Different Types of Scoliosis

A highly distinctive characteristic of humans is the ability to walk upright. Our skeletal and muscular systems are both designed to allow us to stand and walk upright. The major support for this is the spinal column. Unfortunately things can go wrong, and in some people the spine does not develop as it should.

When viewed from behind, most people have a spine that appears straight up and down. In some people, however, there is a noticeable curve from side to side. This condition is called scoliosis, from an ancient Greek word meaning curved or crooked. There are many types of scoliosis, with different causes and ages of onset. Between one and three percent of people have some form of scoliosis.

The most common form of scoliosis is called Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). Idiopathic is used by doctors to describe conditions for which they cannot find the cause, although the odds of developing scoliosis are much greater if there is a family history of the disorder. AIS is usually diagnosed during the growth spurts of early adolescence. Cases requiring treatment are up to ten times more prevalent in girls than in boys.

Treatment for AIS varies depending on the severity of the curve. The Cobb angle is a measurement of the deviation of the spine. A Cobb angle of more than ten degrees is necessary for a technical diagnosis of scoliosis. If a Cobb angle of between ten and twenty degrees is present, no treatment is necessary, although regular observation will be necessary to check that it is not progressing.

Cobb angles between twenty and forty degrees are often treated with braces. Different braces have been developed to support curvatures in different areas of the spine. Bracing cannot cure scoliosis, but can prevent the curvature from progressing.

In cases of more severe curvature, with a Cobb angle of forty to fifty degrees, surgery may be necessary. There have been many advances in surgery over the past few decades, and the use of metal implants along with spinal fusion means a shorter recovery period and reduces the necessity of wearing a cast after surgery. Prognosis after surgery is very good. Many patients go on to live full normal lives, with the only restriction they face being contact sports.

Idiopathic scoliosis can occur in children younger than two years old (Infantile Scoliosis) or in children between two and ten (Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis). Other types of scoliosis are Congenital Scoliosis which develops because of a congenital abnormality in the vertebrae, often associated with other congenital abnormalities. Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders can also sometimes result in scoliosis.

Complications of scoliosis can include deformity and severe chronic back pain. If the ribcage is involved there can be problems with the heart and lungs being compressed, leading to breathing problems and decreased circulation. Risk of bone loss and osteoporosis in later life is also increased.

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Sciatica

Medical terms are often adopted and misused by the general population. One example of such a word is sciatica. This term is used by many people to describe any form of lower back or leg pain. True sciatica refers to pain caused by inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve runs from the spine through the buttocks and down to the foot through the back of each leg. It is the largest nerve in the body and is responsible for both sensory and motor functions. Feelings and movement of the legs and feet are regulated through the sciatic nerve.

Symptoms of sciatica can occur anywhere along the sciatic nerve. They are most often felt in the lower back, radiating down through the buttocks and into the back of the leg. Sensations associated with sciatica include pain, numbness and tingling. Motor functions can also be affected, making movement of the leg difficult. In most cases sciatica affects only one side of the body.

Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself, rather it is a symptom of an underlying condition. Treatment depends on what has caused the nerve to become inflamed. Causes of sciatica include slipped discs, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and spinal disc herniation. Disc herniation can result from degeneration of tissue due to aging. Continued pressure on the nerve, such as sitting for long periods, can also cause sciatica. Tumors of the spinal column or sciatic nerve can also cause sciatica. In some cases a specific cause may not be identifiable.

In most cases very little treatment is required for sciatica. Analgesics may be taken for the pain, and a few days of bed rest may be recommended. Prolonged bed rest is no longer a remedy as it may weaken the muscles around the spine, making recurring pain more likely. It is more effective to maintain activity and work on strengthening back muscles to reduce pain and prevent recurrence. Applications of heat and cold may also be helpful to relieve the pain.

Sciatica will usually go away within a couple of weeks. If it lasts for longer than six weeks or progressively worsens, you may need to seek medical help. Medical care for sciatica will also be necessary if you get sudden severe pain, numbness or muscle weakness in your back or legs. If there is a loss of bowel or bladder control or if the pain follows a violent trauma then you should see a doctor.

When home care measures do not provide relief from sciatica, more aggressive treatment may be required. This may include epidural injections of steroids to reduce inflammation and surgery. A diskectomy may be performed if the sciatica is caused by a herniated disc. This will relieve the pain, but will not prevent further attacks of sciatica from degeneration.

