When the food we eat is digested it provides us with energy and growth but the condition called diabetes does not allow this process to work as it should. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. This glucose is our primary source of fuel but the condition of diabetes means that the glucose does not travel around the body properly. If this glucose remains in the blood and is not absorbed in to the body as it needs to, abnormally high levels of blood glucose or high blood sugar levels as it is also known as, occur.
This subject has comprehensive information available on other sites and the information about the condition in this article has been made short to enable easy and quick understanding. Juvenile onset diabetes is called type one and usually, but not always, affects children and young adults and is where the body’s production of insulin has ceased; this means insulin must be given to the diabetic on a daily basis for them to live. Insulin works like a catalyst, enabling the glucose produced by food to be absorbed by the cells and used as energy. Type two affects adults and is sometimes called late onset diabetes; this can be controlled by diet but is caused by problems with the insulin production or its function.
To stay alive we need energy, something which is supplied in abundance by everyday foods like various pastas, bread, potatoes, rice and fruit for instance. Prolonged periods of high blood glucose levels can lead to problems like heart disease, kidney complaints, blindness and even limb amputations. Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications; some of the possible conditions will be halted completely whilst others will be delayed. To manage your condition well, ensure you take your medication; giving up smoking, keep you blood glucose and cholesterol levels stable as well as well as other blood fats are just some of the aspects that require special attention.
Your weight and blood pressure also need to be checked regularly and kept within the acceptable limits set by your doctor. The bad news about this is diabetes a life long condition; currently approx 2.6 percent of the U.S. population or about 5.5 million Americans, are known to have this health problem. The problem is that here are probably another 5.5 million people who have this condition but just don’t know it; each year there are over six hundred thousand new cases. It is believed that as many as 320,000 diabetics die each year in America whilst only 34,000 of those actually die directly from the condition itself.
“You cannot always control circumstances, but you can control
your own thoughts.”
Discussed in this article:
1) The Sleep-Diabetes Connection. 2) Sleep and Depression–A
Brief Overview 3) How A Hypnotist Can Help.
The Sleep-Diabetes Connection
“Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future;
practice these acts. As to diseases, make a habit of two
things–to help, or at least to do no harm.” (1)
Unfortunately sometimes a solution to one problem creates
another. This means that, in some cases, to help is to
inadvertently invite harm. Doctors are faced with this dilemma
everyday.
For example, if a diabetic patient is depressed then,
anti-depressants may be one solution. The challenge is that
anti-depressants and many other medications can cause insomnia.
(2)
This brings us to this article’s main point: The ‘Hidden
Condition’ that frustrates doctors and hurt diabetics—Sleep
disorders.
Sleep disorders have been linked to exacerbating or even
precipitating diabetes as well as depression.
Allow me to explain more fully: It is known that poor sleep robs
people of their health in general. But, for diabetics, it can
actually cause a worsening of their condition. In the 2001
annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, a study was
presented that warned that a chronic lack of sleep may cause far
more serious problems than a tendency to get sleepy behind the
wheel.
The study found that people who do not get enough sleep on a
regular basis tend to become less sensitive to insulin over
time. This can raise the risk of obesity, high blood pressure
and diabetes. In fact, according to Bryce A. Mander, the study
co-author, it turns out that chronic sleep deprivation–6.5
hours or less of sleep a night–has the same effect on insulin
resistance (3) as aging.
Furthermore, according to the study director, Dr. Eve Van Cauter
of the University of Chicago, healthy adults who averaged 316
minutes of sleep a night–about 5.2 hours–over 8 consecutive
nights secreted 50% more insulin (4) than their more rested
counterparts who averaged 477 minutes of sleep a night, or about
8 hours. As a result, “short sleepers” were 40% less sensitive
to insulin.
What is fascinating is that the poor sleep/excess insulin
(hyper-insulinemia) connection has not received the attention it
deserves. Even the Mayo Clinic is apparently unaware of this
connection. Please review the following definition of
hyper-insulinemia given by the Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research (MFMER): “The term hyper-insulinemia
means abnormally high levels of insulin in your blood. It’s not
a disease. Instead, it may indicate an underlying problem that’s
causing your pancreas to make and release too much insulin.
Insulin helps regulate blood sugar.
Causes of hyperinsulinemia include: Insulin resistance.
This occurs when your body doesn’t use insulin properly. Risk
factors include a family history of insulin resistance, lack of
activity, obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome. A
tumor of the pancreas (insulinoma), which secretes excess
insulin.
