By Tim Moore on May 26, 2010 5:29 AM
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A new study is being conducted on
fibromyalgia to determine the effectiveness of combined treatment, such as fibromyalgia medication and therapies such as talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and education on the disease.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease that is still quite misunderstood and affects around 2 percent of the United States population. Oftentimes paired with either lupus or arthritis, it is characterized by fatigue, body, muscle and joint aches, and body-wide chronic pain. It can also come with other symptoms, such as depression, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep disturbances. Sometimes fibromyalgia pain is so intense that sufferers cannot even bear to have clothing touching their skin, because the pain becomes too severe with the slightest touch.
The new study, which is the third study in a series, is being held by the Indiana University Fibromyalgia Clinical Research Center and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The series of studies is called: Drug and Talk Therapy for
Fibromyalgia. The goal of the series is to find out if talk therapy, paired with a fibromyalgia drug, is of more benefit than talk therapy alone, or just taking the drug alone.
The study is using the FDA approved drug milnacipran, which is also called Savella. Savella has been proven to help those suffering with
fibromyalgia, but has not been tested with talk therapy. The study will consist of participants will either be randomly assigned a placebo pill or Savella, and of course they will not know which one they are being given. They will also receive either an educational phone series or cognitive behavioral therapy.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this study, or if you would just like more information on the study, call the
Fibromyalgia Clinical Research Center at 317-278-3971.
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By Tim Moore on May 19, 2010 12:52 PM
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Assisted living and nursing home care are two completely different systems of care, though many people do not know the difference. One of the easiest ways to tell them apart is by their names: assisted living exists for the elderly that need minimal assistance with daily activities, and a nursing home is for those who need medical and rehabilitation care. Assisted living allows for more independence, while a nursing home has a âhospitalâ or institutional feel.
Assisted care goes by many names depending on the area you live in, such as personal care, adult living facilities, adult foster homes, adult congregate living care, and more, although the most widely used term is assisted living. Those who choose to live in an assisted living facility can look forward to living independently in their own apartment-style accommodation. They can enjoy group activities and living in a community-style building that offers security and social activities. Those who live in assisted living can get the assistance they need with general daily activities such as preparing food, dressing, bathing and more, but are quite autonomous. Those who choose assisted care are usually fairly healthy, physically and mentally. Many chose to live in these facilities because they do not want to manage a large house, or they are lonely after a spouse passes away. Those who choose assisted living are considered clients, not patients.
Nursing homes are very similar to hospitals. Patients have little or no privacy, share rooms, are supervised 24-hours a day, and usually need mental or physical medical care. Nursing homes can provide specialty care for patients suffering from
head trauma,
cancer,
neurological or neuromuscular diseases, Alzheimerâs disease, dementia, mental disease and more. Nursing homes are health care facilities, unlike assisted living facilities. People usually choose nursing homes when they are unable to care for themselves and need medical assistance.
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By Tim Moore on May 15, 2010 7:59 PM
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Can it be possible that continuing to work later in life can help people and men especially, to keep
Alzheimerâs disease from developing? It sounds a little too easy to be true, but a recent study conducted by Kingâs College London Institute of Psychiatry, seems to show just that.
The study, which involved analyzing data from over 1300 dementia patients, says that men are especially prone to be able to delay Alzheimerâs disease by keeping the brain sharp and active through continuing to work. Out of the 1300
dementia patients, 382 were men. The men with dementia that retired early developed Alzheimerâs disease early, while the men that continued to work were able to delay the disease. The researchers concluded that every year of continued work was equal to about a six week delay in developing Alzheimerâs disease.
The researchers are still trying to understand exactly why this is so. It could be because those who retire early are already facing health issues that increase the risk of Alzheimerâs, such as
diabetes, or it could simple be the fact that they are keeping their brains sharp by continuing to work. If the later is so, then researchers are wondering if a gradual step-down in work, reducing hours instead of either working full-time or retiring, could also help reduce the risk of Alzheimerâs disease.