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Osteoporosis - Porous Bones

In it’s literal sense, Osteoporosis means porous bones. This means that the normal structure of the bone – the hard thick outer shell protecting the honeycomb tiny mesh inside – is weakened and more likely to be damaged. One in Two women and One in Five men over the age of 50 in the UK will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

There are two types of cells that are constantly working in our bones – one type of cell is responsible for building new bones and the other type of cell is responsible for breaking down the old bones. These cells fluctuate in activeness – in childhood and up to the early 20s the cells building new bones are very active and can replace a whole skeleton in around 2 years. From around 40 years old, the new bone cells slow down (the replacement skeleton would take in comparison around 10 years) and the cells that break down the bones start to increase their activity. That is why as you age generally, your bones get weaker. In people with osteoporosis, this shift in cell balance can happen earlier or at a much quicker rate than normal, meaning the person’s bones are weak and fragile.

Osteoporosis, in children and young people that is not a result of another serious medical condition such as cerebral palsy, is very rare and called Idiopathic Juvenile Osteoporosis. It affects around 100 children in the UK and in half of these will completely disappear at puberty.

Osteoporosis can sometimes, although again rarely, be an issue for pregnant women. This has only been evidenced since the 1950s and is thought to be due to the change in hormones and required vitamin levels being pregnant produces.

Exactly why some people develop osteoporosis whilst others don’t is unclear and the subject of a large research body. It is known to have strong genetic links (particularly in cases where a mother has the condition), but there are other known risk factors such as diminished ability to absorb vitamins and minerals (mainly through medical issues or eating disorders), early menopause in women or low testosterone in men, previous bone injury, immobility and excess alcohol or nicotine consumption.

Because we cannot see or feel the texture of our bones normally, the condition is usually not detected until a bone is broken. If osteoporosis is suspected, a bone density scan, called a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiomety (DXA) to measure the thickness and strength of a person’s bones. For people who fall into high-risk categories, this can be done as an investigative measure without an incident having occurred. The results of this scan, taken in consideration with the patient’s age and lifestyle, can inform future care.

Once diagnosed with osteoporosis, there is no cure. There are a number of different licensed drugs available however that seek to reduce the likelihood of further bone breaks, including hormone replacement therapy for men and women. Vitamin D and Calcium supplements are commonly prescribed alongside other drugs. Many patients also turn to homeopathic and alternative medicines for alternatives and pain management.

Living with osteoporosis can be hard. Lifestyle changes can however reduce the likelihood of bone damage – getting exercise to ensure bones get as strong as they can and you remain supple, eating a healthy diet and cutting out drinking and smoking. As a person gets older, living accommodation may also need to be adapted to reduce the risks of falls and knocks that can easily break bones.

Thankfully, more is being learnt about osteoporosis every year in research and there are a wealth of support groups, help-lines and information centres available to support patients and their families.

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Do You Know What Nausea is?

We use the word Nausea to mean when we feel sick. But in actual fact, we are using it wrong.

Nausea comes from the Greek word ‘naurela’ meaning seasickness. Its dictionary definition is “a feeling of discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit”. Medically it is used to describe the urge to be sick when the symptoms are not related to a stomach condition.

The vomiting centre in the brain initiates the sensation of feeling the urge to vomit. Exactly what initiates the response is unknown, although scientists currently believe it may through the production of certain chemicals that triggers action in the vomiting centre.

We know that there are 3 areas that commonly are associated with this feeling nauseous; these are the inner ear balance mechanism, the intestinal tracts and also the brain.

The most common ear related condition is travel sickness. This as caused by a confusion between messages to the brain about whether you are moving or not. The sense of equilibrium (like a spirit level) lies in the ear and is usually confirmed as correct by the messages from your eyesight. When these two don’t “agree” whether the body is actually moving or not, it causes nausea, even though the stomach itself is not affected. Children seem to be more susceptible to this trigger, which may be why they are more prone to suffer travel sickness than adults. T

Equally, scientists believe that the nausea feeling that does not cause vomiting when related to a stomach or intestinal issue is the body’s natural mechanism for preventing us eating something dangerous or when our stomachs need to rest. Nausea is a common symptom following a large intake of sugary food – scientists believe the body triggers this response to prevent us eating more and thus giving the body time to produce enough insulin to lower the existing blood sugar level.

Nausea is a common symptom following a brain injury or when there is a foreign body in the brain tissue such as a tumor. Many drugs also seem to invoke the nausea response, particularly aggressive drugs such as chemotherapy.

Recent research has been undertaken to identify the cause of exercise-induced nausea – the feeling of sickness that many people get after taking part in vigorous exercise. A study of 20 volunteers conducted at Nyago University in Japan found more people felt nauseous when exercising after they had eaten. A possible reason for this could be the increased levels of endorphins in a person’s body, which are released while exercising. Endorphins have been associated with nausea and vomiting before, but not fully supported at this stage without further research.

Whatever the cause, nausea can be lessened often by drinking water in small amounts, resting and avoiding solid food. More prolonged nausea without an obvious trigger and when associated with actual vomiting should always be investigated by medical staff as nausea can be indicative of underlying conditions.

