Stretching The Solution to Repetitive Strain Injuries?

To stretch or not to stretch?This is a question that has been posed by many people in their quest to eliminate repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, guyon's syndrome, tendonitis and many other upper extremity disorders.

The answer is yes, stretching in most cases is important in order to increase the length of tight, restrictive tissues. But there is a catch. Lets use the wrist and forearm as an example. If you stretch and lengthen one side of the hand and forearm, say the front side, you need to strengthen and shorten the opposing side, or back of the hand and forearm. If you just stretch one side and then do not perform exercises to the opposing muscle group, the tissues that were stretched go right back to where they were as there is nothing stopping them from returning back to their original position.

This is where the strengthening exercises come in. By contracting and shortening the opposing muscle group, or back of hand and forearm, the length created through stretching the front of the hand and forearm is maintained, keeping the muscles from returning to their original position.

Stretching alone is NOT the answer. A well-rounded solution is to perform both stretches and exercises in order to create balance around the joint. This is true with ANY and ALL joints. Be aware of the following when you implement a stretching program:

? Perform stretches while in a properly aligned position.

? Don't strain or stretch too far-never stretch to the point of pain.

? Increase the stretch only after you feel yourself / muscles relax.

? Breathe slowly while stretching.

? Do not hold your breath while stretching.

? Do not overstretch beyond a point to where you feel pain.

? Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds to allow the muscle to relax.

? Repeat each stretch 2-3 times.

? Think about the area being stretched (Be in tune with your body).

? If you feel pain e! ase off to a more comfortable position.

? If pain continues consult your doctor.

? Stretch within your limits.

? Your flexibility may vary daily so do not try to overdo it if your body says ?no?.

? Adjust each stretch to your own level of flexibility.

? Stretching is important to maintain flexibility so be sure to stretch as least 3-days per week.

? Follow up exercises are important to maintain the effects of the stretch. Perform these exercises immediately to the opposing muscle group(s) that was just stretched in order to maintain structural balance.

Stay Healthy - Your Health is in YOUR Hands!

Jeff Anliker, LMT, is a Therapist and Inventor of Therapeutic Exercise Products that are utilized by Corporations, Consumers and Medical Facilities around the world for the prevention and rehabilitation of repetitive strain injuries. repetitive-strain.com

Medicine from Recommended Pharmacies

With prescription medicines, there are so many choices to choose from and it is not easy finding cheaper and effective alternatives. Does your Government pay for all your healths cost, or are you uninsured and you have the burden of 100% of the cost for your family?s health care. If you have health care coverage, what percentage do you have to pay?

Once you decide what category you fall under, you need to decide which medicine is right for you. Trying to save money on your prescriptions may not be for you but for the vast majority of us who are not well off, we have to shop around for a cheaper source of quality prescriptions.

This brings us to the internet with even more questions. A recent Google search for the word ?pharmacy? came up with over 29 million possibilities. So out of the 29 million WebPages. Which pharmacies have good quality prescriptions, which ones are fly-by night and which ones have good customer service? That is where an online pharmacy review site comes in.

A good pharmacy review site will first find quality online pharmacies. Do background checks on the medical pharmacies and contact them to see if they respond in a timely matter. Some good websites will go to the extent of ordering prescriptions from pharmacies to see if the right prescriptions arrive on time and as prescribed.

There are thousands of online pharmacies to choose from and an online pharmacy review site can help users to start choosing their prescriptions from recommended pharmacies. This makes it easier for online users and starts them in the right path. Not only can they find good pharmacies from such a review site, they can also find medicine that are competitively priced and within their budget range. How often do people take their friends' recommedations in trying out Lose Weight programs and medicine anyway?

Bobby Stark works in an established US pharmacy for 10 years and spends his spare time on his Online Pharmacy Review site to guide buyers in choosing their medical products.! http:// www.cheaprxmedsonline.com/ He enjoys outdoor activities like swimming, running and pilates.

Can We Really Get Rid of Cellulite?

It has been the bane of every women's existence since the dawn of time - the affliction known as cellulite. We all have it to varying degrees, and it seems to get worse as we get older in many cases. So, should we just resign ourselves to the fact that it is here to stay, or is there a way to fight and get rid of cellulite?

Thankfully, the answer is yes, we can fight cellulite, or at least the appearance of cellulite, through several therapeutic treatments that are available on the market today. It is not, however, a one-time deal. Once you stop the treatments, the cellulite will inevitably return. So, the treatment of cellulite is an ongoing commitment, and it should be incorporated as part of your daily beauty regimen for consistent and lasting reduction in it's appearance.

Some of the over-the-counter cellulite treatments actually do quite a good job of significantly reducing the appearance of cellulite. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness with these products, it is imperative that you massage the affected areas vigorously for a few minutes when applying the treatment. In addition to the smoothing and tightening ingredients in the treatment, the massaging stimulates circulation and helps break the collagen bands that have constricted and resulted in the puckered look of the affected areas. The most effective ingredients, and what gives these products their smoothing effects, are caffeine and aminophylline. Many also add seaweed extract as well, but this is not the most effective ingredient in the product.

In addition to the cellulite creams, lotions and gels, there is a procedure called endermology that has many women reporting extraordinary results. It is actually a large mechanical pressure device that uses a technique similar to the process of a rolling pin rolling out dough to make cookies. This action kneads the problem areas with substantial pressure to break down the aforementioned collagen bands, and smooth the sponginess and puckering out for an even and t! oned app earance. Drawbacks are it is expensive and does require return visits for maintenance, it can be an uncomfortable and even slightly painful process, and it may result in some temporary bruising.

Another option is oral herbal or medicinal remedies for cellulite. Beware though. There have not been significant studies or proof verifying whether these products actually produce results. I cannot recommend investing in or experimenting with these newer products until substantial findings or proof are published regarding their effectiveness.

So, what else causes cellulite? This question is still the subject of scientific debate. We definitely know that it mostly affects women, so there is much speculation that the underlying cause is hormonal in nature. Many other studies suggest it is related to age, diet, genetics, and fitness/level of activity. It has been noted that strength and toning exercises, as well as steady weight maintenance will help with the appearance of cellulite. Frequent weight fluctuation, high fat diets, and even excessive carbonated beverages have been some of the suspected culprits as well.

Whatever the cause, if you want to minimize these unsightly dimples, there are options out there for you that are effective and affordable. New breakthroughs are being made every day in the field of cosmetic enhancement products, so we may soon see another product that blows them all away. It may be tomorrow, for all we know!

Visit Eliminate Cellulite for how to get eliminate cellulite using inexpensive products and techniques. Danna Schneider is the founder of CosmeticsGalore.com Cosmetic Product Reviews

A Simple Urine Test Can Early Detect Prostate Cancer

Human cells grow all the time. This is a specific way the body replaces useless cells with new ones. The new cells remain on the same tissue of organ, assuming the same function as the old ones. This is a controlled growing targeting the body development process.

Sometime the cells begin to grow out of control and form a mass called tumor. Tumors are cancerous only if they are malignant. This means due of uncontrolled growth they leave the 'parental' place and invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body.

Prostate cancer happens when cells in prostate begin to multiply out of control and leave the prostate gland.

Treatment for prostate cancer may vary according to the stage of the cancer. Regular screening for prostate cancer can help in early diagnoses and in treatment effectiveness.

The most usual screening is done by routine yearly digital rectal examinations (DRE) beginning at age 40. The procedure involves a gloved finger in the rectum for a measurement of the size of the gland and feel for possible prostate tumor (nodule) cancer.

In addition, beginning at age 50, an annual PSA test is necessary because it is substantially more sensitive for men health than DRE when it comes to detecting early, tiny, or even microscopic cancers that are confined to the prostate gland.

But in many cases PSA testing is irrelevant as many men with normal test results are prostate cancer sufferers. Recent studies have found that a simple urine test may improve the diagnosis and treatment of this male disease. Urine screening can reveal the presence of thymosin ?15, a protein that sustain malignum tumor development by stimulating cell migration. This protein is produced almost exclusively by cancerous cells and it is detectable in urine.

Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in health issues affecting men like prostate cancer treatment

Tips For Younger Looking Skin

Keeping skin nourished with plenty of water and exercise is more crucial than most people think. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day hydrates the skin and keeps it supple and moist. Water intake also minimizes those dreaded dark circles under the eyes.

Exercise stimulates the entire body and gets your blood flowing, making you glow. The better the circulation, the more nutrients go to the skin. Keeping skin clean is one of the simplest ways of caring for your skin. Wash your skin with tepid water and a mild facial cleanser. How many times a day should you wash your face? It depends on your skin type. Oily skin may need two or three washes a day, while dry skin should only be washed once or twice. Use a face cloth or a gentle facial scrub to help remove dead cells.

Wearing sunscreen when you go outdoors can counteract a lot of UVB damage, which contributes to the burning. Keep in mind that sunscreen does not protect against UVA damage. Some daily lotions have built-in sunscreen with a lower SPF and then there are lotions formulated for the sole purpose of protecting you from the sun with higher SPF. SPF (sun protection factors) are measured by timing how long skin covered with sunscreen takes to burn in comparison to uncovered skin. For example, SPF 30 means that while wearing sunscreen it will take 30 times longer to burn. Because protection from UVA rays is below satisfactory, sunscreen often offers a false sense of security because UVA rays are the more insidious of the two types of radiation that the sun emits.

Avoiding excessive sun altogether is the true meaning of sun protection.

Good sun protection methods include: staying in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm (peak sun strength hours), wearing protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat, wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV rays, knowing your skin?s limits and not allowing yourself to burn, applying sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more and, lastly, not relying on sunscreen as sun protection. In short, t! he best sun protection on the market is you.

Antioxidant creams can serve as great warriors in protecting the skin. There?s plenty of evidence suggesting that if you take vitamins orally, the sun still depletes them. A limited number of studies have reported that the skin can absorb certain antioxidants such as green tea and vitamin C, which can reduce oxidation. More studies are underway to prove this point more fully.