Hyper-insulinemia doesn’t cause signs or symptoms. But if it
leads to abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), signs and
symptoms may include sweating, weakness, slurred speech,
confusion and seizures.
Hyper-insulinemia is often associated with type 2 diabetes” By
Mayo Clinic staff —December 10, 2003″
(http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00896)
Here is the challenge with the preceding information: It seems
that it may not be fully accurate. This idea is put forth
because the preceding Mayo definition states that: (a)
Hyper-insulinemia is not a disease and that (b)
Hyper-insulinemia has no signs.
Addressing the first point that hyper-insulinemia is not a
disease: Hyper-insulinemia is a now well recognized to be a
predictor of diabetes. Also important to note is that excess
insulin can cause or significantly contribute to the onset of
heart disease and premature aging as well as diabetes. Also bear
in mind that insulin is a storage hormone produced by the body
to lower blood sugar by sending it into the cells. Over time,
excess blood sugar and insulin stresses the system and the cells
become less responsive. This condition is known as insulin
resistance. Also note that in his best-selling book Protein
Power, Dr. Michael Eades wrote:
“When insulin levels become too high… metabolic havoc ensues
with elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and
triglycerides, diabetes, and obesity all trailing in its wake.
These disorders are merely symptoms of a single more basic
disturbance in metabolism, excess insulin and insulin
resistance.”
It is also understood that excess insulin promotes smooth-muscle
growth in blood vessel walls, which contributes to the formation
of plaques. Artery walls become thickened and stiff, causing
blood pressure to rise.
So, to classify hyper-insulinemia as a non-disease seems a bit
short sighted when, if it was treated with more concern and
urgency as a disease, then perhaps other disease states could be
avoided.
Now, let’s look at the second point that hyper-insulinemia has
no signs. Wouldn’t it make sense to think that perhaps it has
symptoms and signs not yet recognized or associated? In my
opinion, this condition does have plenty of symptoms: Low blood
sugar reactions (moodiness, irritability, sweating, confusion,
etc..), weight gain, elevated triglyceride and cholesterol
levels.
And there are probably a host of other signs and symptoms that
accompany excess insulin levels. The question to ask is Who is
looking for them? The answer? Not too many people. Hence, no
generally agreed upon signs or symptoms.
If nothing else, the preceding should challenge those who can,
to seek to eliminate or validate the idea that hyper-insulinemia
is indeed a health crisis of a significant degree and, that it’s
treatment could have untold benefits.
Sleep and Depression–A Brief Overview
Poor sleep and depression form a very vicious circle.
It is well noted that poor sleep contributes to depression.
During a webcast on August 21, 2003, James C. O’Brien, M.D.,
FCCP, ABSM stated that:
“During REM-stage sleep is where we learn situations and
incorporate situations and deal with emotions that, unless we
deal with it properly, will affect us in terms of our daytime
functioning on a mental, emotional level.”
The point is that feelings of depression that can be caused just
by poor sleep, can adversely affect a person’s ability to take
proper care of their health. Hence, good sleep is especially
important for diabetics because sadness or depression induced by
poor sleep can have deleterious consequences never mind the
actual physical problems noted earlier.
Health care workers should also note that according to the
National Sleep Foundation 2002 Annual Sleep Survey, almost 74%
of Americans do not get enough sleep each night. The survey also
found that those with sleep problems are twice as likely to feel
stressed and tired.
The preceding facts are pointed out to alert those who treat
diabetics that: (a) There is a very good chance that their
diabetic patients are suffering from a sleep disorder and (b) A
sleep disorder can frustrate their attempts to treat their
patients for diabetes.
Something else that may interest those who treat diabetics is
that sleep apnea treatment can lower glucose levels in
diabetics. (5)
How A Hypnotist Can Help
All the preceding information and discussion takes us to our
next point. Now that it is recognized that good sleep is utterly
essential as an adjunct treatment for diabetes and pre-diabetes,
doesn’t it make sense that a non-medicated approach to good
sleep for these conditions would be reasonable as an important,
first effort treatment?
I state ‘first effort’ because the dictum, “First do no harm”
would seem to indicate that drug therapy should be a second
treatment approach because some drug medications can sometimes
cause other problems.
So what is a safer, first approach treatment for good sleep?
Hypnosis.
William S. Kroger, M.D., states in his book Clinical and
Experimental Hypnosis that “Hypnosis effects improvement in
acute cases of insomnia. Often a single session is effective in
restoring the sleep cycle, particularly if auto-hypnosis has
been taught on the initial visit.”