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

When most of us think of MS (Multiple Sclerosis), we think of people in wheelchairs severely disabled. However, in reality only very few of the 2.5 million MS sufferers worldwide (85,000 in the UK) can be recognised in that way; many others will be people you see every day without even knowing.

With around 200 people being newly diagnosed with MS every day, there is no known ‘cause’. However, it is more common among northern European and is most commonly diagnosed between 20 and 50 years old. There is thought to be genetic factors influencing a person’s likelihood of developing MS but it is known not to be hereditary. Whilst there is no known cause,

Multiple Sclerosis is a condition in which your own body attacks the protective tissue (called the myelin) around the nerve fibres your central nervous system. As it attacks the myelin, it leaves hard scars or lesions around the nerves. Myelin is responsible for the smooth transmition of the ‘messages’ that travel along your nerves, and as such, the lesions interrupt that transmition and stop the messages getting through smoothly. If this is hard to conceptualize, imagine your central nervous system as your home electricity system and the myelin as the plastic round a cable. If damage occurs to the cable plastic (like a rat gnawing through it) the electricity does not flow smoothly and the light bulb will flicker on and off.

There are 4 types of MS. Most people are initially diagnosed with Relapse Remitting MS, in which there is a flare up of cases (‘relapses’) followed by periods when the patient is completely or partially symptom free (‘remission’). Most patients go onto develop Secondary Progressive MS where the condition and symptoms continue to get worse and the level of disability increases. Some patients are diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS – in which the condition progresses rapidly with no clear periods of remission. Very few patients are diagnosed with Benign MS – where they are completely symptom free for a period of at least 10 years following a short period of relapse.

The symptoms of MS vary greatly, with many patients suffering different symptoms at different times in their illness. These tend to include difficulties with balance, bladder and bowel control, memory recall and extreme fatigue. Other common symptoms include muscle tremors, spasms and weakness, emotional and mood changes, and distortions of vision.

Once you have MS, it cannot be cured and remains with you for life. Thankfully however, there are a number of treatments that can improve a person’s condition and severity of symptoms. There are 5 ‘disease altering medications’ available, 4 of which are registered and widely available and one new drug which has recently been approved by NICE. These drugs reduce the number of lesions and also initial evidence suggests that they might slow down progression of the disease. Many patients also turn to alternative and complimentary therapies, with 50-70% of sufferers trying alternatives to relieve their symptoms. NICE have issued guidance that supports the use of complimentary therapy as part of a care package for MS sufferers. Scientists are also currently researching the potential for stem cell treatment to repair the myelin damage caused in MS.

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Migraines: Things You Should Know About

Most of us use the word Migraine to describe a bad headache, but in actual fact Migraines are far more complex than that. A migraine is a ‘primary headache’ – meaning it is not a symptom of another problem, such as a cold. For sufferers, migraines are severely debilitating.

Migraine is not as common as we might think, with only 15% of the UK population suffering migraines. Anyone can be a sufferer – from a baby to an elderly person, although it is more common in the productive years. Two thirds of sufferers are women. An attack can last anywhere from a few hours to 72 hours; the sufferer will often be left feeling listless and drained for a few days afterwards however.

The cause of migraines is not fully understood. Until a few years ago it was assumed the migraine was caused by a spasm followed by a sudden dilation of the blood vessels in the brain, but now it is understood to be more complex. The effect of changing levels of a hormone called Seratonin in the body which in turn effects the blood vessels in the brain is now thought to be significant.

The actual headache is defined as common or classic, dependant on the presence of an aura. The ‘common’ migraine is one without an aura and the ‘classic’ being with an aura. An aura is like a warning sign sent from the brain before a headache, and although it can be a range of sensations, it is commonly zigzag lines or blindspots in vision or even numbness of the limbs. This can occur anything from 15 minutes to an hour before the headache.

Sufferers symptoms range from person to person, but there are a number of ‘classic’ symptoms that seem to be generic to everyone. The major symptom is a an intense, throbbing headache, often only on one side of the head. The headache is often accompanied other common symptoms:

• nausea and / or vomiting
• An increased sensitivity to light
• An increased sensitivity to sound
• An increased sensitivity to smell

When having a migraine, sufferers will want to rest in a quiet, darkened room.

Whilst we know the chemical reaction that is responsible for migraines, we are not sure of the triggers that are responsible for causing that reaction to start. For most people, a number of triggers are needed to combine to start the reaction that causes a migraine. These triggers are as unique to the person as their symptoms, but commonly include emotional and physical stress causing a change in to a persons routine, a change in environment including exposure to bright lights and noises and hormonal change in women.

Food and diet also seem to play an important role for migraine siufferers. We have all heard of cheese starting migraines, but foods such as caffeine, additives and red wine are also common triggers. For migraine sufferers it seems particularly important to eat regularly and avoid dehydration.