As we age, we produce less and less GLA, which is one of the most important fats our skin produces. Now, in order for nutrient-rich blood to enrich the skin, the body needs a special fat called GLA. The body has incredibly small amounts of this miracle fat, certainly not enough to help the skin carry out all of its necessary duties. It's also hard to obtain GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) through our diets nowadays. This leaves our skin much more vulnerable to damage. GLA is not an easy thing to find. Aside from our hydrophobic barrier in our dermal zone where GLA is produced, the only other place GLA is available is in oatmeal.

Dr. Sears was able to find ways to implement GLA into an anti-aging skin care system that penetrates the layers of the skin. This way, when there are everyday attacks on the skin from UVA rays, dirt, bacteria, toxins in our water and normal aging problems from oxidation, there is enough GLA to counteract it.

Lori Matthews has done extensive research in the skin care industry and which ingredients actually penetrate the skin layer. Please visit Anti Aging Zone for more information

Atkins Diet Simple Advice

Just like any other diet, the Atkins diet can become boring and for some very dangerous. Before you get into the plan make sure you get a physical and talk to your doctor. We already know that the diet works but how do you work the diet? There is plenty of advice and information available online and in the library.

The Atkins Diet is an attempt to trick your body into burning stored fat rather than the carbohydrates you consume for energy. In the process you might have some physical reactions that are important to know about. The good news is that there are things you can do to combat some of the side effects.

Some people experience dizziness or cramps or other physical effects from the changes you are making in your diet. There are things you can do to prevent or alleviate these things. Be aware that you could experience dizziness, leg cramps, or brain fog. Remember that the mineral potassium is washed out of your system fairly quickly. Do not eat a banana instead take 90 milligrams of a potassium supplement. It should start working to relieve your symptoms in about an hour.

Below are some suggestions that will help keep you healthy while on the Atkins Diet Plan. These are suggestions to help you combat the symptoms while your body adjusts to the changes.

* Eat enough calories. For most people eight to ten calories for every pound of current weight. Too few calories will cause your body to go into starvation mode and weight loss will either slowdown or stop completely.

* Drink enough water. You must drink at least 68 ounces of water a day. Some believe that you should drink half of your weight in water daily. Water helps lipolysis and in getting rid of keytones.

* Weigh and measure yourself once a week only while on the Atkins plan. You should see a decrease in inches and even if you don?t, you will see it in weight.

* Eat the amount of carbs that make you feel your best.

* Eat only natural, unprocessed, nutrient dense carbohydrates. Stay away fr! om sugar .

* Exercise regularly. If you are told you can lose weight without exercise, run don?t walk in the opposite direction. Physical exercise helps your body to use the food you consume appropriately. Too little exercise can do as much damage as too much exercise. Your doctor can help you determine what your activity level should be. Start off really slow and build up so that you will gain more benefit from your food plan and exercise.

* Continue to take nutrient supplements according to your needs and under a doctor?s supervision.

* Keep a weight loss and food journal. If a significant event happens like the death of someone close, the loss of a job, or too many bills you might want to note that. These events could affect how you eat. Actually anything significant that happens should be noted because good stuff can also affect you. In this journal you should also note exactly what you eat at each meal, and if you are a diabetic you will be able to understand how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels negatively or positively. Obviously you will be noting your daily testing results. By doing this you will be able to recognize patterns. When are your levels the highest or the lowest? Be sure to share these things with your physician, as he or she will be able to help you determine what to do.

* Read the labels on everything. Look for any hidden sugars like syrups and look for anything that ends in ?...ose?, such as lactose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and dextrose.

* Lose weight faster. In order to accomplish this try reducing your caffeine intake.

* Set realistic goals. A healthy weight loss typically is not much more than one to three pounds a week. Any more than that could be unsafe. Losing weight too quickly can trick your body into thinking that it is starving and rather than losing weight your body will stop losing weight and try to hang on to what it can to survive. Aside from all of that, note that any large initial weight loss will likely return if you retu! rn to no rmal eating habits.

If a diet seems too good to be true, It probably is. The best kind of diet is one that encourages balanced meals, moderate activity, and supplements as needed. Before taking any kind of supplement make sure that it is appropriate for you. Although they may be all natural, they are not necessarily safe. They can still negatively interact with any medications and you could still develop allergic reactions to it. Bear in mind that nothing should be take with out your doctor?s input.

(c) www.atkins-diet-plan-n-books.com

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About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice on a variety of subjects. For more information on Atkins diet plan or Low carb diet plans, drop by the website. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

Keep Your Make Up Looking Fresh Using Mineral Foundation

There are so many cosmetic products on the market today with some new advances in skincare. Most recently the newest type of foundation on the market has been mineral powder foundation. This isn?t just ground up pressed power like you may be used to; in fact, it is made up of ground minerals found in nature.

Even if you?re not a naturalist, you may be interested in trying the new forms of mineral foundation.

During the hot summer months, liquid foundations can be cakey, hot, and oily, that literally melt off your skin. It really is an icky feeling, making you want to run home just to wash your face. With these new advances in mineral foundation, that icky feeling is vanished. Mineral foundation leaves your skin fresh looking all day. Mineral foundation has the consistency of a fine powder, but the coverage of a liquid foundation. It will stay on all day, even with sweating, and will not run off your face like traditional foundations.

To keep your skin fresh this summer, (and all year long) simply start your morning off by washing your face with your favorite cleanser. Follow this by applying a facial moisturizer (one with an SPF is best) and make sure to wait for your skin to dry. Apply your favorite mineral foundation with brush or sponge. You may add additional color with the many mineral blushes and eye shadows available. Like the mineral foundation they will stay on your skin all day without caking. Top off with a little gloss and your good to go.

If you are going to be out all day and evening you may want to bring a little mineral foundation with you to touch up, but you won?t need much, mineral foundations should stay on all day!

So the next time your out in the heat, and your make up feels heavy and oily, and you want that fresh skin feeling back, consider switching over to the newest mineral foundations.

Kat White is the resident Bare Minerals fan at Bare Mineral Reviews.

For more great reviews on your favorite mineral makeup visit http://www.baremine! ralrevie ws.com

Psychoneuroimmunology Laughter as Medicine

Research scientists have spent considerable time investigating the effects of laughter. They have found that laughter can help patients recover from illnesses because it tends to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormone levels, and recharges the body?s immune system. Laughter is also known to release a body?s natural painkilling substances to provide an overall feeling of well-being. This is a result of stimulating blood flow and aiding the heart.

It has been said that laughter has about the same benefits as aerobic exercise, but it comes without the pain sometimes experienced with physical exercise. Laughter also helps to control insulin levels and blood sugars, and while scientists don?t recommend that patients quit their diets or exercise regimens, they do say that laughing definitely helps. Doctors have discovered that laughter also has an effect on viruses, bacteria, cancer and heart disease. They determined that their patients boosted their immune systems just by watching funny videos and movies.

Laughter is one of the first things we learn as babies. Scientists note that babies who smile the quickest were smiled at more in general. If parents are happy and smiling, it is a given that the baby is likely to smile quickly as well. Much research on children has been performed, and scientists discovered that laughter helped with children?s ability to endure pain and was also effective in the healing process. This is a valuable discovery for young cancer patients. Laughing relaxed patients who had to have painful procedures or who suffered from the anxiety of pain expectation.

Researchers have found that there are many positive effects from laughter, but no known negative effects. Laughter really is the best medicine. Just thinking about something funny makes the hormones flow, and the body has a positive and healthy response.

Experiencing stress without laughter reduces the ability of the body to fight disease because it suppresses the immune system. A stressed body can?t ! fight in fections and other disorders. Your body responds to emotions and feelings, so it?s good to laugh and release all the positive effects related to laughter. Basically, the immune system is closely linked to the positives resulting from laughter. Laughing helps to fight disease.

Stress levels can be reduced through daily exercise and having good eating habits, and when laughter is added, things get even better. People who laugh a lot have reduced stress levels, and reducing stress is a major step in fighting disease.

To learn more about science, technology and research visit http://science-discovery.com.

Tips for Sampling and Choosing Perfume

Tip 1:

Perfume never has the exactly same fragrance on different people. Don't choose a perfume just because you like the fragrance on someone else. Perfume will interact differently with each individual's body chemistry.

Tip 2:

Fragrance is a combination of the perfume's scent and your body's chemistry. Don't try to tell what a perfume is like by sniffing the bottle. Apply the perfume to your wrist and allow the fragrance to develop, and blend with your skins unique features, before testing. Allow up to 10 minutes for fragrance development after applying the perfume sample.

Tip 3:

Limiting sampling to 3 or 4 perfumes at a time will avoid confusing and overwhelming your sense of smell. Sniffing coffee beans between samples can help clear and refresh your sense of smell.

Tip 4:

When sampling consider developing a perfume wardrobe. A perfume wardrobe is like a clothing wardrobe, with perfumes for different seasons, occasions, and moods. A perfume for each of, casual, evening and romantic wear will cover most requirements.

Tip 5:

It is perfume oils that give perfumes their fragrance. Check the category of the perfume when selecting your perfume. The higher the concentration of perfume oil the longer the perfume will last.

Perfume Category Typical Perfume Oil Content

After Shave 0.5% - 2.0%
Eau de Cologne 3.0% - 5.0%
Eau de Toilette5.0% - 8.0%
Eau de Parfum8.0% - 15.0%
Parfum15.0% - 30.0%

Donna is a trained makeup artist with her own beauty business. As both a business women and a mom with 2 children Donna understands the time pressures on women today and through this, and other articles, has endeavored to take the complexity out of looking great with some busy women friendly beauty tips and advice. If you would like to read more of Donna's articles check out her website: http://www.coloursandscents.co.nz

Choices for Cosmetic Dentistry

Modern dentistry has devised a number of ways to provide treatment options for people looking for teeth enhancement procedures. Methods may range from simple teeth whitening up to bracing and bridging. Some of these methods are discussed in the following sections of this article.