Karen Olness, M.D. and Daniel P. Kohen, M.D. in their book
Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy With Children, note the following:
“Hurwitz, Mahowald, Schenck, Schulter, and Bundlie (1991)
described the successful use of hypnosis in 27 adult patients
with sleep terror disorders. Seventy-four percent reported much
or very much improvement with the use and practice of
self-hypnosis.”
Bear in mind that if you go to see a hypnotist for a diagnosed
sleep disorder (or any other diagnosed medical condition) the
hypnotist must have your doctor’s consent before treating you.
In this referral, it must be clear that you have been cleared of
any disorder that a hypnotist cannot or should not treat that
may be causing your sleep problems.
As a final note: A hypnotist truly can make an enormous
difference in a person’s quality of life and health simply by
helping them to sleep better. If you have not been sleeping well
and, it seems to be worsening other conditions than, at the very
least try a hypnosis for better sleep CD. The are hundreds
available on the internet.
Warm Regards,
C. Devin Hastings “Speak well to yourself because your deep mind
is always listening.”
BIOGRAPHY
C. Devin Hastings, a diabetic, suffered from depression for over
20 years and is dedicated to making information available to
others that can help them to change their lives. To learn more
about Devin and hypnosis, please visit: www.MBH4U.com
REFERENCES:
(1) Hippocrates in his Epidemics, Bk. I, Sect. XI. (2) National
Sleep Foundation Sleeptionary TM About Insomnia. URL:
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeptionary/index.php?secid=&id=1
9 (3) Insulin resistance is a major factor in most cases of
diabetes. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body
cannot properly utilize normal amounts of insulin. (4) The more
insulin a person’s pancreas has to produce, the more likely it
is that eventually the beta cells that produce insulin in the
pancreas, will break down. (5) Archives of Internal
Medicine–February 28th, 2205
The world of ophthalmology is one of the fastest evolving fields of medicine. Never before have so many new techniques and scientific breakthroughs emerged in such a short period of time. LASIK surgery, which uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea, offers millions of people the opportunity to reduce or eliminate their need for glasses or contacts.
Television and radio ads are filled with amazing stories about LASIK surgery as the fast and painless way to correct vision, but stories are also appearing about people for whom it was less than successful. Before you opt to go under the beam, what can you do to help ensure that you will be happy with your results?
The key to safe surgery in any field of medicine is an informed patient. Take a little time and research the LASIK center you are considering for laser eye surgery.
1. Find a doctor by getting referrals from other doctors or from patients who have had LASIK or laser vision correction.
2. Don’t be fooled by fancy advertisements about a particular laser center. Choose the doctor, not the laser center. Find out who will actually do your procedure, then ask about that doctor’s qualifications (e.g., board certification, special training).
3. Choose a doctor who has done at least 5,000 LASIK or eye laser surgeries. What a doctor doesn’t know can hurt you.
4. Ask for information on your doctor’s LASIK eye surgery complication rates. If your doctor won’t tell you, find another one. For top surgeons, the figure is under 3 in 1,000.
5. Ask what measures are taken to prevent infection. Look for a center with a sterile or dust-free operating room. Make sure that disposable parts are not reused. Insist that your eye be thoroughly sterilized, and insist that the surgical instruments be sterilized before your eye laser surgery to eliminate the risk of transmission of HIV or hepatitis.
6. Beware of advertisements pushing “low cost” LASIK surgery. Discount surgery is as good as a discount parachute. The potential savings are not worth the risk of receiving less than expert care!
7. Expect to see very well after LASIK, but don’t expect to see perfectly. Each patient gets a slightly different result. The best surgeon in the world can’t guarantee 20/20 vision. As with any eye laser surgery, results are as individual as each patient. Beware of any doctor who promises 20/20 vision.
8. If you feel like you’re getting a hard sell, you probably are. Go elsewhere. You’re not buying a car; this is real LASIK eye surgery.
9. If your level of nearsightedness is more than -11 or so, implantable lenses will probably offer better vision than LASIK. Consider waiting until the new lenses are available. Ask your doctor about them and other recent advances.
10. While you investigate, don’t lose sight of the benefits: for most people a lifetime of bad vision can be cured in 5 minutes. LASIK eye surgery has improved the eyesight of millions of people around the world.
Dr. Maloney is director of the Maloney Vision Institute, located at 10921 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, California 90024, 1-877-EYESIGHT. For more information about LASIK surgery, visit http://www.maloneyvision.com
The method know as three dimensional ultrasound scanning is used during early pregnancy, it provides 3d images of the unborn child. Most of the time the ultrasound pictures are quickly collected and combined and animated to make a “4d ultrasound scan”.
