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Archive for January, 2009

30
Jan

Alternative Therapy For Sportspersons:Yuvraj Singh’s miracle

Yuvraj Singh credits knee surgery success to Dr Jatin Choudhary an expert in alternative therapy.

Smashing a remarkable century on his return from a serious knee injury was not something Yuvraj Singh even dreamt was possible. Back in October 2007 doctors had told him that surgery was his only option when he injured his knee during a warm-up session in Australia,  and that would’ve meant missing at least five months of international cricket.

Jatin Chowdhary understands a sportsperson’s compulsions and so advises alternate forms of treatment – a combination of physiotherapy, osteopathy that uses massage and bone manipulation and the ingham method, or reflexology, that is used to relax tension and improve nerves and blood supply.

Dr Jatin Choudhary said that , “A ligament that was missing started to reappear after 10 days of treatment.”

Dr Choudhary explains that “Physiotherapy helps in killing pain and muscle strengthening and the Ingham method searches out points through pulse. We locate points for Diseased parts are located and stimulate that part through needles, lazer, moksha and stimulators.”
For cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Dr Jatin is nothing less than a ‘miracle doctor’ having treated his career-threatening knee injury.

And that’s why he recommended the doctor to Sachin Tendulkar and tennis player Sania Mirza, who have also been treated by the Delhi-based doctor for sports injuries.

Stress Relief Through Alternative Medicine
 

28
Jan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh May Be Discharged Earlier!

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who underwent a coronary bypass surgery on January 24, is recovering fast and may be discharged from hospital before the expected period of over a week.

The chief of the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Department, A Sampath Kumar,head of the medical team attending the prime minister and said,“He is likely to leave sooner than anticipated.” Kumar, however, refused to commit on whether it could be as early as mid-week.

Kumar said that the entire team of doctors would continue to take care of the prime minister “as long as it is required”.Mr Kumar also said that the Prime minister  bore the pain of surgery with a strong will.

 
Health Minister A Ramadoss was among the visitors today while Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had called on Singh’s wife yesterday. Meanwhile, VIP visitors continued to make a beeline at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to enquire about the prime minister’s health.

A statement by the Prime Minister’s Office said Singh was being weaned off the intensive care unit and would receive routine care from tomorrow. It said Singh walked around in his room today and his diet included regular meal.

Singh is King: Redo-Heart Bypass Surgery on Manmohan a Success

27
Jan

Door Out of the Dark

This is a strange but well made short film. It involves a woman who says she can’t see, but her physical movements indicate that she is more agoraphobic than anything else. It would appear she suffered some trauma. The anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear related to being in situations from which she cannot escape, like the outside world. Agoraphobia is the most incapacitating of the phobic disorders, to the point that some become completely housebound.  People with agoraphobia are typically afraid of such symptoms as feeling dizzy, fainting, or going crazy. This panic disorder causes a ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction and I think her head injury from the car crash affects her memory and vision. But then the film changes direction; her husband is convinced that she is deceiving him and herself. So whether she is just fooling herself or if she is regaining her sight, I think the viewer is left to think about how interpreting symptoms of illness casts doubt and causes mistrust. The husband who cares for her seems willing to overlook her delusion. It seems a little too confused from a medical facts point of view to be conclusive. At the end she clearly is able to see. Door Out Of The Dark is a very interesting story and well made, even if the symptoms of her illness are inconsistent.

Name :        Country :

24
Jan

Alternative medicine for restless legs syndrome(rls)/shaking legs syndrome

According to some health professionals alternative therapies/alternative medicine used with the approval of your doctor may help ease restless legs syndrome(RLS).

Food Therapy

Medical studies advice people with restless legs to increase their intakes of folate which is found in dark green leafy vegetables says a New Jersey nutritional medicine specialist.

Massage Therapy

Place the palm  of your left hand on the largest part of your right calf. Your fingers should point toward your heel. Squeeze the muscle gently several times and gently release it. Repeat this for about five minutes and switch to your left calf and massage with your right hand.

