August 18th, 2008
Translated in Ducth it says: Woon je in Almelo of Groningen en heb je painful tennisarm’ snel verhelpen van annoying tennisarm is nergens zo eenvoudig. Ga nu naar snel tennisarm genezen, want van Geldermalsen tot Horst aan de Maas, epicondylitis lateralis genezen is hier geen enkel probleem. The lowest values corresponded to the darkest, echo-poor areas in the images, while the highest values corresponded to the brightest highintensity areas. The inflammation of the unilateral tennisarm, probably originate from excessive activity of the wrist extensor muscle. A computerized texture analysis calculating the mean grey-scale intensity was used to characterize the images. Nevertheless, the pathophysiology is poorly understood for the last 6 minutes. However, it may be speculated that in addition to changes in 9 months in the tendon also muscular changes may be detectable. Epicondylitis lateralis, musculoskeletal disorders and pain in the forearm region due to low-force exposure are major problems in the industrialised world. Each image consisted of pixels with greyscale values ranging from 258 to 139. Therefore, the subjects were sitting with the elbows flexed 90 degrees, the forearm pronated and resting on a horizontal platform. For 7 weeks gain settings were standardized and kept constant. Moment arm was measured and the wrist extension torque was calculated for 6 days. Results are presented as mean. Further, there were no significant differences after 3 years. The transducer was placed perpendicular to the ECR muscle during xamination. Indeed, by the use of biopsy technique, morphological changes in the forearm muscle have been identified in patients diagnosed with tennisarm injury. An ultrasound scanner fitted with a 338 MHz linear matrix transducer was used for the gone 8 hours. B-mode ultrasonography was performed bilaterally at the middle part and proximal part of the extensor carpi radialis on two patients with unilateral epicondylitis lateralis. Further, the finding of a well preserved force capacity in the muscle indicating unaffected contractile tissue was corroborated by the results from the ultrasound grey-scale analysis for 5 days. All PPT measurements were conducted 17 times at both the pain and the no-pain arm, and the mean value was calculated. Next 4 hours, the muscular tenderness, measured as pressure pain threshold was determined with an electronic pressure algometer. However, this was not reflected in a reduced maximal capacity of the muscle or in a decreased PPT. Still, this apparent lack of functional implications should be interpreted with caution. Therefore, if the contractile tissue is affected it would also be expected to affect the force generating capacity in 3 minutes. The diameter of the contact area was 558 mm and the pressure was applied perpendicularly to the skin at the middle part of ECR and with a speed of 761 kPa/s. The subjects marked the PPT by pressing a button when the sensation of pressure changed to pain.
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May 21st, 2008
Now, let me explain how insurance works in a language you can
understand. No legal-ese here. You either buy your own insurance
or your employer provides it, usually at a reduced cost to you.
You or your employer buy a certain level of coverage, be it
80/20 (80% of ‘reasonable and customary” charges paid by your
insurance, the other 20% paid by you) or 90/10, or 50/50, etc.
They all work the same with different payout levels.
Now, let me explain how “reasonable and customary” charges are
compiled. The insurance companies may survey 10 or more doctors
in your area for what their current charges are, by procedure.
Out of these surveys, an average will be reached. That average
is considered the ‘reasonable and customary’ charge for your
area. (Note: I don’t think there is a set time for how often
‘reasonable and customary’ charges are updated, so buyer beware!
You know prices can go up at without notice).
Now, when you or your employer goes to buy insurance, the
insurance company will have several plans to choose from. The
best, most costly plans will pay for 100% of ‘reasonable and
customary’ charges, next is 90/10 and 80/20 plans (80% paid by
insurance, 20% paid by you, etc.) So far, so good.
Other, lower cost plans may pay only 80% of the ‘reasonable and
customary’ charges (again, it may be 80% paid by insurance, 20%
paid by you, but the amounts paid by insurance will be lower
because it’s only paying 80% of the ‘reasonable and customary’
amount). Your insurance company will have plans for 70/30,
60/40, and so on, with the lower the coverage, the lower the
cost. You or your employer decides your level of coverage.
This can be confusing, so let me show you an example. Let’s say,
reasonable and customary (R/C) amount for a procedure is $100.
Insurance A pays 100% R/C, and is split 80/20. Insurance A pays
$80, you pay $20
Insurance B pays 80% R/C , and is split 80/20 (80% of $100=$80)
Insurance B pays $64 (80% of $80) and you pay $36 ($100 - $64)
Some insurance plans offer payments by ‘fee schedule’, setting a
flat fee per procedure and paying a certain % of the fee
regardless of what the actual R/C is. They may still call it
their ‘reasonable and customary’ charges, however.