Three dimensional scans works similarly to the usual scanning methods except that the ultrasound pulses can be directed from multiple directions. The ultrasound waves are reflected back then captured to provide information to construct a 3-dimensional picture in in the same way as 3d movies. 3d ultasound scanning was devised by olaf ramm abs stephen smith.
It’s important to understand that sonologists all over the world always conjured 3d pictures of the body in their minds while carrying out 2d scans. However, until recently it was difficult to do this kind of reconstruction on on information using ultasound scanning. With the advent of ultrasound baby scans for the first time allowed us a peek into the mechanics of thinking of a sonologist and allowing us to reconstruct the images on the ultrasound machine.
3d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest harm due to 3d ultrasound, its use in none medical situations should be undertaken with an understanding of the risks that may exist.
cholestrol
You may not know you have a high level of cholesterol in your
blood. The only way to be sure is to have a blood test.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is an important part of
the oute lining (membrane) of cells in the body of animals.
Cholesterol is also found in the blood circulation of humans.
The cholesterol in a person’s blood originates from two major
sources; dietary intake and liver production. Dietary
cholesterol comes mainly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy
products. Organ meats, such as liver, are especially high in
cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin contain no
cholesterol. After a meal, cholesterol is absorbed by the
intestines into the blood circulation and is then packaged
inside a protein coat. This cholesterol-protein coat complex is
called a chylomicron.
High cholesterol is a leading risk factor for heart disease.
Excess cholesterol in the bloodstream can form plaque (a thick,
hard deposit) on artery walls. The cholesterol or plaque
build-up causes arteries to become thicker, harder and less
flexible, slowing down and sometimes blocking blood flow to the
heart. When blood flow is restricted, chest pain or angina can
result. When blood flow to the heart is severely impaired or
stops completely, a heart attack can result.
Since no “normal” cholesterol levels have been established,
doctors rely on “desirable cholesterol levels” in making
treatment recommendations. However, the “desirable” levels of
total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol have been moving targets;
they have been steadily declining over the years as more and
more controlled trials have demonstrated that the risk of heart
attacks and strokes can be reduced further with lower LDL
cholesterol level. Think of cholesterol as a “vital
sign,”similar to blood pressure, and high cholesterol as a
leading risk factor for heart disease
What can you do about it?
High fat intake contributes to excess body weight, since a gram
of fat has about twice as many calories per gram as
carbohydrates and proteins.
High cholesterol levels can be reduced through healthy eating,
exercise and stop smoking.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, lower blood cholesterol
levels or simply eat healthier, you’ll want to limit total fat
intake.
The antioxidants in grapefruit are likely responsible for the
health benefits and the fresh fruit and juice are equally
beneficial, They also noted that red grapefruit generally has
higher levels of antioxidants than white varieties. It may also
be possible that red grapefruit has some unknown chemicals that
help reduce triglycerides.
Eating fish may lower inflammation in the blood vessels Omega-3
fatty acids may reduce mortality from heart disease and it is
also god for your Cholesterol. BASEL, SWITZERLAND.
Hyperlipidemia, or excess levels of fats in the blood, is
associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Many
lipid-lowering agents exist for both primary and secondary
prevention of cardiovascular disease. fish oil supplementation
lowers blood levels of triglycerides by about 25-30%;
Medications are prescribed when lifestyle changes cannot reduce
the LDL cholesterol to desired levels. The most effective and
widely used medications to lower LDL cholesterol are called
statins. For older people on a fixed income, that extra four
months on an expensive drug can be a big factor.
Get More cholestrol Tips
http://www.cholestrol.biz/
All those people who wish to get their teeth as white as the models that they adore on the television turn to Crest Whitestrips Premium for the purpose. Many studies had been conducted before, and the results made the fact more pronounced that Crest Whitestrips provide whiter teeth for a minimum period of six months.
Crest Whitestrips has more sales than other whiteners since its power to whiten teeth is much more as well. Though mere 10% hydrogen peroxide is by no standards high enough compared to the level of what dentists use, it is enough to help those people who have yellow teeth. But Crest doesn’t have a strong effect on people with grey teeth. By using Crest [which has 28 strips in total: 14 each for the upper and the lower teeth] for about a week, the results will show in a matter of three days. With that, it is almost impossible to have perfectly white teeth. However, if Crest is used for half-an-hour daily, twice a day, then it can take only a week to get rid of the stain which may have built up in fourteen years. Apart from the 28 strips, Crest also has 28 Premium Whitestrips, which is equivalent to 56 of the original Whitestrips. These only make the teeth white, and not the crowns, dentures, caps or veneers. Crust Whitestrips Premium helps people to get their desired white color teeth so that they can flash a smile without any hesitation whatsoever.