Juice Therapy

A daily diet of asparagus or spinach juice which are rich in nutrient folate would keep your legs still at night, Calborn a certified nutritionist from Washington recommends mixing folate rich juices with equal amount of carrot juice and drinking the blend daily.
 Cure for restless leg syndrome

22
Jan

Normal pulse rate/How to check your own pulse rate

nullNormal pulse rate/How to check you own pulse rate
A normal pulse rate for a fit and healthy adult, while resting, can range from 60 to 100 beats per minute (BPM), although athletes who are highly conditioned and fit may have a healthy pulse rate lower than 60 BPM.
How to check your pulse rate?

You can check whether your pulse rate is normal or not by following these simple steps.

  1. Gently place 2 fingers of your left hand on the artery on the inside of your wrist, below your thumb.
  2. The thumb has its own pulse that you may feel and hence do not use it.
  3. When the clock’s second hand is on the 12 you can begin counting the pulse.
  4. Count your pulse for 60 seconds or 30 seconds and multiply by 2. (or for 15 seconds and then multiply by four to calculate beats per minute).
  5. Concentrate on the beats of the pulse when counting and do not watch the clock continuously, but
  6. Ask another person to count for you if unsure about your results.
  7. Always consult your physician or nurse for additional instruction if your physician has ordered you to check your own pulse and if you are having difficulty finding it.

Pulse rate

21
Jan

Sex Sells and How!!! Natalie Dylan’s Virgin Sex Sale Online Publicity can Ruin the Young

Ever since Howard Stein kicked off the virgin-for-sale auction of 22-year-old pseudonymous Natalie Dylan, the world seems to be spinning topsy turvy for people who are curiously watching the mounting momentum of what started as perhaps, a fundraiser for her higher education and has now become the world’s biggest publicity stunt, ever.

The lady in question argues that since “we live in a capitalistic society why shouldn’t I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?” Reactions to news of the sale are mixed. Some watch in shocked silence. Some are frantically bidding in a race to “deflower her.” Some others of both sexes are indignant about this media hype and question the lady’s self-worth. There is a segment of the global society watching the business potential of sex- trafficking— not to mention the allied returns from media publicity, if handled well. Book publishers and Hollywood movie makers are queuing up for her real-life story. The latest bid price for Natalie Dylan’s virginity is a whopping 2.6 million pounds. The young lady has certainly given a new twist to the maxim, “Ask and it shall be given.”

Now that information is available worldwide with simple clicks on a TV remote or a keyboard, very young people all over the world, who are at a very vulnerable age and sometimes lacking direction, cling to conflicting role models—be it the charismatic Barack Obama or the pseudonymous Natalie Dylan, presented by world media.

Apart from the extended debate on morality and ethical values involved in Natalie Dylan’s auctioning, in developing countries with traditional societies where sex education is still taboo, such media hype on sex can seriously encourage sex-trafficking and increase the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

20
Jan

Transcendental Meditation Techniques May Reduce ADHD

Transcendental Meditation techniques may reduce ADHD

A promising new study published in a reputed online journal states that the Transcendental Meditation technique may be an effective and safe non-pharmaceutical aid for treating ADHD among students.

A sample group of middle school students with ADHD who were meditating twice a day in school were taken for the study and after three months, researchers found that over 50 percent reduction in stress and anxiety and improvements in ADHD symptoms.

Significant improvements after transcendental meditation

Sarina J. Grosswald, Ed.D., a George Washington University-trained cognitive learning specialist and lead researcher on the study said that “The children showed significant improvements in attention, working memory, organization, and behavior regulation after the in-school meditation routine began. Grosswald said that “teachers reported they were able to teach more, and students were able to learn more because they were less stressed and anxious.”

Transcendental meditation techniques reduces stress

Prior research shows ADHD children have slower brain development and a reduced ability to cope with stress. “Stress interferes with the ability to learn and it shuts down the brain,” said William a clinical neuropsychologist and co-author of the study. So it stands to reason that the TM technique which reduces stress and organizes brain function would reduce ADHD symptoms.