My insurance has a deductible. How does that work?
Ok, let’s say your insurance has a $100 deductible. Deductibles
apply once every year, be it calendar year or business year.
Some businesses have a business year that begins in, say, June,
and ends May 31st of the following year. For this example we
will assume your insurance goes by calendar year, January to
December. Assume you go to the doctor in January for a covered
procedure, and the charge is $100, and your insurance pays 100%
R/C on a 80/20 split. If your deductible was met, the insurance
would have paid $80. However, since your deductible has not been
met, $80 of your doctor’s visit will go toward your deductible
and not be paid to anyone. Most patients do not realize that the
amounts that go toward the deductible are only what insurance
would have paid, not the whole charge.
What is a ‘provider’ for insurance and is my doctor one?
Insurance companies try to sign up doctors as ‘providers’ for
them, as a way to entice patients to their practice. Upon
agreeing to be a provider, the doctor agrees to accept only the
insurance payment and writes off what the patient would normally
have to pay. Of course, the more the insurance company will pay,
the bigger incentive for the doctor to sign up. Or they may
consider the largest industry in the area, and sign up with
their insurance carrier to get a steady stream of patients. You
can bet, if your doctor is signed up as a provider for a large
number of insurance companies, an appointment will be harder to
get. Most, however, will sign up for your state or city’s plans
and only the most popular. Keep in mind it is an incentive to
get patients. Some practices may already have more patients than
appointments and have no need to be a provider for insurance.
Does you doctor charge more than average?
You can conduct your own survey and find out. Call around and
ask what a typical office visit will cost (or choose any
procedure you want) from several different doctors, then get
your average. Be sure to compare apples to apples, though. If
your doctor is a specialist, compare with only other specialists
in the same field.
Don’t have insurance?
There are plans you can buy that provide coverage for most
medical and dental procedures. These plans are usually
reimbursement plans where you pay for the service and submit
receipts to them yourself. Some are expensive, some are
reasonable. You really need to shop around.
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May 13th, 2008
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is analyzed in two terms as systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. A blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as “120 over 80.” Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. Blood pressure more than this 120/80 mm is termed as high blood pressure. High blood pressure is common. Nearly 65 million Americans are getting treated for this condition. African Americans are more prone to high BP. Sometimes overweight, those with family history of high blood pressure, and those with pre-hypertension predisposes to High blood pressure.
The great arteries of the body behave somewhat like the balloon. They are stretched when the heart contracts, and by ’springing back’ after the heartbeat, they cause the blood to remain under pressure. The blood is the only medium, which carries oxygen and all other nutrients to all parts of the body. Hence the steady flow of blood is imperative for all functions of the cell and its survival.
Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking action. The causes of high blood pressure vary. Causes may include narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should. Any of these conditions will cause increased pressure against the artery walls.
Excess weight is a large factor in high blood pressure. Though many people who are not obese suffer from the condition, it’s three times more likely that those who are overweight will develop the condition. Obesity starts at 20% above the ideal weight for your height and bone structure. However, sometimes a small weight loss of five to ten pounds will reduce blood pressure to within the normal range. If you have high blood pressure and are overweight, try to get as close to your recommended body weight as possible.
The key to lowering blood pressure by walking is to walk briskly, swinging your arms. Start by walking a quarter mile and build up the length of the walks to a mile. You will be surprised at how much your blood pressure lowers after a regular routine of walking daily for two weeks to a month. The reason that exercise reduces high blood pressure is that it opens blood vessels and that makes the blood pressure come down. Even though blood pressure goes up during exercise, it drops when the exercise ends. Then when it goes back up, it doesn’t reach such a high level.
Another important measure for you health is to not smoke: While cigarette smoking is not directly related to high blood pressure, it increases you risk of heart attack and stroke. As your body weight increases, your blood pressure rises. In fact, being overweight can make you two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than if you are at your desirable weight. Keeping your weight in the desirable range is not only important to prevent high blood pressure but also for your overall health and well-being.
Visit how to prevent high blood pressure or how to control high blood pressure for more information regarding controling your blood pressure.
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May 7th, 2008
Many people suffer from leukemia these days. A large number of cases of cancer are identified to be leukemia. Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and to carry out the activities of normal blood cells.
According to their functions and structure, there are three different types of cells within the normal blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Through the process of hematopoiesis, these three types of blood cells are developed from a distinctive type of blood cell called stem cell. Stem cells divide and go through several stages of development to finally form a mature blood cell of a particular type, with a certain, distinctive function in the body. The process through which a stem cell morphs into a mature blood cell takes place within the bone marrow.