If the reason
Alzheimerâs is delayed is simply due to keeping the brain sharp and active, some patients may be able to delay Alzheimerâs disease whether or not they are in the workplace, by keeping their minds intellectually stimulated and active. Retirement does not have to mean retiring to the couch in front of the television; it could mean taking up new hobbies and interests, and becoming even more social and intellectually stimulated.
The study was featured in the medical journal International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, and concludes that more research is needed to understand how to delay Alzheimerâs disease.
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By Tim Moore on March 31, 2010 3:29 PM
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Being disabled definitely costs money. It depends upon the severity of the disability, but the disabled may find they require special medical care and specialized medical equipment. Some of it can be quite expensive, such as wheelchairs, but even small costs add up, such as fuel to transport to the doctor, more laundry cleanings, or specialized food.
A recent study set out to determine whether poverty was linked to disabilities, and whether the disabled were poorer than other minority groups, such as single parents, and ethnic and racial groups. The study was called âHalf in Tenâ, and found that half of working adults that experience poverty for a minimum of one year also have at least one disability, if not more. The report was put together by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that seeks to promote democratic debate on important economic and social issues.
The study found several interesting things about disabilities and poverty, and proposed several solutions to the problem. First, they found that there are more disabled people in poverty than all minority groups, including single parents, and racial and ethnic groups. Not only are there more, but there are more disabled people in poverty than all the other minority groups combined. They also found that direct care workers that assist the disabled, of which there are over 3 million, are also in poverty. Whether they are assisting in communities or homes did not matter, because the most common income for direct care workers was found to be under $18,000.
The report not only looked at the poverty and disability statistics, but it also offered solutions â such as policies that are designed well. They proposed that the disabled not have to be in poverty before the government aid them, and that the restrictions of earnings and assets be less restricted for those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI Income. They also suggested better policies for paid sick days and sick leave, and requested that direct care workers receive better wages.
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By Tim Moore on March 22, 2010 2:24 PM
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Chronic pain is a huge issue in the United States. Statistics show that anywhere from 3.5 to 6 million Americans suffer with
fibromyalgia pain, nearly half to three-fourths of the 10 or so million Americans who suffer with cancer report pain, and it has been reported that around 300 million people worldwide suffer with migraines.
This is only a tiny percentage of the amount of pain in the world, not including orofacial pain, pelvic pain, diabetic neuropathy,
complex regional pain syndrome and more sources of pain that plague people worldwide on a daily basis.
Painkillers are the most common way to address chronic pain, though they come with many side effects, including addiction. A recent study has found a new non-medication treatment for pain that is free, has no side effects, and has been shown to be very effective. What is this miracle cure for pain?
Slow, deep, mindful breathing.
The study was conducted by researchers from Arizona State University and was published in Pain. It involved almost 30 women who experienced chronic pain due to fibromyalgia, and 25 healthy women without pain. The study found that slow, mindful breathing helped to lessen the perception of pain. The participants reported less reaction to pain, and less emotional discomfort.
It is known that slow, mindful breathing can decrease stress, slow down the heart rate, and lower blood pressure, but according to this study it can also help people deal with pain, since mindful, deep, slow breathing helps to soothe the nervous system. Yoga and mindfulness meditation are recommended ways to decrease stress, and increase breath awareness, and now they may become a part of a recommended treatment for those experiencing fibromyalgia pain, cancer pain, diabetes pain, migraine pain, and other forms of
chronic pain.
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By Tim Moore on March 19, 2010 6:49 PM
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My pessimistic feeling on this is no, I don't think so. All the evidence for the last twenty years seems to confirm this. Back in the mid eighties, we heard regularly and continually that massive amounts were being added to the national debt as a result of continuous borrowing on the part of the government to fund itself.
Nothing, of course, has changed since then, with the the exception of three things:
1. It has now become fairly apparent to even the dimmest lights that there really isn't a social security fund. How can you have a fund, a set-aside account, when it has been a decades-long practice to bleed every cent that has ever come into the fund from the taxation of citizens?