A $2 million grant from the David Lynch Foundation (DavidLynchFoundation.org), will facilitate a third TM-ADHD study that would fully investigate the effects of the technique on ADHD and other learning disorders.
 Benefits of meditation/meditation therapy

19
Jan

Cure for stuttering/stammering: The Tiger Woods formula!

Cure for stuttering/stammering: The Tiger Woods method!

It takes hard work and a competitive spirit to overcome childhood stuttering said top ranked golfer Tiger Woods to CBS 60 minutes.
Woods told the news program that he fought through stuttering by going to a school and working his tail off.
Tiger Woods is the latest example of how  many hours of practice and hard work to win in sports are no different from those long hours spent in therapy for stuttering said Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.
NBA Hall of Famer and sports commentator Bill Walton says that he dealt with stuttering just like he did basketball. He says that he thought about starting with the basics of the basket ball game where he mechanically duplicated moves on a basket ball court” and  just applied that to speaking.
Countless hours of work taught me to manage moments of difficult speech confided Chicago Bulls’ legend Bob Love .

Denver Nuggets’ star Kenyon Martin said of his stuttering, in a recent interview, “How I got through it was just by working hard at it.”
All things are possible for the one who thinks “He Can”.
 

17
Jan

Will Jade Goody turn out stronger than cervical cancer?

British reality TV star Jade Goody, who is suffering from cervical cancer, has revealed that her survival chances have dropped from 50 to 40 per cent.

Dailymail.co.uk reports Goody, 27, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last summer, said she was realistic about her chances but vowed not to let the disease beat her.

“I’ve been hanging on to life with my fingernails but I will not let go. Throughout my life I have had to cope with some really bad stuff but I have always turned out stronger than the thing trying to beat me. And with cancer it will be the same,” she said.

She added: “Sometimes I think ‘I wonder how much time I’ve really got?’ But right now there is no answer to that.”

Goody had surgery to remove a rugby ball-sized tumour as well as her womb and ovaries but she said the most difficult part was losing all her hair after intensive chemotherapy.

15
Jan

Can pregnant women eat plenty of fish?

Can pregnant women eat plenty of fish?

Eating fish benefits pregnant women says a study of Dutch mothers and infants. Findings from other studies of women in the U.S. and the United Kingdom provide further evidence that eating fish during pregnancy and longer breastfeeding, lead to better physical and cognitive development in infants as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and compounds in breast milk are beneficial to both the mother and for the development of infant.

At 6 and 18 months postpartum, mothers were interviewed about child development markers and asked about their breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum. Prenatal diet, including amounts and types of fish consumed weekly, was assessed by a detailed food frequency questionnaire administered when they were six months pregnant.

During the interviews mothers were asked about specific physical and cognitive developmental milestones such as whether the child at six months could hold up his/her head, sit with a straight back, sit unsupported, respond to sound or voices, imitate sounds, or crawl.

At 18 months, they were asked about more advanced milestones such as whether the child could climb stairs, remove his/her socks, drink from a cup, write or draw, use word-like sounds and put words together, and whether they could walk unassisted.

The children whose mothers ate the most fish during pregnancy were more likely to have better motor and cognitive skills. For example, among mothers who ate the least fish, 5.7% of their children had the lowest developmental scores at 18 months, compared with only 3.7% of children whose mothers had the highest fish intake.

Compared with women who ate the least fish, women with the highest fish intake (about 60 grams – 2 ounces – per day on average) had children 25% more likely to have higher developmental scores at 6 months and almost 30% more likely to have higher scores at 18 months.

Longer duration of breastfeeding was also associated with better infant development, especially at 18 months. Breastmilk also contains omega-3 fatty acids. The benefit of fish consumption was similar among infants breastfed for shorter or longer durations.

In this study, consumption of three or more weekly servings of fish was associated with higher development scores, so in this case the nutrient benefits of prenatal fish appeared to outweigh toxicant harm as women in the U.S. have been advised to limit their fish intake to two servings a week because some fish contains high traces of mercury, which has demonstrated toxic effects.