Teeth whitening Teeth whitening basically employ peroxide-based materials to make the teeth appear whiter and cleaner. To achieve the desired enhancement of the teeth, the majority of dentists apply in-office or home-based teeth whitening methods.

Before the formal process of whitening, dentist will have to take out all the cavities from the teeth. It is important to note that the gums must be in considerable health before anything is started. Then the gums will be protected by some means of dental systems then gels will be applied on the teeth. To continue the process, many in-office-setting systems use high intensity lights coupled with 35% of peroxide to whiten teeth. The laser light will activate the peroxide by means of oxidization of stains on the surface of the teeth. After an hour, the teeth will become several shades lighter.

At-home setting system however makes use of 20% peroxide. This process is longer and may take up to two weeks.

Both work well in whitening the stains yet the ideal method is to use the combination of the two processes. By this, the shade of the teeth may improve up to 12 to 15 lighter shades.

Tooth-shaping This process seems to be the most basic and will last only for half an hour. This works by reshaping the undesirable form of the teeth. The process can make pointed tooth rounded, long tooth short and to reshape the whole teeth in general to follow the shape of the lower teeth. The removal of a small amount of teeth enamel has no long term damage effect.

Porcelain Veneers Porcelain veneers or betterly known as veneers are porcelain wafers created to enhance the appearance of the front surface of the teeth and to hide damage. Veneers are much more conservativ! e yet yi eld the same effects as that of dentures or false teeth.

Resin (Tooth Colored Fillings) Resins are placed on the teeth to enhance its appearance for a short duration of time. This procedure helps repair chips and small cavities by inserting white fillings on places that require them. However, unlike with porcelain veneers, resins may discolor over time and may not render as much natural look.

Bonded-Bridge Bonded-bridge is used to replace a missing tooth. It may be a porcelain or resin tooth that has metal or resin wings on each side. The process involves the removal of a small portion of the enamel on the teeth on each side of the one missing in order to clip the bonded-bridge in its place.

Gum-lifts Gum-lifting or gingivectomy is a process that entails the removal of some portions of the gums to make them appear more even and to create an appearance of longer teeth. In effect, this is the cure for gummy smiles.

Braces Braces or orthodontics help children and even young adults to correct the gaps between the teeth and to make them more even. This procedure covers two whole years and may require around twenty dental visits.

Cosmetic surgery requires more art than science because after all, it aims to beautify. For best results, dentists often recommend the use of two or more procedures in correcting the teeth.

Thomas DeReyna is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides a news blog.

5 Tips For Getting Rid of Acne

By now, almost everybody has seen the late night and early morning acne infomercials with Jessica Simpson and Sean Diddy Combs. I guess they figure, if a celebrity trusts something, then so should you. The promises made for the product sound surreal, and yet for many people it may be just the cure they're looking for. Even so, it may not be for everybody.

One of my daughters who had acquired a bad case of acne in recent years, tried the infomercial solution, and it didn't work on her at all. Being a young teenager, she was beset by acne breakouts and needed a solution fast. But unable to find a quick solution, we ended up going to the local dermatologist for acne information and answers. The doctor gave her a prescription for a cream and an oral medication. After following his instructions for a couple weeks, her acne had virtually departed. This was the right solution for her, but it may not be for you - because we're all different.

Here are some general tips that I've discovered over the years:

If you have oily skin - it's best to take a medicated acne product or one in gel form.

If you have dry skin - you'll probably do better with the acne cream form and medicated products with benzoyl peroxide or salycic acid.

If you have both oily AND dry skin (combined type) - you will probably need a combination of oily skin gels and dry skin acne creams to apply to different parts of your fact according to the skin condition there.

If you have sensitive skin - you will more than likely need less intense concentrations of either dry, oily, or combined-type treatments.

If you have skin pain because of acne - you should get personal attention from a dermatologist.

So many people struggle with skin afflictions on a regular basis. With the advances in science, you'd think that the acne problem would have been solved long ago and that acne would be a pale memory. Unfortunately the age-old confidence destroyer is still around and going strong.

Today, reaching mid! dle age, I find myself in a new situation when it comes to unsightly blemishes. Now I find that my skin tends to be a bit oily and I have acne breakouts after moisturizing my face. One of the few things I look forward to as I get older is the absence of acne.

Al Jeffries is a writer and researcher. Please visit acne and allergies for more information.

Acne Remedy: What Worked for My Acne was the Drugfree Way (part 3)

Welcome back.

I have discussed the internal aspects of acne treatment and now we shall be going over the external factors of treating acne and its symptoms. The internal and external factors of this drug-free method of acne control do go hand-in-hand so needless to say; ensure that for your success at this acne treatment regimen, you take the necessary steps to keep both methods working together to ?zap those zits? naturally. Okay?

Acne Remedy: Tips for External Acne Control

*Don?t repeat the use of a pillowcase in 2 days; always change them nightly so get 7 clean ones.

*As much as possible, keep unwashed hands off of your face for long periods of time.

*Try to sleep on your right side.

*Wash your hair with a mild shampoo every night especially if you use greasy hair products, or use a wrap-around nightcap that covers the hair and ensure the cap is washed every morning.

*Steam your face by putting boiling water in a large basin, immersing your face to about several inches away from its surface and allowing the steam to open up the pores, all the time ensuring that the head is covered with a towel. I will recommend using purified water instead of regular tap water, to avoid inhaling the toxic chlorinated by-products it is notorious for. Perform this step for several minutes to induce heavy and effective perspiration.

*Massage the face regularly as this not only aids in cleansing the face, but it firms up the skin and alleviates unwanted signs of aging such as crow?s feet, bags under the eyes, lines and wrinkles

*Engage in some form of exercise to aid the body in detoxification and metabolism.

*For my male readers; if you are of African or Hispanic descent, most barbers recommend you use electric clippers to shave. For Caucasians & Asians, I have observed that using razors might not be a problem although if you prefer, you can use electric clippers also.

This completes the third and final installment of ?Acne Remedy: what worked for my ac! ne was t he drug-free way?. It is my hope that you can apply these methods and take the steps necessary to see a successful cure for your acne naturally and permanently.

Good Luck my friend.

Foras Aje is an independent health researcher and founder of Bodyhealthsoul.com. For more information on Acne Treatment, feel free to stop by his website today.

Detox Aids The Myth Of Detoxing

Many people buy detox aids looking for a quick miracle fix just from taking a branded supplement, which will cleanse your body, but there is no evidence to support many of these claims.

If you want to detox properly it involves eating the RIGHT Diet to detox your body not simply adding a detox aid. Detoxing is not that simple!

There are some easy ways to detox and this involves simply a change to diet and don?t forget your body?s organs are designed to detox without any help from branded pills or juices!

Let?s look at the myth of detox aids and how to detox properly.

The body has its own detoxification system already!

Most of the pills, juices teas and oils sold as detox aids have no scientific foundation to back up their claims, yet people still buy them looking for a quick fix!

The reality of detoxing is that the body has its own in build detoxifiers namely the liver, kidneys, skin intestines and lungs and they are designed to remove and excrete toxins within hours of consumption.

Want to detox? Change your eating habits

The fact is to detoxify your body all you have to do is make simple changes to your diet.

If you simply drunk more water (at least 2 litres a day) and ate more fruit and vegetables your skin would look better and you would feel healthier.

Combine the above with removing from your diet what you know is bad for you i.e alcohol cigarettes and caffeine and you will compound the feeling of well being.

Think about it if our bodies can naturally detox and we simply add foods we know are good for us and remove ones we know are bad, the body will take care of the rest.

Logic tells you that if the body has organs to detoxify then how can a pill or juice help?

If you are in eating foods which are bad, a branded pill or juice cannot save your liver from alcohol or your lungs from smoke.

Detox naturally

All you need to do is eat a healthy diet and skip the detox aids. So, what foods need to be removed? Here! is a li st of essentials:

Red meat
Alcohol
Tea coffee and anything with caffeine in it
Sugar
Dairy products cheese eggs and full fat milk
All processed and junk foods
All processed carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta

Keep in mind you if you eat naturally the body will take care of itself and if you do fill it with toxins there is no miracle cure to remove them that?s left to your over worked specialist detox organs !

Eat raw vegetables, unsweetened fruit juices, brown rice, lean chicken and turkey, fish and drink plenty of water and you will be getting healthy foods that put the minimum of strain on your organs.

Some natural aids

If you want some natural aids try:

Milk thistle to help liver function, bio yoghurt to boost probiotics to help digestion in the gut and finally, wheat bran, which speeds up the passage of food through the colon and gives your digestive system a good clean at the same ? Its nickname is natures broom and its name is well earned.

Detoxing don?t believe the myths

The above is totally logical and common sense.

Branded detox aids are of little use and feed on people?s desire for a quick fix. Alas, like all quick fixes if they sound too good to be true and they are.

Your body can detoxify itself, but you well help it by cutting out bad foods eating naturally and drinking lots of water, to help your organs do what they were designed to do by mother nature without the help of a branded pill or juice.

For more sensible diet advice ...

If you want to know more about detox aids, diets and a variety of healthy diets please visit =>http://www.net-planet.org/health.html

Mineral Makeup Natural Beauty

As we become more aware of our environment and more aware of the products that we are putting into and onto our bodies, natural and homeopathic products are taking the cosmetic industry by storm.

It?s likely you?ve noticed new skincare and cosmetic companies popping up with ?all natural? and ?organic? products. Of course, just because they say they are, doesn?t necessarily make it true. That is where consumer education comes in, and why it is so important.

The title of this article is ?Mineral Makeup?. After learning what mineral makeup is, what products go into it, and what its benefits are, you can decide if this is the right choice for you.

What Is Mineral Makeup?

