beauty and health

Posts Tagged ‘aid’

Your Must Know Guide to Wheelchair Lifts

What are wheelchair lifts?

Vertical wheelchair lifts, wheelchair lifts for short, are automatic or manual machines that aid the mobility of those in wheelchairs or with difficulty walking. In addition to being motorized, lifts come in exterior or interior varieties for transportation. There are also a number of choices for home stairway lifts. Lets take a look at the choices.

Automatic or Manual

Though many like the electric wheelchair lifts, they are significantly more expensive than the manual lifts. However, the manual lift is heavy and unless it is an interior vehicle model, the caretaker will need to be able to pick up the heavy item. When the lifts are outside and able to fold, it makes it easier on the caretaker but they have a bit of weight as well. Through their shortcomings manual wheel chair lifts are able to easily fit into budgets.

Automatic or power wheel chair lifts are easily operated and some have manual options built in for backup support. They are powered by hydraulics and come in a wide range for the home and automobile. The batteries for the wheelchair lifts are either on board the wheelchair itself or connected to your car battery. The onboard batteries can fit in any home outlet and can be taken off and recharged as needed. The models that are connected to your car battery will require professional installation, which can be expensive, but you won’t have to keep recharging the battery.

Which one is right for you?

Picking your wheelchair will depend on your individual needs. Each type has their advantages and disadvantages. Take into account your budget and the ability of the caretaker(s) and health professional. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to better understand your option. Also remember that research is key in finding the best wheelchair lift for you.

If you owned a Hoveround Power Chair where would you go next?

Physical Therapy for the Lower Back: How to Prevent and Treat Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common causes of job-related disability and why some people miss work. It is also the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache. In fact, approximately 80% of adults in Western countries have, at some point, experienced lower back pain.

For some fortunate people, pain in the lower back may be resolved by itself or with the aid of medication within two to four weeks. However, there are some cases of lower back pain that may last for more than a few weeks, during which case the condition is termed as “chronic” and “progressive,” meaning it can only grow worse over time.

Moreover, 60-80% of those patients who suffer their first episode of lower back pain may experience recurring pain within one year.

According to current research, there are certain muscles in the back that work to stabilize the spine. When the spine or the back suffers an injury, these muscles are reflexively inhibited or shutdown. Worse still, these muscles do not spontaneously recover, and this is true even if patients do not feel pain and are able to return to normal activity levels.
As a result of the inhibition of these muscles, called lumbar multifidi and the transversus abdominus, lower back pain occurs. However, there are steps you can take to prevent the same thing from happening to you.

Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy

One way to prevent the inhibition of the lumbar multifidi and transversus abdominus is through a series of physical therapy exercises.
Designed to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and keep the spine healthy, these physical therapy exercises may range from back stabilization exercises to muscle strength development and several wide variety of techniques.

In addition, a physical therapist may also recommend such methods as heat therapy, ultrasound, massage, mobilization, and education about posture and body mechanics in order to prevent lower back pain from recurring.

Some of these methods will be discussed later on. You will also find some practical self-help tips provided by experts to help you avoid lower back pain or prevent the condition from worsening.

However, before we head on to learning how lower back pain is treated through physical therapy, it is important that we first understand what causes lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain: CAUSES

There are actually many types of back pain, but the most common is pain in the lower back. Why? You might ask. The reason is simple: you carry most of your weight in the lower back. Thus, it is highly likely that a person would suffer pain in that area.

There is no definitive cause of lower back pain. Sometimes, the causes of the condition are so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint just a single one.

However, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals have observed that lower back pain is often a result of strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the following activities:

Improper posture

Heavy lifting

Sudden awkward movement

Muscle spasm

Stress
We could all be guilty of the above activities. We may not suffer any back pains now, but it is likely that as we get older and the degree of inhibition of the back muscles as a result of these activities increases, back pain becomes a very distinct possibility.

In addition to these common activities, lower back pain may also result from specific conditions, such as:

Herniated disk (when the disk material presses on a nerve)

Sciatica (when a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition causes sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and the back of the leg.)

Spinal stenosis (when the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots becomes narrow. This is caused by arthritis and bone overgrowth, the pain resulting from when a nerve gets pinched in the narrow space.)

Spondylosis (a type of arthritis affecting the spine due to degenerative changes brought on by aging)

Spondylolisthesis (when one vertebra in the spinal column slips forward over another)

Lower Back Pain: TREATMENT
The treatment of lower back pain depends on several factors, including the specific type of lower back pain (whether it is chronic or acute) and the purported cause.