Therefore, women should continue to eat fish – especially during pregnancy – but should choose fish types likely to be lower in mercury says Dr Emily Oken lead author of the study.” Information on mercury levels in commonly consumed fish is available at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html.

Advantages of Eating Fish Foods – Health benefits of  eating fish

15
Jan

A Troubled Marriage-Fresh Challenges

In developing countries like India, folks of the older generation squarely blame the attitude of “modern” wives for not working hard enough to make marriage meaningful. 

Women’s liberation has undoubtedly given a new status and orientation to women’s lives all over the world. But some elders in Indian families firmly believe that emancipated modern women have frequent ego clashes with their spouses and in-laws and that can be dertrimental to families in the long run.

With changing social mores women are financially independent these days. Media reports show that women in developing countries are getting more aware of their independence, their sexuality and their right to express themselves or fulfilling a need. This prospect is sending panic waves in some quarters that a woman may become involved with the sympathetic “other” who is not a spouse, if she has an unresolved grudge against the spouse. 

15
Jan

Fitness in Children

Indian kids are sadly lacking in outdoor fitness activities like sports and games. Parents and teachers lay a great premium on academic activities and kids grow up carrying heavy bags to schools and tuition centers thinking that studying is all that there is to life.

With fast decreasing playing compounds at home and in neighbouring areas and a corresponding increase in extracurricular activities based on academics,children are getting less disenchanted with physical games. Kids these days either become “couch potatoes” before the television or enjoy playing violent TV and video games by way of sport.

Aditya Patil, India’s youngest car racer, addressing kids on child obesity, encouraged kids to keep their bodies running and their minds racing. It is common knowledge that MacDonalds, KFC and other fast food joints are being heavily patronized by kids worldwide. But to beat child obesity, kids should be encouraged to play more and burn calories faster to stay healthy and fit.

14
Jan

Fenugreek leaves for health and beauty

Fenugreek leaves and seeds are nature’s gift to mankind. This wonder herb is rich in minerals like Potassium, Calcium, and Iron. The leaves have good dietary fiber and are abundant in Vitamin C and Vitamin K.



One hundred grams of fenugreek leaves comprise only 49 calories and our body easily assimilates it.



Fenugreek leaves add flavor and zest to your cooking and you can add fenugreek leaves to any kind of cooking that involves dal, vegetable, rice, or atta (chapathi flour). Ensure that the leaves are washed well before cooking.



Fenugreek leaves also have exceptional medicinal uses and can be used as a beauty aid as well.


Anemic patients can consume fenugreek leaves regularly as they are a rich source of iron.

Fenugreek leaves paste applied on palms and soles alleviates burning sensation.

A cup of fenugreek leaves decoction added to honey and a teaspoon of ginger powder clears the phlegm and cures cough.

Fenugreek leaves paste applied on swellings, sprains and burns heals them effectively.

Fenugreek leaves consumed regularly tones your respiratory system, nervous system, reproductive system and neuromuscular system.

Fenugreek leaf powder significantly increases the antioxidant system in diabetics.


Fenugreek leaves or Methi as a beauty aid


Fresh fenugreek leaves paste and coconut milk applied over the scalp is believed to prevent hair-loss, promote hair growth, preserve its natural color, delay graying of hair and make it silky soft.

A paste of methi leaves mixed with vinegar is good for treating dandruff.

A pimple and blackhead prone skin when treated with the paste of fenugreek leaves and turmeric, improves the skin tone.

Fenugreek leaves also has anti ageing properties. Make a paste of fenugreek leaves and add boiled milk to it. Applying this to your face delays the appearance of fine lines and face wrinkles. It not only improves the complexion but also makes one look years younger.



Fenugreek leaves and acne treatment


Fenugreek leaves paste when applied on acne affected area every night and washed away the following morning with warm water prevents fresh breakouts of acne.



Fenugreek Leaves


13
Jan

Poor Quality of Sleep Raises Common Cold Risk: Study

image People who get less than seven hours of sleep at night have a three times higher risk of catching a cold than people who sleep eight hours or more, according to a study released Monday.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania studied 153 people by documenting their sleep habits for two weeks and then administered nasal drops that contained the cold-causing rhinovirus.