There are over the counter and prescription drugs available to treat an attack once it has started. For people with very frequent attacks (more than 1 a week) there are preventative drugs available on prescription but need to be taken regularly for around 6 months and rarely eliminate attacks completely. Because of the adverse long term affects of many of these medications, sufferers are increasingly looking to minimise triggers in their lives and seek alternatives through complimentary therapy.

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Fastest way to lose weight - There is only one way

If you are asking yourself how fast can you lose weight, the answer is really fast!

I’ve seen people losing vast amounts of weight in a month, and that only means one thing. It means that you can do it too. Stop postponing it, start now, it doesn’t take much to become that good looking person. All it takes is some dedication and hard work, if you got that, you should be on your way to your goal.

Another thing you should know before you start is that many people quit even before they get to a good start. Don’t be that person, know what lies before you and just keep on going, if you do that the rest is as easy as a walk in the park. So if you are looking for the fastest way to lose weight, you might as well start with a diet, a good diet will help you lose weight really fast. So try to find one that is proved to be working and has possibly been positively rated by other users of the community. Once you got that you should put it at work.

Start with your diet and follow it, be strict to yourself when it comes to nutrition habits. not doing so might result in you not achieving results you were expecting and hoping for.

Once you got a diet and are following it daily, you are ready to start with your exercise. You should look into cardiovascular exercises such as running and cycling. Those are best when it comes to losing weight and they are also good when it comes down to your health. but remember that only diet and cardio exercises are not enough.

You should also focus on your workouts at the gym. Try to find one that is close to you and suits you best. Once at the gym you should focus on compound exercises and work them in many sets with a lot of repetitions. Exercises for your abs could prove to be useful also, such as bicycle crunch and long arm crunch. All exercises with the exercise ball will also do good.

So remember, know what you are getting yourself into, don’t quit and stay persistent, find a good diet and stick to it. Focus on running and cycling but don’t forget on your gym workout. Follow all these tips and results will come shortly.

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All about Hay-fever

Those who are lucky enough not to suffer from hay fever often think of it as a relatively minor inconvenience. However if you are affected, you know that it can cause a great deal of disruption to your daily life, as well as making you feel downright miserable.

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is caused by an allergic reaction to certain substances. Symptoms include runny or blocked nose, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, coughing, headache, fatigue, poor sleep, wheezing, sore throat, irritability and listlessness. Not only the eyes and nose but also the throat, the ears and the roof of the mouth can become very itchy.

Other possible effects of hay fever include increased difficulty in controlling asthma and increased vulnerability to sinus infections, and eye infections or conjunctivitis caused by rubbing watery itchy eyes. People also develop bad breath and husky voices along with the sore throat.

There is no real cure for hay fever, but management strategies can make it easier to live with. The most important management strategy is to figure out your personal triggers and do your best to avoid them. One of the most common causes of hay fever is airborne pollen. It can be difficult to avoid this, so the best strategy is to listen for the pollen count and stay inside on days when it is high. Other triggers include animal dander, dust mites, cigarette smoke, pollution, perfumes and mold spores.

Treatment for hay fever can include medication, non-medicated treatment and immunotherapy. Medications which are effective against the symptoms of hay fever usually contain some form of antihistamine. These counteract the effects of histamines produced by damaged cells during the body’s allergic reaction. Histamines are the direct cause of the itching, irritation and inflammation which make hay fever sufferers so miserable. Antihistamines can be administered as tablets, nasal sprays or eye drops. Other medication may include decongestant sprays or tablets, corticosteroid sprays, mast cell stabilizing sprays and anticholinergic sprays.

Immunotherapy is an attempt to switch off the body’s allergic reaction by gradually exposing it to more and more of the allergen. This is usually done by a series of injections, often over a number of months or even years. You will need to see an allergy specialist or clinical immunologist for this procedure.

Non-medicated treatments seem to work for some people. These include steam inhalation and salt water nasal sprays. Supplements including horseradish, garlic and vitamin C have also been recommended to relieve the symptoms.

Hay fever in children can be difficult to deal with as they can become very tired and irritable due to poor quality sleep. This can affect their ability to learn and concentrate. Some things you can do to reduce their allergies are to breastfeed where possible, delay the introduction of allergy producing foods, and limit their exposure to allergens especially cigarette smoke, dust mites and animal dander.

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Sunburn - Basics You Need to Know

Attitudes to sun exposure, tanning and sunburn have changed greatly over the past few decades, mostly in recognition of the damage done to skin from excessive exposure to the sun. Once an accepted part of a day in the sun, sunburn is now a major cause for concern and actively avoided by many people.

Sunburn results from damage to the skin by ultraviolet (UV) rays. There are two frequencies of UV radiation, UVA and UVB. Sunburn is caused by UVB rays, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are responsible for premature aging and skin cancer. Limited sun exposure can be beneficial as the skin is triggered to produce Vitamin D. Ten to fifteen minutes sun exposure tw