For instance, acute lower back pain is commonly treated with pain relieving drugs, such as analgesics, or some forms of exercises that can help relax the muscles.

On the other hand, chronic back pain or one that lasts for more than two weeks and is progressive may be caused by some underlying condition, during which case the treatment plan may consist of resolving the underlying condition to treat the back pain.

Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy Exercise
Physical therapy exercise is one of the most common methods of treating lower back pain. In fact, many home remedies for lower back pain consist of exercise, because the general theory is that if you remain active, you remain healthy. This is true in most cases.

However, for purposes of this article, the exercises featured here will be those that are practiced by physical therapists to treat patients with lower back pain.
Generally, in physical therapy exercises, the exercise program for back pain should encompass a set of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and low impact aerobics. Read below for more on these exercises:

-Stretching

The back of a person is composed of the spinal column and contiguous muscles, ligaments and tendons. All these are designed to move in consonance with each other so that any limitation in the range of motion in any of these components of the back result in back pain.
Stretching for lower back pain specifically targets soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons, found in the back and around the spine. By stretching, the spine and soft tissues are mobilized, increasing motion and thus, relieving pain.

There are many kinds of stretching exercises employed by physical therapists. One is the Hamstring Stretching Exercise which works to relax tight hamstrings, a common symptom of lower back pain. This exercise is said to help decrease the intensity of lower back pain among sufferers.

-Strengthening

Physical therapists generally use two forms of strengthening and back pain relief exercises, usually depending on the specific condition of the patient. These are the McKenzie exercises and dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises. However, the two forms of strengthening exercises may also be combined should the therapist find it appropriate to do so.

-McKenzie Exercises

Named after a physical therapist in New Zealand, McKenzie exercises are primarily extension exercises that could help reduce pain generated from the disc space and also may help reduce the symptoms of herniated disc by reducing pressure on a nerve root.
For acute pain, the McKenzie exercises should be done frequently, at least once every two hours. In addition, patients are advised to avoid flexing their spine when exercising.

-Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises

Using this back exercise technique, the first thing that a physical therapist does is to look for the patient’s “neutral” spine. This refers to the position that allows the patient to feel the most comfortable.

Afterwards, when the patient is in that position, the back muscles are then exercised in order to “teach” the spine how to stay in this position.
Performing these exercises on a regular basis can help strengthen the back muscles and keep the spine well-positioned.

Low Impact Aerobic Exercises
The purpose of low impact aerobic exercise is to recondition the back. Patients who undergo reconditioning of the back through low impact aerobic exercise will have fewer episodes of lower back pain.

In addition, whenever an episode of lower back pain does occur, the pain is less intense and lasts only for a short period.
Another benefit of low impact aerobic exercise is that patients tend to stay functional that is, they can continue with their regular work and carry on with recreational activities. In contrast, patients who do not undergo low impact aerobic exercises typically experience the gradual loss of their functional abilities.

For low impact aerobic exercises to achieve their desired results, they should be continuous. This will increase the heart rate and keep it elevated as well as increase the production of endorphins, which are pain fighting hormones released by the body.
Here are some examples of low impact aerobic exercises that you may want to try in order to lessen or reduce lower back pain:

-Walking
One of the simplest forms of aerobic exercises, walking is generally considered as very gentle on the back. To get the maximum benefit from walking as a form of low impact aerobic exercise, walk two to three miles three times per week.

-Stationary Bicycling
This form of aerobic exercise is less painful on the back since there is lower impact produced. This is beneficial for patients with lower back pain who may find walking too painful.

-Water Therapy
Sometimes referred to as aquatherapy, water therapy is simply doing exercise in the water. The buoyancy works to provide effective conditioning at the same time stress on the back is reduced.