“Participants were interviewed daily over a two-week period, reporting how …

13
Jan

Hormone Treatment Quickens Brain Mass Loss: Study

image Hormone treatments commonly used by menopausal women appear to accelerate brain shrinkage, according to two new studies.

The research, appearing in the January 13 issue of the medical journal Neurology, showed greater than typical brain tissue loss in women 65 and older.

Previous studies showed that older women on progestin-based drugs had decreased thinking skills and memory, and were more likely to suffer from dementia and brain diminished function.

Doctors …

13
Jan

Mobile Phones Do Not Pose Any Health Risk To Kids: German Study

image Radiation from mobile phones has no short-term health impact on children and teenagers, a new German government study showed on Monday.

The study, which measured radiation levels in over 3,000 youngsters aged eight to 17 over a 24-hour period, showed there was no direct link between exposure to radiation and health complaints such as headaches and dizziness.

Nevertheless, radiation may still result in longer-term health risks for children as their nervous and immune systems…

13
Jan

WHO Declares Angola Free Of Ebola

image An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not spread into neighbouring Angola, an official with the World Health Organisation said Monday on state radio.

“At the moment there’s no evidence of the virus of extending into Angola. There is no reason for alarm,” said Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO regional director for Africa.

He spoke after meeting Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos in Luanda to update him on the Ebola outbreak, which is suspected to have killed …

13
Jan

Bush Presidency’s Sucessful Legacy On AIDS

image Much of President George W. Bush’s legacy may come under withering fire but in one area at least, it will be viewed positively: his contribution to fighting AIDS.

By yanking open the financial spigot, say experts, Bush reversed years of retreat in the war against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and ended de-facto apartheid between rich and poor in access to life-saving drugs.

During his two terms, the United States pumped nearly 19 billion dollars into fighting AIDS in p…

13
Jan

Risk of Autism Pronounced With High Levels of Male Hormone in the Womb

image Risk of autistic characteristics in children was more pronounced with those babies who were exposed to high levels of the male hormone testosterone in the womb, a recent study has revealed.

Researchers from Cambridge University recorded foetal testosterone levels in the amniotic fluid of 235 pregnant women.

They compared results against questionnaires designed to measure children’s autistic traits between the ages of six and 10.

They found that high testosteron…

13
Jan

Open-plan Office Workers Suffer From Health, Psychological Problems

image Open-plan offices are making people sick, with workers more likely to suffer stress, catch a cold and be less productive, Australian researchers have found.

A review of global studies into the impact of modern office design found the switch to open-plan spaces had been overwhelmingly negative, with 90 percent reporting adverse health and psychological effects.

High levels of stress and conflict, elevated blood pressure, and rapid staff turnover were associated with open-pla…

13
Jan

Lifestyle Changes can Check Global Warming

Oftentimes serious issues like global warming are sidelined when conflicting policies and value systems are presented in a muddle to the common man. Checking excessive global warming is a complex issue that requires a multi pronged approach from policy makers, heads of institutions and a participation from every human being who inhabits planet Earth.

It is paradoxical that while the phenomenon of global warming necessitates a change to simpler lifestyles opting to use public transport, cycle or walk, use less electrical gadgets, market forces lure people with tantalizing advertisements and offers to buy the very same products that can fuel global warming with their carbon emissions. In developing countries like India which boast of strong family ties, commercials target child viewers to promote consumer items—sometimes even luxury cars.

Many middle class families all over the world exercise economy in using electricity and fossil fuels (petrol and diesel, for instance) not so much to prevent global warming but because it suits their budget. To the rich who spend more than necessary on cars and electrical gadgets, global warming is perhaps the last thing on the mind.

World governments may draft grand policies to arrest global warming and reverse climate change but a greater awareness needs to be inculcated in citizens of the world to make them understand that opting for simple lifestyle changes such as using stairs instead of the elevator, car pooling, using public transport, consuming less non-vegetarian food so as to leave less carbon print, will help the individual as well as the world stay healthy.

