Medicrit – Medicare

Archive for February, 2009

Thai massage originated in Thailand over 1,000 years ago and is a very popular form of massage in the Western world. Based on Ayurvedic medicine and yoga, this art form has been handed down through an unbroken chain of masters for centuries. Thai massage is becoming increasingly popular in the Western world, and is one of the fastest growing massage types in the United States.

The main difference to this type of therapy is no oil is used and the therapist uses a mattress on the floor instead of a typical table and the client remains completely clothed throughout the session. It is so different than what most people in the West expect, many people describe this type of therapy to have yoga performed on you.

Some people call this therapy yoga in action since it employs many sequences of stretches by having pressure applied with the thumbs, palms, elbows, knees, and feet.

Before the therapy begins, the therapist typically interviews the client to find out any specific conditions the client and discussing their pain tolerance before beginning the massage. Once the massage begins, the massage takes on a rhythm and only stops if the pain is too much from too much pressure or too light if not enough pressure is applied.

Thai therapy usually begins with the extremities starting from the feet and legs and then moving to the hands and arms. From there, the abdomen is massaged with yoga stretches and the back is massaged for relaxation. Finally, the head, neck, and face are massaged to complete the treatment.

The mid-life phenomenon known as menopause and the stresses of anxiety go hand in hand. Panic attacks, rushes of energy, burning in the chest, unusual vibrations throughout the body, and warm sensations are some of the physical effects you may feel under this condition.

When menopause hits, there is a greater chance women will go through anxiety and depression. Christian Northrop talks about this phenomenon in her book, Wisdom of Menopause, where if a woman has repressed something in her life, she won’t be able to get past menopause employing the same tactics. For example, unexpressed anger will find its way out and sometimes in unusual or uncomfortable ways.

In what is often referred to as a ¨midlife crisis,¨ this time of life forces women to re-evaluate themselves and the role(s) they play as they are getting older. And, often times we are not comfortable with what we find. A little voice in the back of our head is saying, “If you don’t make changes now … you never will!” Our hormonal imbalances (due to decreased estrogen levels) can contribute to feelings of depression or make us feel plain ‘indifference.’ Even if menopause isn’t actually causing these conditions, it can heighten underlying anxiety and bring it to the surface.

Anxiety is an individual’s prolonged feeling of dread and worry with no particular reason behind it. It’s uncomfortable and causes stress particularly on the body. It can be triggered by problems in everyday life like paying the bills and work. Although worrying about these things for a normal person has its ceiling of severity, menopausal women suffering from anxiety tend to think about their problems excessively.

When anxiety finally hits its highest peak, it is often called a panic attack. Panic attacks are debilitating episodes of fright and fear that include chest pains, fear of death, and shaking. In what is called being ¨psychosocially¨ depressed, women have negative beliefs and attitudes in regards to getting older, assuming unwanted roles such as caretaker, and responding negatively to impatient husbands who might demand sex.

Being depressed during the duration of this condition has a lot to do with their overall psychological well-being prior to menopause. Women who have continuous anxiety and depression beforehand are more likely to suffer worse cases of anxiety during this latter phase of life. If life-long imbalances have not been healed, menopause may exacerbate the situation. We might feel unable to perform ¨female duties¨, contributing to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Research has found that consistent regular physical activity (i.e. exercise) before menopause has been scientifically proven to lessen the possibility of anxiety symptoms during this transition. It’s also helpful to avoid drinking caffeine-loaded liquids, sleep deprivation, and stimulant use. Also, numerous women report that black cohosh has helped them lessen or eliminate their anxiety.

Psychiatric consultations are highly recommended for anxiety sufferers under menopause. An experienced counselor and/or therapist can help us recover and evaluate our lives including healing emotional imbalances. It is a great time to refocus our attention toward new activities and roles. As is common with anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, fright, and even suicidal tendencies can occur. In this case, antidepressants may be prescribed. Coping with all of the physical changes, assuming new roles, possibly facing many of our fears for the first time, and generally waking up to the fact that ¨life just isn’t what it used to be¨ are all realizations that contribute to anxiety in older women. In these times, it is important to maintain focus and concentrate on the positive things in life. Although it can be hard, it can be done.