Many players have about Stan Utley Putting Arc and the method needed. Utley has been a recent success with numerous tour players. Of course, now everyone wants to know how perfect training aid to implement the Utley method. There are special training aids to help you learn the mechanics and emotions of the last arc. Stan Utley has put his name on a few different models of a few different manufacturers. Here is a list of training aids to help you learn the method of putting the bow and reduce your golf scores: First TOMI Putting System TOMI was developed by the age of film professionals instructor Marius, a leading authority on the mechanics and psychology of golf. Marius has helped golfers of the PGA, Champions instruction, and LPGA Tours, and has personally investigated more than 43,000 hits to his career. As an aid to training of technical implementation, evaluates the implementation and Marius TOMI gives you constructive feedback on how to improve your putting stroke. TOMI is stroke angles and motions that often go undetected errors see, the very eyes of an expert. The Tomi will capture all the data and displays the following: alignment at impact, Stroke Path Direction, running back rotation, rotation and propulsion before the impact speed. Tomi starts recording and provides a real-time feedback on your race. Stan Utley Learning Curve 2nd Stan Utley, the learning curve is one of the easiest to use training tools. You can use the learning curve, inside or outside and is shaped in the form of the swing arc. Simply the heel of the putter along the learning curve and it is well managed in the right arch. In addition, it is usually comes with a DVD explaining how to use the training aid. 3rd Place Arc Deluxe Putting Arc putting trainer is similar to the learning curve and is also approved by Stan Utley. Putting Arc Deluxe is a beautiful piece of wood you are in a simple, reproducible and comprehensible to the results of implementation. Putting Arc putting trainer will help you develop confidence when standing over your putter felt only a small percentage of players, confidence in your ability to golf ball exactly where you want to support directly. The 4th Arts Utley, described in the art, its base of players of all levels, from beginners to very skilled. The easy to understand helps you develop a repeatable stroke by introducing the basics of grip, posture, alignment, and swing. The art you put guidelines on the conclusion of the putter for you and the type of race you like a putt should sound the same, as we like to read the greens properly. Art is a book that enjoyed all levels of golfers beginners and experienced players. This article has put training aids that teach you the proper motions of the Stan Utley Putting Arc or method. The implementation of this training aid by applying your habits you have to shoot lower scores!

The main body of the life of a man is old. If you think that the years pass, you’ll also notice some changes in your body. This is a change, but it is quite normal with a person at this stage in life. There is no doubt, by the deaf or that it would only hear the soft sounds. Knowing that you can call this problem of loss of hearing very devastating. How do you react to that time and still on track? Instead, you should use a hearing aid. However, many of us may wonder, how hearing aids work? Let us find the answer to this question. The overwhelming factor for the elderly, as a hearing aid works is the technology behind it. Most adults have long embraced the fact that almost all the technical gadgets that helps us to live above all things, which is implemented, we should give them value for our bodies to function properly. Hearing aids are devices that have been here for years. The first are devices that are cone shaped to your ear, so a person can speak it. It works like a funnel. Now that we are in modern times, hearing aids improve the level of technology. All have the same parts and mechanisms. Like hearing aids work? First of all hearing aids have microphones. Like normal, such as microphones, they emit sounds louder, but is used in this case, a small microphone. The sound is transmitted in the digital signal and once it is converted into data, then it will be again, healthy again, but now in a much louder volume. There microphone hearing aids that are set for a particular type of hearing loss and the user environment, so you can customize, or select for your own convenience. There are hearing aids with a directional microphone, which means you can choose only the increase of sound, which help reduce the noise before. Most people need the help of hearing aid audiologists. They are specialists who focus on patient needs. They usually ask more questions that you know what type of hearing aid you want. Some questions about the nature of the sounds you hear when you hear them or are the factors that hinder or help you to hear exactly need. All these issues will be very useful in the search for the exact adaptation of your hearing aid. After answering all the questions, the audiologist in turn allows the adaptation of hearing aids based on specifications such as the volume and direction of the original sound. However, there are three types of technologies, and receive signals of change in hearing aids. They are analog, which is adjustable, is another, but also programmable analog, and the third is the programmable digital hearing aid. The analog setting is the least expensive of the three. This type of hearing aids, as well as he is called by the adjustable ear doctor referred the patient’s specifications. It will then be made for you and you can either adjust the volume or automatically. The programmable analog is another type of circuit. They are a little better than the setting, because it is programmed by computer. Audiology programs for sound capture and transfer them to hear in different scenarios. They usually can be achieved by the remote user to choose which program to use to execute a given time. Programmable digital hearing aid, compared to the previous two years, are more advanced in nature. It is also the most expensive of the three. It includes a feature called DSP (Digital Sound Processing). It uses a computer chip to analyze the data before transmission to the ear. It is also capable of detecting and eliminating feedback by identifying its frequencies. It is also easy to use. Of course, every electronic device is powered by a battery. Most rechargeable batteries for hearing during the last 5-6 days, depending on the type of reception. Digital hearing aids offer more functions and therefore require more energy from it take a few days. Certainly the choice of hearing aids is enormous. And to do that for our curiosity, such as hearing aids eat a reflection on the constant pursuit of improvement and innovation life easier for us, and you will find the answer.