12
Jan

Stress Takes Heavy Toll On Japanese Workers Health

image Pushed to their limits, thousands of Japanese are literally working themselves to death each year, a scourge the Asian power has started to address but which could get worse in the global economic crisis.

Sadako, a young woman working at an art gallery in Tokyo, said that she suffers from stress night and day.

“Employees work like crazy and the atmosphere is hectic, particularly in peak periods when everybody works late into the night,” she said.

Even leaving the…

12
Jan

‘Natural Killers’ Of Immune System Have a Memory Too

image US scientists have discovered that a component of the immune system that was previously deemed a blunt weapon against microbes turns out to be rather sophisticated with a memory of past invaders.

The surprise finding about so-called “natural killer” cells could unlock a new avenue in vaccine research, the authors hope.

Natural killer, or NK, cells have until now been classified as part of what is known as the innate immune system.

This is considered to be a basic…

12
Jan

Key Gene That Holds Clue For Common Form of Epilepsy Identified

image Tiny variations in a key gene on Chromosome 15 may help explain a common form of epilepsy, according to a paper published online on Sunday by the journal Nature Genetics.

As many as a third of all epileptic fits are called “idiopathic generalised epilepsy,” or IGE, meaning that the genetic causes for them are unknown but likely to be highly complex.

Previous research has narrowed investigations into IGEs to a region on Chromosome 15.

Taking this further, a lar…

12
Jan

Study Unveils Sex-specific Gene Linked to Alzheimer’s

image A gene found on the X chromosome harbours the first sex-specific genetic variant linked to a greater susceptibility to Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and Rochester, Minnesota showed that women who inherited the same variant of the gene, known as PCDH11X, from both parents were far more likely to develop the disease.

Among Alzheimer’s patients evaluated for the study, “the odds a women had two copies of the PCDH…

12
Jan

Smoking Banned In All Indoor Public Areas Of Taiwan

image Taiwanese authorities on Sunday banned smoking in all indoor public places in what campaigners say is a “milestone” in turning Taiwan into a smoke-free island. Smoking had previously been banned in public areas including hospitals, schools, theatres, libraries, office buildings and elevators. Under the new law, it is banned in all other public facilities such as hotels, restaurants, karaoke bars, Internet cafes and roofed transport stations. Those caught lighting up in smoke…

12
Jan

2000 More Chinese Kids Affected From Tainted Milk Than Stated Earlier

image China said Monday that a total of 296,000 children had fallen ill from consuming dairy products tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, up 2,000 from the previous official count.

The health ministry also told reporters at a briefing that a total of 52,898 babies had been treated in hospital for kidney problems caused by the toxic ingredient. Of these, 52,582 had been discharged.

The health ministry announced in early December a figure of 294,000 babies sickened by me…

10
Jan

Sister Of Vietnam Bird Flu Patient Dies

image The sister of a Vietnamese bird flu patient died in hospital last week, health officials said Thursday, while denying the virus was to blame, even though no tests were carried out before she was buried.

Authorities earlier this week reported Vietnam’s first human case of bird flu since early last year, saying tests had shown the eight-year-old girl had contracted the H5N1 virus and adding that she was recovering well.

On Thursday, several state newspapers reported that the …

10
Jan

Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Near 400 In US

image An outbreak of salmonella has sickened at least 388 people across the United States, including 67 who required hospitalization, health officials said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) so far has been unable to pinpoint a source for the outbreak, which was first detected in September and which now has spread to 42 states, according to agency spokesman Tom Skinner.

Two federal agencies responsible for the oversight of food products, the US Department of…

10
Jan

Tanzania On High Alert To Contain Suspected Ebola Outbreak

image Tanzania dispatched health officials to regions bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to contain a suspected Ebola outbreak, officials said.

“Experts have been deployed to five regions closer to the DRC, which are Mbeya, Kagera, Rukwa, Kigoma and Mwanza,” health ministry spokesman Nsachris Mwamwaja told AFP.

“People will be educated on Ebola’s causes, symptoms and prevention measures,” he said.

Angola has shut down its border with Congo to protect its …