Having a plethora of life responsibilities and obligations during menopause can create stress, and having an ´excess´ of this stress can cause adrenal fatigue. Anxiety in menopause sufferers results from hormonal imbalances. In the menstrual cycle, ovulation causes progesterone (which has soothing effects on the mind and body) to be released. Irregular cycles are grounds for anxiety build-up, as a result of the lack of this ¨happy hormone.¨ All of these conditions can be treated with alternative therapies such as natural progesterone cream.

But why do some women go through menopause and barely notice a difference? One consensus among medical doctors theorizes that it has a lot to do with women’s self-esteem and self-confidence. One thing is for sure, if you are having trouble with either of these, you’ll get a chance to deal with them now. One thing menopause is great at, and that is bringing out our unresolved issues. And we all know how anxious that can make us.

Many people seem to think that diet pills are their quick and easy way to lose weight. Sure, they can definitely be quite helpful, but don’t expect to lose weight by taking them alone. Using diet pills without exercise is probably not going to provide you with the best results. You may lose some weight, but you are more likely to plateau faster and you may not get the nice body you really want without doing some type of exercising.

Diet Pills Shouldn’t Be Used on Their Own

You see, in most cases diet pills are not designed to be used on their own. In fact, if you look at the directions that come with many of them out there, they actually recommend that the pills be used with a healthy diet and a good exercise plan. No, this doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at the gym, but using diet pills without a bit of exercise is not going to give you the best results. Don’t try using them on their own if you are serious about losing weight and keeping if off.

Lifestyle Changes are Important Too

Lifestyle changes are important too when you want to lose weight. You can’t expect to just use diet pills and live the way you always have. You will need to start eating a bit healthier and you will need to get more active if you want to lose the weight and keep it off for good. Although they offer weight loss, often if you don’t change your lifestyle, you’ll quickly gain the weight back in the future, especially if you go off the pills.

Exercise Helps in Combination with Diet Pills

When you exercise, it can really be a huge help when you do it along with taking diet supplements. Many people find losing weight hard. Some even try to eat a better diet and exercise but they still don’t get far with their weight loss needs. When you add these pills, it can make it a bit easier to lose weight. These pills are designed to be used with diet and exercise for the best results. They give you a bit of an edge as you work to lose the weight. Just don’t think you will amazingly lose weight without making any changes.

Not a Quick Fix

You see, diet pills really are not a quick fix to your weight problem. Weight loss for good is going to take some time. It will take some work too. Most pills that offer quick weight loss without any diet changes or exercise won’t provide you with long term results.

When you do pick out your diet pills, make sure you choose a quality pill that can be used in conjunction with exercise and a good diet. The best diet pills are designed to aid you with weight loss. Remember that you do need to change your lifestyle and you’ll get better results from the diet pills.

Kidney stones treatment will depend on the stones size and the patient’s condition. Relief from pain and ridding the body of the stones is the goal of the treatment. In some instances hospitalization (though rare) may be required for the treatment of kidney stones. If surgery is required it can be non-invasive or invasive based on positioning and size of the stones in the body. However, surgery will not take care of the causes or keep them from reoccurring.

No permanent damage is typically done with the removal of the kidney stones; although a strict diet will be coupled with other restrictions after the removal. This is because if you get them once you are likely to get them again. Following the instructions of a physician or dietician can help to reduce the likelihood of these occurring.

The first step in proper treatment is diagnosing kidney stones is. There are various methods used to make a diagnosis.

*X-rays/Ultra Sounds – this gives size and placement of the stones in the body.

*Urine/ Blood tests – determine that the kidney stones actually are present.

In many cases kidney stone are small and will leave the body naturally through urination, all that is needed is to increase the fluid intake to do so. However, there are times when hospitalization is required. In these cases the body is normally hydrated with IV fluids and a special diet is followed. This will ensue for a couple of days before the alternatives are discussed with you. It is possible to make larger stones smaller stones with non-surgical methods. However there are times when surgery is the only way to get out the larger stones, as they can they can block the urinary tract and cause the kidneys to swell.