Mineral makeup is designed from all naturally occurring products. It is often recommended by dermatologists to women with sensitive skin, rosacea, post operative, laser and other procedures because of its intrinsic skin soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a powder makeup of finely milled minerals. It can provide very sheer or very opaque coverage, depending on the formulation and application. However, it still allows natural skin radiance to show through, so you don?t get the dreaded ?mask? look. It is typically free of fragrance and preservatives. Minerals cannot feed bacteria, so there is no danger of spoilage, thus it needs no preservatives. It does not go bad. It is very good for oily skin because it has several oil- absorbing components.

It is usually applied with a brush, and is typically shown to be ?buffed? into the skin. This technique forces the makeup into your pores, which is never a good thing. A technique that works with better quality mineral makeup (which we?ll discuss later) is to ?dust? the makeup on, instead of ?buffing? it. If a brush irritates your skin, you can also use a non-latex or flocked sponge. Application can be done either wet or dry.

What Are The Ingredients?

This is the most important part. Learning what is in your makeup will give you the ability to ch! oose wha t will meet your needs best. These are the ingredients you will most likely come across.

? Titanium Dioxide- A white natural sunscreen and anti-inflammatory agent. It is highly reflect, with only a diamond being higher, and thus minimizes fine lines and some skin discolorations.

? Zinc Oxide- A natural sunscreen providing broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

? Sericite- A colorless mica that can be used to cut the opacity of Titanium Dioxide and also works as an oil absorber.

? Cornstarch/ Rice Powder- Cosmetic grade- An oil humectant (draws oil out of the pores). Can make acne worse as it is a source of food for bacteria.

? Kaolin Clay- Natural oil-absorption.

? Mica- Natural ?glitter?. Provides shimmer and sparkle.

? Iron Oxides- Natural pigment- very opaque. Used for tinting cosmetics.

Ingredients To Avoid

These ingredients are also common, but can cause problems so are best to avoid.

? Talc/ Various Powders- Common fillers- can cause respiratory problems.

? FD&C Dyes- Derived from coal tar.

? Bismuth Oxychloride- Known skin irritant- causes itching, rashes and breakouts. Especially prevalent when the wearer sweats.

? Ferric Ferrocyanide- Controversial because of its suspected toxicity.

? Carmine- Crushed beetles.

What Brand Should I Buy?

Well, if you?re familiar with mineral makeup, it?s likely you?ve seen the infomercials. After further research you?ll find these companies use controversial ingredients, and charge quite a bit for their products.

There are several good mineral makeup companies out there that provide a much better product at a more affordable price, as well as a superior customer experience. They also offer samples, which the larger companies do not. You?ll get to try the makeup (unlike in the drugstore!) for a fraction of the cost before you buy it. They don?t have expensive advertising and packaging to pay for, so the savings are often passed on to you.

Lynn is the proprietor of! Beauty Bliss Mineral Cosmetics at http://www.beautyblisscosmetics as well as http://www.ultimate-skin-care-tips.com

The Secret MuscleBuilding Technique You Must Use In Your Workout Routines

Are you searching for that one solution that blasts your plateau and sends your muscles into an explosive growth phase all over again?

The solution to your problem has been under your nose all along...

I'm not going to waste your time with exercise variety and switching rep schemes, because chances are, you already know these common techniques and use them in your workout routines anyway.

What I want to share with you is something fairly known in the weight lifting industry, but seldom used correctly and maximized to its full muscle-building potential.

The technique that can instantly force your muscles into growth is eccentric training, better known as negatives.

Chances are, you have already heard of negatives, but you probably don't know how to use them for maximum muscle growth.

WHAT IS IT?

A concentric movement is your typical movement, in which the muscle fibers shorten to lift the weight.

Eccentric, or negative, movements are when you lower the weight, or bring it back to the starting position. It is the opposite of lifting a weight.

Negative movements unleash the power of the other half of your repetitions, the lowering phase. In an eccentric contraction, the muscle fibers lengthen to lower the weight.

Now, it is not enough to simply lower the weight slowly in your regular exercises. For maximum benefit, you must isolate and do negative movements alone!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Here is a brief list of the benefits of eccentric (negative) training:

1) Increase in Training Weight: You can add a lot more weight when doing a negative movement. It is much easier to lower a heavier weight than it is to lift that same weight, which means that you can increase your training poundages instantly.

2) Neural Adaptations: After adapting to your regular concentric, or lifting movements, you can shock your muscles and nerves into adapting to a whole new negative movement. This causes confusion at the neuro-muscular level and fo! rces you muscles into growth.

3) Muscle-Fiber Breakdown: Eccentric (negative) movements have been scientifically shown to cause greater muscle trauma and breakdown than regular concentric movements, resulting in greater muscle gains.

4) Type II Muscle-Fiber Activation: A study published last year concluded that maximum weight eccentric movements recruit more Type II Muscle fibers, those responsible for strength and speed.

5) Long Term Strength Gains: New research also shows that maximal eccentric movements cause neural adaptations that result in longer lasting strength gains.

THE BEST WAY TO DO ECCENTRIC (NEGATIVE) TRAINING

1) Choose a resistance level about 30% greater than what you would normally lift, and slowly lower that weight from the top position for a period of 3-5 seconds. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PARTNER!

2) Perform 2-3 sets for larger muscle groups such as chest, shoulders, and back. Perform only 1-2 sets for smaller muscle groups such as biceps and triceps.

3) Rest for 3-5 minutes between sets, because negative training is very intense on your muscles.

QUICK TIPS

1) It is best to dedicate one day out of the week and do a whole workout routine focused on negative movements only.

2) If you can hold, or lower a weight for longer than 5 seconds, consider increasing the weight as it may be too light. If it takes you less than 3 seconds to lower a weight, consider reducing the pounds as the weight may be too heavy.

3) Don't overtrain! Listen to your body...Stick to less sets, and once you reach a set where it's taking you less than 3 seconds to lower a weight, STOP!

4) If you don't have a partner, you can train uni-laterally, using only one side of your body. This can be achieved with dumbbells, machines, and cables. Your non-active side would spot or support your active side.

CONCLUSION

As mentioned earlier, eccentric, or negative, movements have been shown to cause greater muscle-breakdown, neural adaptations, & recruitment ! of Type II Muscle Fibers.

This means that you can experience better muscle growth, greater strength gains, & more explosiveness.

Make sure to dedicate one day a week to do an entire workout routine focused on negative movements only.

You now have the knowledge to enter the fast-lane of muscle growth. How fast you want to go is entirely up to you...

Until next time, have an absolutely muscle-blasting workout routine!

Copyright 2005 Faisal Khetani

Faisal Khetani is a health and fitness consultant, & editor of the Dream Body newsletter. Take a look at his website & subscribe to his newsletter to achieve fast, maximum results: http://www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com

Onion and Garlic: Spice Up the Sick

Onions don't just make us cry and garlic isn't just for vampires. Onions and garlic have been used as spices in cooking for thousands of years and they are usually the first ones thrown in to the frying pan. However, these tasty ingredients are often confined to the kitchen because few people know of the many uses of garlic and onions outside cooking. They contribute a lot to our health and are a couple of the more widely used herbs in alternative medicine.

Onion

From the early beginnings of traditional medicine, the onion has been famous for its healing powers. Onions were speculated to have antiseptic properties and were often used in wound dressings and washes to protect wounds from infection. When taken internally, as in onion soup, it is an effective expectorant for coughs, colds and even bronchitis. Slow and frequent sips of the soup were thought to relieve sore throats and sinusitis. It could also break high fevers.

Onions are thought to have diuretic properties and are good for people suffering from arthritis and gout. Onions were used as a remedy for flatulence and constipation as well as disorders of the liver. It is also considered generally as an aid in digestion by acting as a tonic to the liver thus stimulating it to produce bile.

Onions are famous for their ability to lower high blood pressure and dissolve and prevent the formation of blood clots by improving circulation. It also purifies the blood with its diuretic property. Cases of anemia have also been treated with onions.

When used externally, onions can remedy a lot of skin problems. The juice of the onion is widely used in the treatment for stings, insect bites, animal bites, cuts, boils, abscesses and even burns. Onion juice is also good for toothache, earache and warts. A poultice made of onions is known to cure chilblains. When inhaled, it can relieve headaches. Lastly, when handled correctly, onions can be a very potent aphrodisiac.

Garlic

Nowadays, garlic is mostly t! hought o f as a culinary component. But with the recent emergence of garlic pills that are used as a health supplement for certain conditions, people are starting to realize its healing prowess. As with the onion, the use of the bulb of the garlic in herbal medicine dates back at least a thousand years and it is used in a lot of different ways. Garlic is known for its ability to prevent and cure infections. It is also well-known in treating simple to serious respiratory disorders such as asthma, influenza and sore throats, bronchitis and lung infections. Garlic is also used as a decongestant and expectorant to relieve the discomforts of asthma, cough and chest infections.

In the digestive system, garlic has been found to have a good effect on the liver and also in the intestines for it helps flush out worm infestations. It is a general cleanser of the alimentary canal and an over-all aid to digestion.

Probably the most profound of its benefits is its ability to treat certain disorders of the blood. It has the ability to lower blood pressure as well as blood sugar levels. It can also treat excessive blood clotting.

When used externally, it also has a lot of benefits. Garlic is crushed and macerated then mixed with oil or made into an ointment. This is effective in treating stings, insect and animal bites, cuts and ringworm. This mixture or ointment applied to certain areas is able to relieve the pain and inflammation of the joints in rheumatism and sprains. When rubbed into the chest, it could also lessen labored breathing and chest infections as well as earaches.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Herbal guide.

How to Ensure Truly Natural Skin Care

For years, I've recognized the importance of putting natural, healthy foods into my body. That's why I'm an avid label-reader: because I want to be sure I'm choosing clean, non-toxic foods that will nourish me physically and support my quest for natural health and wellness. However, until recently, I didn't give the same attention to the skin care products I purchased. I just assumed that if a product said natural on the label, it must be okay. Now I know better. And, because I believe that what I put ON my body is as important as what I put IN it, I've become an educated label detective. I scrutinize skin care product labels for potentially toxic ingredients like methylparaben, propylparaben, and triethanolamine. If the ingredients list reads like a document from a science lab, I put the product back on the shelf.