2. The social security system is cresting the hill. Meaning that it is now paying out more than it takes in through taxes.
3. The only way to keep the system floating is for the government to keep borrowing, i.e. allow foreign governments to "invest in us" by purchasing our debt.
After the first decade of the 21 century has passed, after decades of hearing that deficit spending and lopsided trade deficits are unsustainable, and even after the worst economic meltdown since the great depression, no one is Congress is seriously discussing how to deal with future obligations such as medicare, and how to fund our own government without continuing to borrow massive amounts from countries that don't always consider us "their friend".
Even now, they, our elected representatives, continue to dodge the issues. Why? Because the fixes will be painful. And even mentioning painful fixes never seems to result in re-election.
So, who do we have to blame? Congress? I'd like to say so, but that's simplistic. Most of these guys probably weren't in Congress in 1980 or 1985 when, even then, news regarding national debt and national trade and budget deficits littered the news.
For a host of reasons, we have ourselves to blame. No one wants to take the bullet. Everyone wants to eat their cake and, yet, have it too. How long will this go on? Very simple. Until it can't. And then...it's anyone's guess.
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By Tim Moore on March 17, 2010 5:01 PM
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Hepatitis is a group of viruses caused by liver inflammation that is due to either infection or toxins. Sometimes hepatitis can heal on its own, and other times it can progressively become worse due to scarring. Acute hepatitis lasts less than six months, and chronic hepatitis lasts more than six months. Oftentimes hepatitis can lead to liver disease.
There are many different types of viral hepatitis, which is hepatitis due to viral infections. This includes Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B,
Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Hepatitis E. Other viruses can also cause hepatitis, including Yellow fever, Epstein-Barr virus, and Cytomegalovirus. Other than viral forms of hepatitis, there are also other forms: alcoholic hepatitis, drug induced hepatitis, and hepatitis caused by toxins, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune disorders.
Symptoms of acute hepatitis can be mild and require no treatment, or they can be severe causing a need for a liver transplant. Symptoms usually range from flu-like symptoms and muscle and joint aches, to dark urine, jaundice and abdominal pain. Chronic hepatitis symptoms may include weight loss, easy bruising, enlarged liver or spleen, or in extreme cases jaundice and inflammation of the kidneys and thyroid gland.
Some serious risk factors for contracting hepatitis include risky sexual behavior, intravenous drug use, abusing alcohol, having HIV or AIDS, getting a tattoo, using too much acetaminophen, traveling to risky areas, and having a blood transfusion before the year 1990.
Hepatitis A is thought of as the least serious form of hepatitis, since it never becomes chronic. Hepatitis B is a chronic form of the disease and 55 percent of people with this form have a chance of dying within 5 years: Men are more than five times more likely to become chronic carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), as opposed to women. In the United States
Hepatitis C is the most common cause of chronic liver disease.
Since the 1990âs, both hepatitis A and hepatitis B numbers have dropped dramatically due to a hepatitis vaccine being recommended for children and infants.
Hepatitis C has also decline since 1992 by 90 percent, even though there is no vaccine. This is largely due to recommendations for prevention and control.
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By Tim Moore on March 15, 2010 6:09 AM
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Could chronic pain, which plagues millions of people all over the world each year, be considered a disease? Perhaps chronic pain is not simply a side-effect or a condition of other issues, such as
diabetes or
arthritis, but a disease that could stand on its own. Some researchers seem to think that chronic pain could, and should, be defined as a disease.
In various studies,
chronic pain has been related to change in the structure of the brain and in some cases, as well as longterm damage to the brain. The real question may be whether long-term chronic pain causes brain changes and damage, or whether the brain damage and structural changes cause the chronic pain. If chronic pain is indeed causing the damage and change of brain structure, then it is qualified to be defined as a disease, not merely a symptom of other diseases, according to researchers from Oxford University in the UK.