An alternative to surgery is now ESWL or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Shockwaves are sent to the stones and shatter them into smaller pieces that can pass though the urine stream easily. There is no hospital stay required and a few days are all that is needed in order to recover from this type of kidney stones treatment. The side effects are minor such as bruising, discomfort and urine containing blood. A person should avoid taking aspirin after this type of procedure.

Sometimes an ureterscope is put into the urethra and the bladder and all the way to the ureter to remove stones lodged in the ureter. This kidney stones treatment can either remove the stone or break it into smaller pieces so that it can exit the body normally. Access is gained to the kidney by a small incision on the back. Stones are removed with the utilization of a nephroscope. A short stay in the hospital and a drainage tube is used to help keep healing as fast as possible.

With Kidney stones treatment can vary and is determined according to the severity of the problem. The type and size of the stones will be the deciding factor as to what type of treatment is needed, whether it be medications, surgery or through natural means.

There is nothing more frustrating than having people ask you to repeat yourself because they did not hear what you were saying. There are several reasons why this may be happening: you may be soft-spoken; you may have an accent in which you are not enunciating your words clearly; or, you may mumble. Mumbling occurs when the mouth is not fully open, thus your words are not being articulated distinctly.

Mumbling is not only annoying for your listeners since they cannot understand you; but, it is bothersome for you, the speaker, because of the amount of time you waste
repeating yourself.

From my experience, I have found mumbling to be more common among men, especially tall men. [I rarely meet short men who mumble. To compensate for their lack of height, short men often have big voices and good diction.]

One man, who had a spectacular voice and was at least 6’4″, admitted that he was afraid to speak distinctly and use his wonderful voice for fear of intimidating others. I say nonsense. A dynamic voice does not threaten, it commands respect. Do you find the voices of James Earl Jones or Sean Connery threatening? I don’t think so!

A lot of the men with whom I have worked refuse to believe that they mumble until they see themselves on video. To see if you are symptomatic of Lazy Lips, try the test below.
# Stand in front of a mirror and say something you know from memory. Be as natural as possible. WATCH YOUR MOUTH. Did your lips move?

One of the exercises for curing Lazy Lips is quite simple although you will feel like an idiot with this exercise, so make sure you are alone when you try it!
# Standing in front of the mirror, greatly exaggerate the movement of your lips and lower jaw as you say something again from memory. Open your mouth excessively wide and noticeably move your jaw in speaking your words. (Yes, it will sound silly.) Now having accomplished this feat, say the same thing again without the exaggeration.

You should have noticed that your lips began to move normally the second time you said your words. Practice this exercise several time using the words of a song, for example, The Pledge of Allegiance, a poem, The Lord’s Prayer, or anything else you know from memory.

This is a very simple exercise but it is surprisingly effective. Practice it daily and become more aware of your speech and the movement of your lips throughout the day. I have had many clients successfully end their mumbling within a week. All it takes is practice and awareness.

Stop your mumbling today and be heard the first time you say it!

As female organs are more complicated and are confined in the body and not openly visible, most of the girls are ignorant about their organs. Hence it is important that complete knowledge about the female organs structure and their functions be discussed in detail.

The female organs are much more complicated than male. As they are confined in the body and not openly visible, most of the girls are ignorant about their organs. Hence it is important that full knowledge about the female organs structure and their functions be discussed in detail.

Vulva – The two visibly fleshy folds, covered with hair are the outer lips or labia Majora. When parted, they reveal two smaller or inner lips or labia. The insides of the inner are covered with the mucous membranes. The inner lips of labia are one of the several sexual sensation centers. During intercourse these labia remain constantly massaged by the rubbing of the penis.