Homeopathic Support for Natural Skin Care

Since I'm not personally interested in filling my pores with potentially toxic substances, I began to research the use of homeopathics to promote natural skin health. Happily, I discovered that homeopathic remedies can be quite effective in helping restore the skin to its normal healthy state.

As the largest organ of the human body, the skin plays a vital role in overall human health. It protects us from unfriendly bacteria and viruses, shields us from environmental elements like hot sun and cold wind, and helps eliminate toxins and wastes that other organs can't process. Yet, when the body is out of balance, this organ becomes unbalanced as well. As a result, the skin might begin to manifest symptoms such as acne, eczema, dryness, or an itchy rash. Because homeopathic medicine works by stimulating the body's inherent healing response, the use of homeopathic remedies can provide temporary relief from a wide range of skin-based symptoms.

Dry skin conditions: From antiaging, eczema, and psoriasis to mens and womens natural skin care products, a range of homeopathic remedies are available to provide relief from irritating sympto! ms of dr y, scaly, or prematurely wrinkled skin.

• Baby skin care: No one wants to put potentially toxic products on their baby's tender bottom. Look for gentle, remedy-enhanced diaper rash lotions that will relieve painful diaper rashes without dangerous side effects.
• Acne: While many over-the-counter acne treatments available today are effective in removing acne, they often contain ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide (identified as a limited evidence carcinogen) or salicylic acid (identified as a photosensitizer that has the potential to increase risk of sunburn and skin cancer). Homeopathy provides safe, effective natural acne treatments that can help reduce acne flare ups without dangerous side effects.
• Herpes, shingles, and warts: These virus-based conditions respond quite well to the homeopathic use of natural health remedies. But, if they tend to recur, I encourage you to seek the support of a licensed homeopathic practitioner.
• Sensitive skin caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy: While chemotherapy and radiation therapy are effective in helping kill cancerous tumors and preventing their return, they are serious medical treatments that often result in uncomfortable after-effects, including tender or dry skin conditions. Homeopathic remedies are extremely gentle and, because they are medically benign they will not interact with or antidote chemotherapy or radiation treatments. They can be quite useful in helping to restore balance to post-chemo bodily systems, and can provide temporary relief from some of the most common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Become an Educated Label Detective

To learn more about potentially toxic ingredients in your current skin care products, go to www.ewg.org and click on the Skin Deep link on the right vertical menu.

Consult a Homeopath for Whole-Body Health

Always be sure to involve your healthcare practitioner in your natural skin care treatments. From a homeopathic perspective, c! hronic c onditions, such as eczema or acne, are viewed as symptoms of a greater imbalance. While certain homeopathic remedies will bring temporary relief from symptoms of these chronic skin conditions, you will need to work with an experienced homeopath if you want to cure your condition for good. A homeopathic doctor will work with you to discover the constitutional remedy that will restore your whole body to optimum health.

Jason Fleming is a dedicated student and advocate of homeopathic medicine. As founder and CEO of Sympathical Pharmaceuticals, Jason is pushing the boundaries of traditional homeopathic knowledge by creating and testing homeopathic remedy combinations that enable people to get natural relief from a variety of common health conditions.

Choosing the Correct Hair Products for Your Hair

When choosing your shampoo please look closely at the label. You should see all the materials and substances it was made of. The main thing shampoos consist of are detergents the surfactants that make foam show up when mixing with water and air.

Detergents.

Detergent is shampoo's basic and semantic component. After all the shampoo is intended to wash your hair, that's all. All the stuff that is above this definition is called medicated shampoos, conditioners, antiseborrheic shampoos and so on.

Though the amount of the foam does not determine the quality of the shampoo, the detergent has great influence on it. Nowadays few detergents that differ in its chemical structure exist. They are divided into anionic, cationic, nonionic and amphoteric.

Anionic detergents are most commonly used in shampoos and shower gels. They are cheap and have good purifying qualities. Anionic surfactants can be easily removed from the hair.

Cationic surfactants (with positive ions) are used not so often and have higher concentration. Some of them may cause eye irritation.

Amphoteric surfactants that contain positive or negative ions depending from shampoos pH are used for curing damaged and dry hair.

If we put in a line from worst to best we will get the following: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, TEA Layril Sulfate, OAA Laureth Sulfate. So as you see last three surfactants are the best ones. On every shampoo's label such detergent is displayed first.

Conditioners

Conditioners are not shampoos but assistants. You can find them as a part of shampoos or in individual bottles. There are lots of conditioners that have different practical significance.

Moisturizers are assigned for dry hair because of their ability to draw moisture. Usually the components are proteins and vegetable extracts. Moisturizers are mostly made of lactoserum.

Reconstructors contain proteins like hydrolyzed keratin. It can easi! ly come through hair shell due to its small molecular weight. Reconstructor conditioners are used when the hair is damaged (i.e after hairdressing)

Acidifier conditioners make your hair shiny and elastic. It gives an impression of boosted volume, but it is only an optical illusion. pH index is about 2.5-3.5.

Thermal protectors can be found in shampoos with Therm or Thermal prefix. (like Thermasilk). Its basis are special polymers that distribute warmth when are put on the hair. This is very helpful for people who use curlers and blow-dry often.

Hair conditioners can form a part of shampoo (so called 2 in 1). But the effect is less noticeable then after separate use. During simultaneous use you have lower chances for conditioner to work properly. As for using shampoos and conditioners of different producers.

Using the conditioner

Place conditioner on the hair, but not on the head.

When doing that you can massage the skin on the head with your fingers

If you have mixed hair you should work up only the tips.

After using the rinser that you should wash your head 2-3 times with warm and the last time with cold water.

Medicated shampoos

Medicated shampoos are used for curing illnesses, especially dandruff. Dandruff appears when the microscopical fungus (Malassezia Furfur) starts its activity. That?s why dandruff shampoos contain substances against seborrhea and antifungal agents.

Zinc Pirythione, Climbazole, Ketoconozole, Selenium Disulphide have antimicrobial effect against Malassezia Furfur that is supposed to cause dandruff appearance. Octopirox, Coal Tar, Selenium Disulphide suppress activity of cells that produce fat. Coal Tar, Sulphur , Salicylic Acid have keratolytic effect on the skin. In other words it is the capability to detach layers of dead cells that cause dandruff to appear.

Choosing a shampoo

First of all you must choose shampoo taking in consideration the type of your hair. Thus if you have dry hair you should buy moisturizi! ng shamp oo and so on. It is harder to choose when you got long hair of different types (oily hair at your roots and dry one at the tips). In that case cosmetologists suggest a new haircut.

It is obligatory to pay attention on the detergent. Which one is better you can see in the beginning of the article.

If you like the shampoo but it is not suitable for you try not to experiment with it.

If the hair is damaged (after the hairdressing) you should use shampoos with pH 4.5-5.5

Stuff4Beauty.Com Hair Products Your Premere Salon Connection!

Garlic Can Kill Superbug A Health Supplement

The Superbug MRSA which is becoming more common in Hospitals, it has now developed a lethal strain, that has already killed a number of patients.

Doctor Ron Cutler, a microbiologist at the University of East London, in the United Kingdom, says that Allicin, which is a completely natural extract from Garlic, has shown remarkable success on patients with MRSA.

He has worked on this project for six years and he says that Allicin, not only kills MRSA, but also the increasing number of New Generation Superbugs, that are immune to the normal Antibiotics. We should always remember that all Antibiotics are natural, or dirivitives from Natural Products.

Allicin is the part of the Garlic that causes the pungent odour, but Doctor Cutler has developed a odourless version.

At this stage the reseach success rate, is very promising.

Due to the chemicals in the air that we breathe and the food that we eat, it is essential that we take care of our Immune System, as it is the system given us at birth, to fight off illnesses and diseases, the natural way. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the Immune System is in continual battle with the elements that surround us.

The only solution to this situation is to consider taking nutrition that helps the Immune System to function efficiently. Garlic is obviously one of the important items that can help. There are many others and I will tell you more about them in other articles.

Article by Alfred Jones, More Information at : http://www.SugarsR4U.com and http://www.RUsweetEnuf.com

Learn about Glyconutrients with the most powerful Antioxidants, or, Himalayan Goji Juice. The Boost Immune System Vitamin. Help is available.

Tuberculosis and 2 Billion People

Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection, most commonly affects the lungs. Tuberculosis can also affect the central nervous system, lymphatic system, circulatory system, genitourinary system, bones and joints. Often Called TB for short, tuberculosis is the most common major infectious disease today. With that title the virus is infecting two billion people which is approximately one-third of the world's population. Nine million new cases of active disease annually, resulting in two million deaths. Most of these cases and deaths are in developing countries.

Ninenty percent of those that are infected have asymptomatic latent TB infection (LTBI). This is alot of numbers: There is a ten percent chance that in the lifetime of LTBI that it will progress to active TB disease. This active disease if left untreated, will kill more than fifty percent of its victims. All of these numbers make tuberculosis one of the top three infectious killing diseases in the world. HIV/AIDS kills 3 million people each year, TB kills 2 million, and malaria kills 1 million.

Tuberculosis is caused by a slow-growing aerobic bacterium that divides every 16 to 20 hours. This division is extremely slow when compared to other bacteria, which tend to have division times that are measured in minutes.

In many patients the infection of Tuberculosis waxes and wanes. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics kills bacteria and allows healing to take place. Areas where Tuberculosis has affected will eventually be replaced by scar tissue. A complete medical evaluation for Tuberculosis includes a medical history, a physical examination, a tuberculin skin test, a serological test, a chest X-ray, and microbiologic smears and cultures. This is quite an extensive procedure as you can see, but if you look at the numbers above it is a necessary process.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Tu! berculos is Symptoms - http://www.tuberculosis-symptoms.com, which is the best site on the internet for all tuberculosis related information.