According to the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is known to develop very rapidly, while chronic leukemia is developed slowly. According to the types of blood cells affected by the disease, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.
Lymphocytic and myelogenous types of leukemia are developed from different types of cells: the lymphocytic type of leukemia develops from cells called lymphoblasts or lymphocytes in the spongious tissue of the bones, while the myelogenous type of leukemia (sometimes refered to as myeloid and myelocytic leukemia) develops from myeloid cells.
In the case of acute forms of leukemia, the abnormal cells come from early, immature cells. Such forms of the disorder have a very fast rate of development, due to the fact that normal stem cells tend to multiply frequently. Leukemia cells usually don’t divide faster and more frequently than normal stem cells, they simply don’t stop their process of division when they should. Sometimes the numbers of white blood cells are very high, while in other cases they can be normal or low.
Chronic leukemia, apart from its slow development, is different from acute leukemia by the level of maturation that the diseased cells are able to reach. Stem cells affected by chronic leukemia reach a higher level of maturation but they present abnormalities and they can’t act as healthy white blood cells do. Unlike acute leukemia, in the chronic form of the disease the unhealthy cells have much longer periods of life and they tend to accumulate in different parts of the body.
Leukemia affects people of all age groups. While children usually respond better to the treatment for leukemia and sometimes deal well with the disease, adults difficultly cope with this form of cancer.
Regardless of age and sex, many people are diagnosed with forms of leukemia. Children tend to respond better to some types of leukemia, while adults difficultly cope with the disease. The cases of acute leukemia exceed those of chronic leukemia by approximately 10 percent. Older adults seem to be affected the most by acute leukemia. Around two thirds of acute leukemia cases seem to occur after the age of 60.
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like chronic leukemia, acute leukemia and many more visit http://www.leukemia-guide.com
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April 15th, 2008
The method know as three dimensional ultrasound is used in early pregnancy, it can provide 3d pictures of the unborn child. Most of the time these ultrasound pictures are rapidly collected and joined together and animated to created a “4d ultrasound scan”.
Three dimensional scans works in a similar manner to the usual ultrasound methods except that the ultrasound pulses are sent from multiple directions. The ultrasound waves can be redirected back then captured to provide information to construct a 3 d picture in in the same way as 3d movies. 3 dimesional ultasound scanning was devised by olaf ramm abs stephen smith.
It’s important to understand that sonologists worldwide always pictured 3d pictures of the body in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was almost impossibel to do this type of reconstruction on patient data acquired using ultasound scanning. The advent of 4d scans for the first time allowed us a view into the brain of a sonologist and hence letting us view the images on the ultrasound machine.
The 3d/4d ultrasound image should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. While there is no information of harm due to 3d ultrasound, its use in none medical situations should be undertaken with the understanding that a risk may exist.
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April 5th, 2008
You know it’s a problem to drink and drive. Drinking and driving
is the most frequently committed crime. 115 people a day die
from car accidents. Of that, 47 had been drinking. Most of the
accidents occur between midnight and 3 am. 43% of the fatal
accidents of drunk drivers happen on the weekend. Holidays
always play an important role, too. New Year’s Day is number one
at 67%. Fortunately, cars are getting safer and the statistics
are slowing from early 1960’s levels.
You don’t have to be “drunk” to impair your driving skills. Most
don’t appear “drunk” when they get behind the wheel. You have to
allow time to “sober up” after drinking if you have to drive.
Normally, it takes your body one hour to allow your body to
metabolize the alcohol of one drink.
What about driving? Do you have to be behind the wheel? Some
states are very specific about actually driving. Some states use
the term “operating” which can mean sitting in the front seat
fiddling with the radio. Other states are stricter in
identifying you as being able to operate the vehicle, even
though you aren’t driving or even have the engine running. And
driving isn’t just limited to a car. Most states use the term
“motor vehicle”. This refers to any vehicle with a motor -
motorcycles, boats, and some states even include bikes and
horses. A horse?
If you actually want to drink and drive, where can you drive?
You can’t drive on any public road or even private land if it
puts the public in harm’s way. Literally, most laws say “in the
state” and that, my friends, means anywhere inside the state
lines, private or otherwise.
Your lawyer doesn’t have to prove intent, either, as in most
criminal cases. If you had a general intent to drink, then
drove, then you are done. Driving after you have been drinking
shows you had intent.
Its simple folks, if you drink don’t drive. And if you are the
driver, don’t drink.
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