The principal organ of the sex feeling, the clitoris, is situated just above junction of the inner lips. The clitoris looks like a mini penis having erectile tissue and head and free skin. It is covered form above by a hood of skin. The clitoris is made of highly sensitive nerves which respond very well to sexual stimulation. It is from this entire that the sexual feeling begins and permeates in the entire body through vulva and vagina. When erect, the clitoris looks like the size or shape of small bean. About an inch below the clitoris is a small opening of the tube called urethra. Its duct conducts the urine from the bladder. The urethra has only the urinary function and no sexual function.

The mucous membrane above the clitoris is covered with glands which secret smegma. Owing to the structure, cleanliness in the woman is a little more difficult than in the man. It is not only hygienically necessary to keep it clean but also for this reason that it emits foul smell which tend to inhibit sexual desire in the man.

Hymen – Just below the urinary passage is the entrance to vagina. In a normal virgin girl, this opening remains partially closed by a thin membrane called the hymen. Though it appears in different shapes but normally it looks like a crescent in shape appearing like the forward extension of the black walls of the vagina. In many cases during the first intercourse when the hymen is ruptured there may be slight bleeding and pain. It is a false notion that the hymen is the symbol of virginity. A nicked or stretched or tattered hymen does not mean the body has been penetrated into. It could be ruptured on account of jerks or falls that a young girl might experience. Many girls may not have much of it or others may lose it in doing some kind of vigorous job.

Vagina – It is a tube or canal extending from vulva to the neck of the uterus. It is three and half to 4 inches in length in its normal relaxed position. It is here that the penis in intercourse is sheathed with its elastic walls. It receives the seminal discharge and allows the sperm to travel forward towards the womb in search of an ovum. It is through this tube that a child passes to the outside world.

The flexible walls of the vagina are lined by a mucous membrane secreting a fine fluid which keeps it moist and clean. It has great releasing and contracting power. It is because of this reason that the vagina besides being made up of flexible walls, is able to accommodate much larger penis not withstanding its small cavity.

Suffering From Low Female Libido?

Many women suffer from low libido. This affects their sex life in a number of ways. There are some powerful herbal female libido enhancers that not only boost desire but also improve overall sexual health. As they are made of exotic herbs, vitamins and other nutrients, they do not require any prescription.

For hundreds of years, many people all over the world have been drinking green tea for its healthful properties. In fact, people in China and India have been reaping its benefits for several thousand years! Green tea was enjoyed both as a ceremonious luxury and as a means to good health.

Now green tea is conquering the west as a weight loss supplement. Thankfully, people appreciate it for more than just another weight loss hyped supplement, however. It is well-regarded as a natural supplement for many purposes, and unlike many natural supplements, it has gained great respect and interest within mainstream media. Even Oprah Winfrey discussed its healthful properties on her show.

So you may thinking at this point, “okay, it’s good for me… but how exactly is it good for me?”

The scientific evidence is mounting as over one thousand studies indicate that this super food can help you lower your bad cholesterol, aid in weight loss diets, slow the development of arthritis and provide a wide spectrum of benefits related to its behavior as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants fight free radicals in your system, keeping them from damaging your cells and DNA. Thus some studies provide some preliminary indication that green tea may help suppress the growth of cancer cells. In fact, a strong cup of quality green tea often contains more antioxidants than a serving of several well-respected healthy vegetables, including spinach, carrots and broccoli.

So given all these fantastic benefits, you can see why the health industry has developed numerous green tea related supplements. They aim to make it easier for you to consume a large quantity of its antioxidants with a simple pill.

But it isn’t that easy. The research to support supplements originating from this tea isn’t quite as strong as the research support regular consumption of strong, fresh tea beverages. Often times manufacture isolate certain traits of this super food tea so that the total constituents of the original substance aren’t preserved. And it appears that there is a synergistic effect to consuming the tea in its natural form.

In recent years, however, manufacturers have grown more savvy this dilemma. The highest quality supplements now facilitate more natural absorption by attempting to include the same profile of nutritional properties as the original green tea source.

We still don’t know for sure whether this mimics the natural properties of a cup of tea, but it does allow us to consume a far greater concentration of its nutritious flavonoids and antioxidants than we could possibly manage by just drinking the tea. I think the best thing you can do is try it for yourself.