Children Protection from Skin Cancers

Skin cancer is the highest incident malignant disease with over 1 million new cases annually. This malignancies develop in the epidermis, dermis, or other structures of the skin and most often are caused by overexposure to both natural and artificial sources of ultraviolet light.

Unfortunately, anyone can get skin cancer, but factors such as skin pigmentation, eye color, freckling tendency and family history may increase one's risk of developing this disease.

A critical variable with a dramatic influence on skin cancer risk is excessive sun exposure in childhood, whether is intense, sporadic sun exposure (sunburn) or chronic sun exposure (tanning). Due to environmental changes, excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a growing health concern for children. The ozone layer exhaustion has resulted in loss of planetary sunscreen in charge with reflecting and absorbing ultraviolet radiation. This situation increased levels of ultraviolet radiation falling on the Earth.

Protecting children from sun overexposure should be the goal of all parents. This protection doesn't mean complete avoidance of sun light. We refer to specific situations varying from short time exposure to very intense sunlight to long time exposure to a normal sunlight intensity.

Children sun-protection do not require very complicate actions or procedures. It only means to avoid artificial and natural ultraviolet light sources by proper use of sunscreens, shade or sun-protection gear. According to ultraviolet intensity levels the sun precautions or actions include sunglasses, sunscreens, physical protection (hats, umbrellas) and sun avoidance in case of very high intensity.

Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in health issues affecting adult people and children as well such as cancer

Diagnosing The Cause of Knee Pain

Exploring the labyrinth of the knee is a daunting challenge to any doctor. Chronic pain is so common but the causes are so varied that zeroing in on the source can be difficult. Utilizing a complete record of problems with your knee and by giving you an exam, it will prove to be more important than any one test.

When seeking advice from a physician, be prepared to answer questions about the history of your knee. Most injuries to the knee come from physical activity. Everything from the exercise program you use to a sports injury that may have happened 20 years ago are all important when seeking a diagnosis for chronic knee pain. Be prepared to give as detailed as possible responses to questions about the location of the pain, when it began and what you?ve been doing to make it feel better. The doctor will probably check the knee for unusual tenderness, pain, swelling, visible bruising and flexibility. Also be prepared for several tests the doctor will perform to help your diagnosis.

A common test that helps to discover injuries to your ACL is called a Lachman?s Test. The test involves flexing leg at a sharp angle and then having the doctor try to move your calf forward. If the leg can move without inhibition, it?s quite possible that you could have an ACL tear. There are similar tests to determine tears and trauma to other ligaments in the knee, such as the PCL, as well as tests for the menisci and tendons.

In some cases, the general tests may give a false result. If movement in the knee is blocked by things such as swelling or tight muscles in the front or the back of the leg, the doctor may request a MRI (magnetic resonance image) to help aid the diagnosis.

The MRI specializes in detecting trauma to ligaments, tendons and muscles, while the X-ray which is mainly used to detect problems within bone. The MRI can assist in pinpointing soft tissue injuries the X-ray would miss. On most occasions, however, the physical exam will be enough.

Based on the diagnosis your doctor! suspect s, he or she may suggest other computerized tests other than an MRI, including a X-Ray to determine if you have bone fractures that could be causing the chronic knee pain and a CT (computerized tomography) scan that creates images that are cross-sectional of the body to help detect possible cracks, fissures or loose bone particles within the three-dimensional knee area.

If the doctor believes that an infection has happened or that there might be the presence of gout, he or she may order blood tests to help determine the cause of the pain. Another possible treatment is arthocentesis, a test where a small vial of liquid is taken from the joint with a syringe, and then the fluid is analysed for possible problems.

Something that you should keep in mind is that if you?ve hurt your knee, even if it was years ago, it makes you more likely to have pain in the knee later in life.

James Hughes has an interest in Knee Pain. For further information on Knee Pain please visit Knee Pain or Knee Pain Symptoms.

Options for Treating Hemorrhoids

After you?ve gone to the doctor and he has diagnosed your condition as hemorrhoids here are some of the possible treatments:

1) Home treatment and prevention.

There are a variety of easily available over the counter medications and homeopathic remedies designed to shrink hemorrhoids and end the symptoms. These range from a host of ointments, suppositories and even herbal items depending on the severity of the flare-up. A large percentage of cases are completely and satisfactorily treated with these products. Combined with a simple adjustment of diet usually involving adding more fiber, eliminating certain foods, drinking more water or adjusting other causal factors such as medicines, avoiding NSAIDS like aspirin or anti-inflammatory pills, physical activity, etc, most cases of hemorrhoids will disappear in days and do not recur.

In choosing over the counter treatments, zinc oxide and petroleum jelly are the best of the non-prescription remedies and also the least expensive. Brand name items specifically created to treat hemorrhoids have proven no more effective than zinc oxide and petroleum jelly and they are often quite expensive. For internal hemorrhoids, suppositories have proven the most effective, however, please note that using them beyond the recommended time period can cause other problems. Look for a product containing 1% Hydrocortisone and something ending in the suffix ?-caine? which would numb the area, relieving the itching and burning sensations immediately.

3) Fixative procedures.

These non-surgical treatments are normally referred to as Plan B if the ointments and lifestyle adjustments have failed to cure the problem. Their goal is to reduce or eliminate the blood supply to the hemorrhoids so that they will slowly shrink and wither away from lack of nourishment. Performed by doctors as simple office procedures, fixatives will create scar tissue supporting the anal cushions helping to prevent further flare-ups.

Fixative procedures include rubber band ! ligation ? tying off the hemorrhoids with rubber bands to stop the blood flow ? coagulation therapy ? using heat, electric current or lately, laser devices to create scar tissue ? and sclerotherapy ? injecting chemicals directly into the swollen tissue to shrink them. Uncomfortable at worst, these procedures have effectively cured the bulk of most hemorrhoidal flare-ups that were not controlled by ointments, suppositories and other, simpler means.

4) Surgical procedures.

There are those cases which can only be treated surgically. They are a small percentage but they do exist. The procedure is called a hemorrhoidectomy and will normally only be done if there is some medical emergency such as profuse bleeding or pus draining from the anus or if the hemorrhoids are so sever that there is a large negative effect on ones lifestyle. Surgery is also mostly used for internal hemorrhoids unless you are having surgery in the area for another reason such as a tear.

Hemorrhoids Info provides detailed information about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of internal, external, and bleedings hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids Info is the sister site of Warts Web.

Ear Candling Removing a Life Time of Debris

Although centuries old, the ancient technique of ear candling or ear coning has seen increasing interest in the past decade in the holistic community. Thought to have originated with the Egyptians, it was used for spiritual cleansing as well as physical cleaning. It was believed to open and clear the spirit centers and refresh the auras.

Original style coning by the Egyptians utilized hollow reeds. Today, coning/candling uses a hollow candle, much like a large straw. Although they differ, most candles are made of 100% unbleached cotton (muslin) fabric coated with purified paraffins and/or bees' wax. There are also some specialty candles which contain herbs and oils.

Candling applies simple laws of science. The flame of the candle (when the candle is properly seated in the ear) creates a draw or vacuum which pulls the wax, fungus, candida, yeast, and other particles of debris out of the ear and up into the bottom of the candle. The vacuum is caused by the warmed air from the flame and the colder existing air moving through the hollow chamber of the candle. The movement and compression between the ear canal and the candle chamber generate air flow with increasing velocity, thus producing the sucking vacuum.

As the particles are drawn from the ear and into the bottom of the candle, the air flow becomes disrupted. This is why it is important to remove the candle and tap out the contents.

Why candle? The purpose of candling is to remove wax buildup, especially the heavy impacted wax that normal cleaning cannot remove. Candling is a more comfortable and less expensive alternative to the traditional cleaning method of forcing water into the ear canal.

Candling is also believed to remove candida, yeasts, fungus, and remnants of past infections. The Ear, Nose and Throat Journal of U of U Medical lab reported that the types of bacteria we currently fight in our ears include Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Anaerobic bacteria, and Influenza A and B.

A lifetime o! f residu es build up in the ear canal!

Candling can be done on persons of any age. Candlers often have accounts of children, even babies, being candled with remarkable results. Inner ear infection is one of the top reasons for hospital admittance in children. Often candling has been used as a last effort for treating chronic ear infections and to avoid ear tubal placement. As well as treating the ear, candling can work on the sinus and lymph system, removing impurities there as well.

Because of all the intricate crevices in the ear, unbelievable amounts of debris can accumulate. This buildup creates a breeding ground for problems, and can also interfere with correct hearing. Impacted wax can build up against ear ducts and can also block reception of incoming sound waves. This lifetime accumulation may explain some of the hearing problems we develop as we age. It is reported that 20% of adults between 65-74 have hearing problems.

It is important to discuss candling with your health practitioner and always use common sense. Candling is not a replacement for proper health care, but can be an effective home remedy. Candling should not be done on a person who has a perforated eardrum or similar problems.

Candling is quite simple and is done with a partner. Generally, three candles are used in each ear. This varies from person to person as does the frequency of candling. Read and follow the specific instructions which come with your candles. The basic procedure is to have the person whose ears are being candled to lay on his/her side or to place their head sideways on a table. Be sure they are comfortable, as candling can take 15-20 minutes per candle, depending on the type of candle. The candlee should place the small tapered end of the candle snugly into the ear. (The candle may be inserted through a paper plate covered with aluminum foil to protect the face and hair.) The candle must fit snugly to allow proper air draw. As the bottom fills, gently tap it out in a bowl and carefully cut back t! he burne d wick. The suction sounds much like the gentle hum one hears when a seashell is placed against the ear.