Another product is the Crest Whitestrips Premium Plus, which is nothing but the original Crust Whitestrips Premium with more number of strips. 40 strips are supplied for ten days, 20 for the upper teeth, and 10 for the lower. There is a whitening gel as well, which is also at a 10% content of hydrogen peroxide. Premium Plus is always preferred over the regular Premium due to more number of strips as they are good for weaker concentration. The results will show after ten days usage, and will be good enough, though not fully up to the expectations.
Try a sample crest whitestrips premium today with this crest whitestrips coupon
Finally, a positive solution regarding America’s difficult and costly campaign to stem childhood obesity is emerging. For the thousands of children and their families who are currently battling with childhood obesity, this good news is long awaited.
Indeed, the risk factors for childhood obesity read like a checklist of ailments that only a generation ago would never have been linked to children and diet: heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and of course, social ridicule and alienation [i]. This latter consequence of childhood obesity — ridicule and alienation — has the dual effect of damaging a child both physically and emotionally far beyond childhood, and possibly for the rest of his or her natural life.
For years, medical experts have called for a multi-faceted strategy to address this epidemic. It has been clear that any long-term solution must be fought on four major fronts: physical activity, sedentary behavior, socioeconomic status, and eating habits [ii].
Yet there is room for another pillar; or, at the very least, the identification of another component that must be a part of any lasting solution. This fifth pillar, or undiscovered component, is smart nutritional supplements.
Many obese children have been told repeatedly by well-intentioned dieticians that eating smart is the key to overcoming this scarring condition. This is easier said than done; especially when emotional eating or an unobserved food addiction [1] may fuel adverse eating habits.
Yet being told to “eat smart” is oftentimes not enough. Children must be provided with foods that are nutritionally sound, and foods that they actually enjoy eating. It is this latter criterion that most well-intentioned experts and caregivers overlook. This is explained below.
Most obese children are neither unable to learn, nor willfully disobedient. Some of these children even have remarkable support from their well-adjusted families who dutifully remove the usual suspects of chips, soft drinks, chocolate bars, and other damaging foods from the home. Yet many of these same children continue to gain weight and march ever closer to the litany of health defects noted above.
These children are not sadistic, and they are not attempting to kill themselves through eating; though some do because of the stigma associated with their condition. Indeed, many obese children are cognitively aware of the danger to which they are subjecting their bodies. Yet they continue to snack away in secret, or binge on foods when they get the chance, thereby undoing whatever minor gains might have been achieved in the previous few days or weeks.
The problem is one of food selection. Generally speaking, children of all weights and shapes will not eat something that they do not like. For obese children who have typically had unfettered access to highly stimulating foods such as gravies and sugar-loaded soft drinks, the willpower to eat unpalatable foods is undeveloped. Indeed, the dietician may snack away on carrots and celery while talking to an obese child about the importance of eating smart. For the obese child, carrots and celery are foreign foods for which there is no known preference.
This fifth pillar, or new component, is therefore one that provides obese children with nutritional supplements that they will eat. As stunningly obvious - even axiomatic - as this seems, it has been lost on many experts until recently.
Thankfully, as noted above, there is a solution emerging. It is one that meets this demand for tasty, healthy foods. Forward-thinking companies that understand their consumers are creating low-calorie, highly nutritious foods fortified with life-sustaining vitamins and protein. More importantly: they are tasty, and are often packaged in colorful containers that are “teen-friendly”. Companies including MetRx, Experimental and Applied Sciences, Protica Research, and others develop products that fit well within these requirements. Granted, a healthy diet does not start or end with nutritional supplements. A healthy diet employs nutritional supplements to complement and fortify real foods.
Indeed, children and families affected by the obesity epidemic in America are cautiously optimistic at this point; after all, they have been promised solutions in the past. However, thanks to the next generation of nutritional supplements, there is an expectation that this optimism will steadily grow with every success story, and every child that recovers from the potentially devastating impact of obesity.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
REFERENCES
[i] Source: “The Problem of Overweight in Children and Adolescents”. The US Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm
[ii] Source: “Childhood Obesity”. American Obesity Association.
http://www.obesity.org/subs/childhood/causes.shtml
About the Author
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a devastating disorder that is one of many listed under the general term, “Repetitive Strain Injury” (RSI).
