it another try.
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to have a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.
Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you’re able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
Source: www.mayoclinic.com
Leptospirosis May Not Be Distant As You Think It Is
What is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans it causes a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, and respiratory distress. In rare cases death occurs.
Many of these symptoms can be mistaken for other diseases. Leptospirosis is confirmed by laboratory testing of a blood or urine sample.
How do people get leptospirosis?
Outbreaks of leptospirosis are usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. Many different kinds of animals carry the bacterium; they may become sick but sometimes have no symptoms. Leptospira organisms have been found in cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, rodents, and wild animals. Humans become infected through contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from these infected animals. This may happen by swallowing contaminated food or water or through skin contact, especially with mucosal surfaces, such as the eyes or nose, or with broken skin. The disease is not known to be spread from person to person.
How long is it between the time of exposure and when people become sick?
The time between a person’s exposure to a contaminated source and becoming sick is 2 days to 4 weeks. Illness usually begins abruptly with fever and other symptoms. Leptospirosis may occur in two phases; after the first phase, with fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea, the patient may recover for a time but become ill again. If a second phase occurs, it is more severe; the person may have kidney or liver failure or meningitis. This phase is also called Weil’s disease.
The illness lasts from a few days to 3 weeks or longer. Without treatment, recovery may take several months.
Where is leptospirosis found?
Leptospirosis occurs worldwide but is most common in temperate or tropical climates. It is an occupational hazard for many people who work outdoors or with animals, for example, farmers, sewer workers, veterinarians, fish workers, dairy farmers, or military personnel. It is a recreational hazard for campers or those who participate in outdoor sports in contaminated areas and has been associated with swimming, wading, and whitewater rafting in contaminated lakes and rivers. The incidence is also increasing among urban children.
How is leptospirosis treated?
Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or penicillin, which should be given early in the course of the disease. Intravenous antibiotics may be required for persons with more severe symptoms. Persons with symptoms suggestive of leptospirosis should contact a
health care provider.
Can leptospirosis be prevented?
The risk of acquiring leptospirosis can be greatly reduced by not swimming or wading in water that might be contaminated with animal urine.
Protective clothing or footwear should be worn by those exposed to contaminated water or soil because of their job or recreational activities.
Date: October 12, 2005
Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases: Division of Bacterial Diseases
Healthway supports ABS Wellness Fair through CCS
Healthway recently organized ABS-CBN’s Wellness Fair as part of the Corporate Clinic Services (CCS). CCS is a program that offers expertise in clinic management to companies that wish to outsource the management and staffing of their in-house medical clinics.
CCS covers day-to-day clinic operations, which includes deployment of a healthcare team, health program implementation, and comprehensive clinic management. Healthway’s reliable and duly licensed medical personnel ensure that health programs are carried out for a better understanding in the workplace of common and preventable medical illnesses. CCS also offers personal health and physical fitness depending on company’s healthcare needs and requirements.
CCS currently operates more than forty clinics for various multinational and local companies. Today it is the country’s largest operator of corporate medical clinics.
“We provide the total solution to any organization’s need for worksite healthcare administration through clinic management,” says Alma Adriano, Healthway CCS / MEDI-access Product Manager
A vital component of CCS is the Health Master software that captures the day-to-day transactions of the clinic and analysis of medical records. The Web-based system aims to establish a “paperless” way of recording daily clinic transactions and keeping medical records of the employees. “This will standardize and organize the clinic files and records, which in turn will maintain the continuity and reliability of the medical services and further enhance the efficiency of the clinic personnel in implementing the clinic operations,” says Alma Adriano, Healthway CCS / MEDI-access Product Manager.
CCS also provides medical team deployment, which includes a nurse or a doctor and even clinic managers, at the workplace for uninterrupted operations. It also offers a wellness program that provides in-depth analysis of the employees’ health status of the employees following the Occupational Health and Safety standards as mandated by the Department of Labor and Employment’s Bureau of Working Conditions (DOLE-BWC). It also assesses the clinic’s physical setup, required supplies, equipment, and medicines in accordance to Rule 1960 of DOLE-BWC. Healthcare assistance is also rendered in the home of any employee who fails to report for work due to medical illness as part of CCS’s Home Visit Program.
CCS seeks to help organizations on three fronts, namely, to estimate the impact of employees’ health on the company’s bottom line, customize occupational health and safety programs, and help companies comply with national and local legal requirements as mandated by the DOLE-BWC.
CCS is managed by a team of top-rate consulting doctors and engineers with vast experience in occupational safety and health standards.
“Experience has shown that companies that invest in wellness and safety realize significant savings, lower employee turnover and accident rates as well as worker compensation claims, and enhanced productivity and commitment to the organization,” says Alma Adriano, Healthway CCS / MEDI-access Product Manager.
The Wellness Fair was participated by different companies such as Quaker Oats, San Mig coffee, GSK, Abbott, AEI, Clarity Aesthetic Medical and Dental Center, Reductil, Lesofat, Nutrigrow, among others. The exhibitors offered free products and services for all ABS employees. Healthway doctors gave lectures about awareness on colon cancer and osteoporosis. Clarity dermatologist discussed skin-care procedures with the employees. “We are doing this to promote health awareness for all our employees. We want to instill the importance of health care preventions amongst our employees,” says Mark Nepomuceno, Sr., vice president for Human Resources of ABS-CBN.
For inquiries about CCS, log on to www.healthway.com.ph or www.healthwayatwork.com for more information.
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Healthway CCS Cited by Cypress Manufacturing
Healthway CCS was cited last June 25, 2009 by Cypress Manufacturing Ltd. – Gateway Business Park, SEPZA, Gen. Trias, Cavite. The PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION was given for its most promising commitment and exemplary contribution to specific requirements of Cypress. It was given by Mr. Michael La Bouff – Sr. Vice President Procurement Division, Cypress San Jose, CA, USA. ” Healthway’s Corporate Clinics Services … health program implementation for the benefit of not only Cypress employees but also their dependents. They are to fully support programs of CML such as clinic policy enhancement and implementation and supplies monitoring. “