After candling, it is recommended to gently rinse the ears and place a couple of drops of oil of garlic into the ear. The normal wax will be replaced within 24 hours. For the first 24 hours after candling, it is best to protect the ears from wind, cold, and excessive amounts of water. Within 24 hours the normal production of wax will again protect the ear. CAUTION: Ear candles are a home remedy and should not take the place of medical treatment. They make no medical claims. They are not a medical device or take the place of any medical device.

Marian Brown has been involved in holistic and alternative care for people and pets for over 15 years. She is the editor of Holistic Health News at http://www.hhnews.com Visit the site and sign up for our free email newsletter.

Over the Counter Acne Treatment Products That Work

Over the counter acne treatment products typically include acne or spot treatments, cleansers and washes, moisturizers, lotions, pads and wipes, masks and strips, shaving creams, and toners and astringents.

So how do you know what over the counter acne treatment you should use? Here?s some simple, yet powerful information that most folks unfortunately don?t take the time to find out.

Benzoyl Peroxide the Bacteria Slayer

Benzoyl Peroxide (BP) in over the counter acne treatment products:

-works best for moderate to moderately severe acne,

-deeply penetrates into the skin to kill tough bacteria,

-is best used preventatively,

-dries and exfoliating the skin,

-works faster than prescription antibiotics, and

-doesn?t allow bacteria to build resistance like prescription antibiotics.

However, BP is a very harsh chemical. It causes redness, dryness, and scaling. BP can also lighten fabric colors.

You can find a cheap tube of BP in any drugstore at 2.5% which will work wonders over a few weeks time.

Salicylic Acid ? the Surface Slougher

Salicylic Acid or ?beta hydroxyl acid? (BHA) works best for mild acne and sensitive skin, as a cleanser ingredient to slough surface skin cells, and as an agent that prepares the skin for other acne treatments. It breaks down a protein that holds the skin cells together. Over time, it exfoliates old skin and allows new healthy skin to surface. It loosens whiteheads and blackheads and helps expel them.

Salicylic acid is fairly mild. It does not reach down deep into the skin follicles like benzoyl peroxide. It can take up to 3 months to loosen smaller whiteheads and blackheads.

However salicylic acid works well if you use it over a consistent and long period of time.

Some side effects of salicylic acid include some skin peeling, dryness, and irritation when used at concentrations of 2% or greater. Possible adverse effects include salicylate toxicity, toxic inner ear damage, and hyperse! nsitivit y. Also risk of increases in skin sensitivity to sunlight.

Look for an over the counter acne treatment cleanser with concentrations of 2% salicylic acid, in an acid base with a pH of between 3 and 4.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA)

Alpha Hydroxy Acids work best for all types of skin, as a mild or strong cleanser, and for healing and preventing acne.

AHAs are natural acids which come from fruits, milk sugars, and plants. Glycolic and lactic acids are the most frequently used in over the counter acne treatment products, and are the most well researched AHAs to date.

AHA's gently peel away the uppermost layer of dead skin cells. They make way for the newer skin beneath.

Look for a product with a glycolic acid concentration between 8 and 10% and no other active ingredients. You should see results in the texture of your skin within a few weeks.

Side effects include more susceptibility to sunlight and minor skin irritation or blisters and burns. Fewer AHA products have FDA approval.

Retinol

Retinol is the chemical name for vitamin A ? which is the active ingredient in the prescription drug Retin-A, the favored topical prescription acne treatment.

Retinol works best in high concentrations and when packaged stably. It hasn?t really proven its effectiveness for acne.

Sulfur and Resorcinol

Basically, sulfur kills acne bacteria. Resorcinol helps shed the outer layer of skin, and increases the effect of sulfur. However, experts aren?t entirely sure how it works in combination with sulfur.

Resorcinol alone is not an effective acne treatment. It can be very irritating to some patients. For those who can?t use BP or Retin-A, sulfur may be a good alternative.

The side effects are minor: dryness and unpleasant odour. It?s not recommended for pregnant women unless their doctor prescribes resorcinol. There are no major known adverse effects in resorcinol?s combination with sulfur.

Everyone is different

For maximum effectiveness, fi! nd a cle anser containing salicylic acid or glycolic acid, a leave-on benzoyl product, and a moisturizer you wear overtop.

As a general rule of thumb, OTC drugs should work within 6 to 8 weeks. If they don?t work within 10 weeks and even promote breakouts, see a dermatologist.

Now you have enough knowledge to look for effective skin products, as well as how to use them to use them the right way.

Yvette Chau is a freelance writer based in Edmonton, Canada specializing in the area of skincare and acne treatment. Ungoing failed treatments herself before finding a solution for her own skin problems, she offers information and advice to others on http://www.your-best-acne.treatment.com/

First Signs of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a major killer of men and women across the country. Air pollutants, secondhand smoke, cigarette smoking especially, and other causative factors contribute to the disease.

Most of us think that the lung cancer is mostly common among the cigarette smokers and it is true that the vast majority of cases are or were smokers. But there are non-smokers do get lung cancer and smokers who don't get it.

Signs of lung cancer are often not apparent in the early stages. However it is better to identify lung cancer as possible.

The most common early symptom of lung cancer is haemoptysis (coughing up blood). Consider this early symptom a warning sign of a cancer, which may be curable.

If you find that you are coughing up blood, you should immediately contact your doctor , especially if you are 40 years of age, or older, with a long-term smoking habit.

Some of the primary signs include:

* Hacking, persistent cough
* Coughing up blood
* Shortness of breath
* Wheezing
* Chest pain
* Lost appetite
* Lost weight
* Recurring bronchitis or pneumonia

The above symptoms also being the symptoms of many other lung problems, so it is always advisable to see a physician to ascertain the cause

Secondary signs of simple cell lung cancer include:

* Weakness
* Difficulty swallowing
* Changes in nails
* Hoarse or raspy voice
* High fever
* Swelling of facial features

It's true that most symptoms of lung cancer do not show themselves until the disease is in its advanced stages.

However, sometimes people exhibit signs early in the disease's development. It is imperative that the first notice of symptoms or concern sends you straight to the doctor.

The sooner treatment is begun, the better. A cure is possible if caught early enough and, if not, then a better quality of life and more of it.

When lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, organs and bones, referred to as 'metastasizing! ', signs and symptoms include:

* Aching and sharp bone pain
* Changes in the brain that exhibit themselves through weakness, numbness, dizziness, and seizure
* Jaundice (whites of eyes, nails, and skin yellow
* Masses near the skin's surface
* Headaches
* Numbness and loss of sensation in your extremities

All of these signs and symptoms of lung cancer may be caused by other health problems. The only way to know for sure is to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Learn More About Smoking and Lung Cancer and Other Causes

Hyaluronic Acid Powder

One of the latest buzzwords in medicine is hyaluronic acid powder. Studies are show that it is an effective natural moisturizer. Hyaluronic acid, or HA, has been used for centuries in China, but it is only lately that the Western world has learned of its superior healing benefits.

HA is technically a natural polymer that forms in every tissue of the body, though it forms most predominantly in the skin. As we age, our bodies HA content drops, and our skin starts to deteriorate. This drop in HA levels also causes our joints to grow weak.

HA can be directly applied to damaged skin, or it can be mixed with commercial moisturizers or powders for more surface area coverage. HA powder has enhanced water-binding capabilities that give skin a natural suppleness, which is why it is used to treat rough skin surfaces and skin dehydration.

By drawing in and holding onto water in the outer cell layers of the skin, HA allows for a vital process that enables effective skin hydration, delivery of nutrients and removal of contaminants and other toxins. HA powder also facilitates turnover and regeneration of keratinocytes that decreases the appearance of wrinkles, lines, darkened spots and other signs of aging.

HA also promotes lubrication and shock absorption capabilities for joints. Recent experiments show that HA powder controls the body's production of prostaglandin that gives joints extra backing. It is suspected that HA powder can be used to treat other diseases as well, and further studies are on the way.

Hyaluronic Acid promotes an understanding of hyaluronic acid, a major ingredient in many medical and anti-aging therapies and to highlighting places where you can safely purchase related products. Hyaluronic Acid is the sister site of HGH Web.

The Beauty of a Punch in the Face

If you have acne scars there are numerous acne scar removal procedures that can help you get your nice smooth-appearing skin back again. There is a process called dermal injection which is done by a series of injections into acne scars to raise the surface of the skin and give it a smoother look. Such fillers as fat, human collagen, bovine collagen, hyaluronic acid derivatives, and polytheyl-methacrylate microspheres with collagen are all used. When you have a dermal injection done with these materials, they do not permanently correct acne scars, so you may have to have several injections to be successful.

Another method, which is surgically done, is called punch excision which surgically corrects acne scars. It specifically focuses on ice-pick scars and deep, boxcar scars. A biopsy is taken with a punch biopsy tool, which is a round, sharp, cookie-cutter device that comes in diameters ranging from 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm. The size of your acne scars determines the size of the tool which is matched to the scar and includes the walls of the scar. You will have to have a local anesthetic applied when the scar is excised with the punch tool. The scar edges are sutured together, and though this procedure will produce a new scar, it eventually fades and may not be noticeable. If for some reason it continues to remain noticeable, the surface of the skin is now more amenable to further resurfacing techniques.

There is another technique called punch excision with skin graft replacement, where the scar is excised with the punch tool. However, instead of suturing the edges together, the defect is filled with a punch skin graft that is usually taken from behind the patient's ear. You may find that there will be a color and texture difference that is noticeable with this type of procedure. And as a rule after four to six weeks, a skin resurfacing technique can be applied to correct this difference in texture. With treatment, acne scars can be effectively brought under control.

By Terry Price-! Remembe r to visit- http://www.acne-scar-removal-treatments.com/acne-treatment.html --There have been several advances made in acne rosacea laser treatment: http://www.acne-scar-removal-treatments.com/105-acne-rosacea-laser-treatment.html

"Ooohhh... my aching knee!!!" Insider Secrets on How You Can Get Relief Quickly and Easily!