Of all repetitive strain injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most recognized and prevalent among the general populace. And due to this recognition, many people are concerned about being afflicted with carpal tunnel and its debilitating symptoms, a concern that should be on the minds of anyone that is involved in work or recreational activities that require extensive use of the hands, especially in static motions such as “gripping” and/or repetitive motions like typing, clicking a computer mouse, assembly, etc.
Below is a list of the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome and a list of steps that can be taken to help prevent this terrible and devastating disorder that has reached pandemic proportions.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms:
Tightness, discomfort, stiffness or pain on the front side of the hands/wrists.
Tingling, numbness and/or paresthesia (Pins & needles) affecting the thumb, index, middle and one-half of the ring finger. The thumb and fingers do not have to be affected simultaneously as symptoms will often vary and move around. (Example: The thumb and index finger may be numb one day and the next day the numbness and tingling in the thumb and middle finger are more noticeable.)
Loss of strength in the fingers/hands. (Grip Strength)
Pain, aching, swelling, and diminished coordination and dexterity.
A need to stretch and/or massage hands, wrists and arms.
Assuming a defensive posture in order to protect sensitive hands/wrists.
Because carpal tunnel syndrome and its symptoms are something that everyone should be aware of in this day and age of computers, video games, personal assistant devices and other “technological advances”, it is important to take the necessary steps in order to prevent carpal tunnel from developing in the first place.
By implementing the following steps, you can greatly reduce your risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome as well as stave off many other repetitive strain injuries that are caused in the exact same manner as carpal tunnel, such as Guyon’s Syndrome, Trigger Finger and Tendonitis of the hands and wrists.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Prevention Protocol:
Task Variation: It is wise to vary tasks throughout the day in order to keep the force and duration of the specific motion to a minimum. If a typical workday involves 5 types of activities; instead of doing task #1 for 1.5 hours and then moving on to task #2 for 1.5 hours, etc., it is best if task #1 can be performed for 30-minutes and then task #2 is performed for #30 minutes, and so on, repeating tasks #1-5 every 30 minutes until they are completed. If this is not possible for the type of work that is required, ask the employer health director to implement a task rotation schedule where workers perform a different type of task every 1-2 hours throughout the day, making sure that each task is different enough that it does not tax the same muscle group(s) in the same manner as the previous task or the next task. It is still important that in these 1-2 hour shifts that mini-breaks are taken for 2-3 minutes every 30 minutes. Implementing task variation is very successful tool in keeping productivity high and repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome to a minimum.
Task Requirement Limitation: The ‘task requirement limitation’ protocol sets a limit on the duration and force of a given job or task, making sure that workers are only required to perform a certain number of repetitive movements or a certain amount of force over a specified period of time before a break is required. Implementing a mini break for every 30 minutes of work activity is very important in order to prevent muscle hypertonicity and fatigue from setting in, the main causes of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ergonomic Systems: Ergonomic systems and tools are important in helping to reduce the amount of stress and strain that is inflicted upon the body, but ergonomic systems and tools by themselves cannot prevent or “cure” injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Mini-Breaks: It is very important to implement short breaks every 30 minutes of work activity in order to reduce stress and strain to the fingers, hands, wrists and forearms. These breaks only have to last 2-3 minutes, but are key in allowing the muscles to relax, which helps to prevent a muscle imbalance from occurring and developing into carpal tunnel syndrome. Even more important in carpal tunnel syndrome prevention, is implementing the following activities into these mini-breaks.
- Stretch: Stretch the short, restrictive muscles in order to lengthen them, which, reduces pressure on the underlying muscles, blood vessels and nerves. (Example: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Stretch the muscles on the front of the forearm that flex the fingers, hand/wrist.)
- Exercise: Strengthen the weak, underdeveloped muscles in order to help shorten/tighten them. Performing strengthening exercises to the muscle groups opposite to those that are short and tight allows the muscles on both sides of the joint to return to a more natural, balanced position. The strong, short muscles are lengthened and the weak, long muscles are shortened, creating equality and stability around the entire joint. (Example: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Strengthen the muscles on the back of the forearm that extend the fingers, hand/wrist.)
NOTE: Of all the ideas listed, the ones that are most important in preventing and eliminating repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome are mini-breaks, stretches and exercises.
By simply being aware and implementing a few simple techniques at work, individuals can prevent repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome from occurring and experience many years of good health without ever being affected.
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