Often times chronic pain is simply âdismissedâ by doctors, if no source of the pain can be found. Although millions of people suffer from chronic pain each year, it is not always taken seriously. Some doctors think their patients are simply trying to gain pain medications and drugs, and some doctors think the patient just âthinksâ they are in pain, but because they cannot find the cause of the pain, they may assume it is not actually there. Unlike other diseases, no tests can be ran to prove physical evidence of the pain being experienced, and therefore chronic pain, and other diseases like
fibromyalgia, are often dismissed and misunderstood.
Now that studies have found that chronic pain and brain damage may be related, hopefully new studies will continue on this subject until chronic pain is taken seriously by the medical community. Until then, there is definitely a split in the medical community as some believe it is a disease, and others do not think it should be defined as such.
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By Tim Moore on March 9, 2010 5:16 PM
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1. The idea of chemical imbalance in the brain postulates that mood disorders or mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression are caused by differences in neurotransmitters.
2. Research indicates that low levels and low activity of certain neurotransmitters is evident in those individuals with psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.
3. This theory has shaped the pharmaceutical research responsible for new drug therapy treatments. Prescription medications focusing on types of neurotransmitters called norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, have been effective for many people.
4. Despite evidence that these medications are often effective, there is no clear understanding of how or why these chemical differences, or imbalances, affect mood.
5. Prescription medications currently available, perhaps due to the many unknown factors regarding how these chemicals affect mood, have not proven to be a cut and dry solution. About 40 percent to as many as half of the people who have tried to take these prescription drugs have found them to either not be effective or to have side effects that outweighed any benefits.
6. Herbal remedies also focus on the idea of chemical imbalance. While not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as effective for medical use, Valerian and St. John's Wart are commonly regarded by many different people as effective alternatives to prescription drugs for treating insomnia, balancing moods, and calming anxiety.
7. There is clinical evidence that some plants and flowers considered to be sedatives do actually relax the nervous system, resulting in a calming effect.
8. In addition to the pharmaceutical research focused on chemical imbalance, psychologists have also molded talk therapy techniques to focus on the idea of chemical imbalance. For example, the goal in cognitive-behavioral therapy is to understand the brain's response to situations that cause stress and anxiety. Once understood, the goal is then to produce new patterns of response to these stressors.
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By Tim Moore on March 3, 2010 7:56 PM
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease that attacks the joint lining causing swelling, pain and damage to joints. The disease is a very painful condition and can become disabling to the patient. Rheumatoid arthritis may cause loss of mobility and functioning. The joints most affected by rheumatoid arthritis are the shoulders, neck, wrists, hips, knees, fingers, toes, elbows, and ankles. In addition to affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the body tissues and organs.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are tender joints, swelling and pain in joints, rheumatoid nodules (bumps under skin) on arms, stiffness in joints in the mornings, fatigue, and puffy, red hands. They symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can come and go. Some sufferers will experience long periods of intense symptoms, and some will experience long periods of remission where no symptoms are present.
Rheumatoid arthritis is most often diagnosed with a blood test called the rheumatoid factor. X-rays can also help in diagnosis. Once diagnosed, a patient should see a specialist in the field of rheumatology â a rheumatologist â for long-term disease management.
There is no cure for
rheumatoid arthritis, though medications and treatments can help those with the disease live long, productive lives. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, and immunosuppresants are quite helpful for rheumatoid arthritis. Many patients also take disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which can slow down the progression of the disease. Biologics are also being used in treatment, though this is quite new.
In severe cases of this form of
arthritis that causes damage to joints and sometimes deformities, surgery may be a treatment option. Tendon repair, removal of the joint lining (synovectomy), or total joint replacement (arthroplasty) may help patients.
It is thought that about 1 percent of the entire worldâs population is affected by the disease. Although it can affect anyone of any age, rheumatoid arthritis is most often diagnosed in women ages 40 to 50. The disease affects women nearly three times more than men.
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