When your knee hurts, getting relief is all that?s on your mind. Getting the right relief, though, depends on knowing what?s wrong. The correct diagnosis will lead to the correct treatment.

Know Your Knee!

The knee is the largest joint in the body. It?s also one of the most complicated. The knee joint is made up of four bones that are connected by muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The femur (large thigh bone) interacts with the two shin bones, the tibia (the larger one) located towards the inside and the fibula (the smaller one) located towards the outside. Where the femur meets the tibia is termed the joint line. The patella, (the knee cap) is the bone that sits in the front of the knee. It slides up and down in a groove in the lower part of the femur (the femoral groove) as the knee bends and straightens.

Ligaments are the strong rope-like structures that help connect bones and provide stability. In the knee, there are four major ligaments. On the inner (medial) aspect of the knee is the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and on the outer (lateral) aspect of the knee is the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The other two main ligaments are found in the center of the knee. These ligaments are called the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). They are called cruciate ligaments because the ACL crosses in front of the PCL. Other smaller ligaments help hold the patella in place in the center of the femoral groove.

Two structures called menisci sit between the femur and the tibia. These structures act as cushions or shock absorbers. They also help provide stability for the knee. The menisci are made of a tough material called fibrocartilage. There is a medial meniscus and a lateral meniscus. When either meniscus is damaged it is called a torn cartilage.

There is another type of cartilage in the knee called hyaline cartilage. This cartilage is a smooth shiny material that covers the bones in the knee joint. In the knee, hyaline cartilage ! covers t he ends of the femur, the femoral groove, the top of the tibia and the underside of the patella. Hyaline cartilage allows the knee bones to move easily as the knee bends and straightens.

Tendons connect muscles to bone. The large quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh attach to the top of the patella via the quadriceps tendon. This tendon inserts on the patella and then continues down to form the rope-like patellar tendon. The patellar tendon in turn, attaches to the front of the tibia. The hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh attach to the tibia at the back of the knee. The quadriceps muscles are the muscles that straighten the knee. The hamstring muscles are the main muscles that bend the knee.

Bursae are small fluid filled sacs that decrease the friction between two tissues. Bursae also protect bony structures. There are many different bursae around the knee but the ones that are most important are the prepatellar bursa in front of the knee cap, the infrapatellar bursa just below the kneecap, the anserine bursa, just below the joint line and to the inner side of the tibia, and the semimembranous bursa in the back of the knee. Normally, a bursa has very little fluid in it but if it becomes irritated it can fill with fluid and become very large.

Is it bursitis... or tendonitis...or arthritis?

Tendonitis generally affects either the quadriceps tendon or patellar tendon. Repetitive jumping or trauma may set off tendonitis. The pain is felt in the front of the knee and there is tenderness as well as swelling involving the tendon. With patellar tendonitis, the infrapatellar bursa will often be inflamed also. Treatment involves rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication. Injections are rarely used. Physical therapy with ultrasound and iontopheresis may help.

Bursitis pain is common. The prepatellar bursa may become inflamed particularly in patients who spend a lot of time on their knees (carpet layers). The bursa will become swollen. The major concern here i! s to mak e sure the bursa is not infected. The bursa should be aspirated (fluid withdrawn by needle) by a specialist. The fluid should be cultured. If there is no infection, the bursitis may be treated with anti-jnflammatory medicines, ice, and physical therapy. Knee pads should be worn to prevent a recurrence once the initial bursitis is cleared up.

Anserine bursitis often occurs in overweight people who also have osteoarthritis of the knee. Pain and some swelling is noted in the anserine bursa. Treatment consists of steroid injection, ice, physical therapy, and weight loss.

The semimembranous bursa can be affected when a patient has fluid in the knee (a knee effusion). The fluid will push backwards and the bursa will become filled with fluid and cause a sensation of fullness and tightness in the back of the knee. This is called a Baker?s cyst. If the bursa ruptures, the fluid will dissect down into the calf. The danger here is that it may look like a blood clot in the calf. A venogram and ultrasound test will help differentiate a ruptured Baker?s cyst from a blood clot. The Baker?s cyst is treated with aspiration of the fluid from the knee along with steroid injection, ice, and elevation of the leg.

Knock out knee arthritis... simple steps you can take! Younger people who have pain in the front of the knee have what is called patellofemoral syndrome (PFS). Two major conditions cause PFS. The first is chondromalacia patella. This is a condition where the cartilage on the underside of the knee cap softens and is particularly common in young women. Another cause of pain behind the knee cap in younger people may be a patella that doesn?t track normally in the femoral groove. For both chondromalacia as well as a poorly tracking patella, special exercises, taping, and anti-inflammatory medicines may be helpful. If the patellar tracking becomes a significant problem despite conservative measures, surgery is need.

While many types of arthritis may affect the knee, osteoarthritis ! is the m ost common. Osteoarthritis usually affects the joint between the femur and tibia in the medial (inner) compartment of the knee. Osteoarthritis may also involve the joint between the femur and tibia on the outer side of the knee as well as the joint between the femur and patella. Why osteoarthritis develops is still being scrutinized carefully. It seems to consist of a complex interaction of genetics, mechanical factors, and immune system involvement. The immune system attacks the joint through a combination of degradative enzymes and inflammatory chemical messengers called cytokines.

Patients will sometimes feel a sensation of rubbing or grinding. The knee will become stiff if the patient sits for any length of time. With local inflammation, the patient may experience pain at night and get relief from sleeping with a pillow between the knees. Occasionally, locking and clicking may be noticed. Patients with osteoarthritis may also tear the fibrocartilage cushions (menisci) in the knee more easily than people without osteoarthritis.

So how is the arthritis treated? An obvious place to start is weight reduction for patients who carry around too many pounds.

Strengthening exercises for the knee are also useful for many people. These should be done under the supervision of a physician or physical therapist.

Other therapies include ice, anti inflammatory medicines, and occasionally steroid injections. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements may be helpful. A word of caution... make sure the preparation you buy is pure and contains what the label says it does. The supplement industry is unregulated... so buyer beware!

Injections of the knee with viscosupplements ? lubricants- are particularly useful for many patients. Special braces may help to unload the part of the joint that is affected.

Arthroscopic techniques may be beneficial in special circumstances. Occasionally, a surgical procedure called an osteotomy, where a wedge of bone is removed from the tibia to ! ?even th ings out,? may be recommended. Joint replacement surgery is required for end stage knee arthritis.

Research is being done to develop medicines that will slow down the rate of cartilage loss. Targets for these new therapies include the destructive enzymes and/or cytokines that degrade cartilage. It is hoped that by inhibiting these enzymes and cytokines and by boosting the ability of cartilage to repair itself, that therapies designed to actually reverse osteoarthritis may be created. These are referred to as disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs or ?DMOADs.? Genetic markers may identify high risk patients who need more aggressive therapies.

Newer compounds that are injected into the knee and provide healing as well as lubrication are also being developed. And finally, less invasive surgical techniques are also being looked at. Recent technological advances in ?mini? knee replacement look very promising.

Dr. Wei (pronounced ?way?) is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Wei is the editor of the arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com website.

Acne Solutions Do You Need One?

Acne solutions occupy the minds of our teenagers. With acne being the most common skin complaint in the world, and teenagers being the most body conscious people in our society, acne solutions are keenly sought by our young.

However the search for ?acne solutions? or ?acne cures? rests on the assumption that acne can be cured, much the same as it is assumed that many other medical problems of the modern age can be cured. The reality however, is different. Real acne solutions are just that, solutions, not cures.

It is a symptom of our fast fix society that if we have a problem we want an immediate fix. If we can?t fix it ourselves we assume that technology will come to the rescue and provide a simple, painless low cost fix in a bottle.

Acne, unfortunately, isn?t so easy.

Acne affects, according to some, up to 95% if teenagers at some time in their teen or early adult years. It can be serious and debilitating, mild and easy to control, or usually somewhere in between. The market for acne cures is huge, billions of dollars.

And of course there are a myriad of acne remedies out there all claiming to be the one and only. The magic bullet of acne cures. The one stop fix for every teenagers troubling acne.

Millions are spent in advertising these so called acne cures or acne remedies. Wild claims are made about their effectiveness. Guarantees are offered that they will work.

However the reality of acne is that scientists still do not fully understand what causes it. The causes of acne are thought to be hormonal, or more specifically a hormonal imbalance, but the mechanism isn?t fully proven.

So despite the fact that the market for acne remedies is huge, it is still true that acne cannot be cured. Acne is a condition caused by some mix of as yet unknown factors at work in the body, and will only stop when the body decides it?s time for it to stop. Until then it will, or can, continue and this process is independent of attempts to cure it.

Does this mean tha! t there are no acne solutions? No not at all. Quite the opposite. It just means that people searching for acne cures need to approach the problem with the right perspective.

Don?t expect to find the ?perfect? acne cure. The one secret potion that, when applied, will immediately clear up all those annoying spots in a few days. That, once the cure has been effected, it will be unnecessary to apply the product any more.

Look at it this way. Good acne solutions do exist. They can be a little hard to find because what works for some may not work for others, so you may need to try a number of products until you find the one that works for you.

And once you have found the acne control that works for you don?t expect to use it for a while and stop. Acne isn?t cured, it?s managed. Once you have the spots under control you then need to practice active acne prevention by continuing to use the product until your body says ?enough is enough?. And observing some basic common sense precautions.

It?s a question of attitude and expectations. Go into it looking for the perfect once only ?acne cure? and you will be disappointed. Understand that acne is a natural body condition that can be controlled with some effort once the right product has been found.

That it will not stop until it has decided to and that you may well need to keep using the product for quite some time until it does. And that as a huge percentage of your friends will also get it at some time it is just a part of growing up.

Acne cures? There aren?t any. Acne solutions? They do exist, and there are some very good ones. But you need to understand the difference.

Find out more about Acne as well as Acne Cures and adult acne, acne skin care product, the best acne treatments and more at Peter?s website, Acne All Gone.