No Prescription Necessary

Did you know that in 44 states, including the District of Columbia, you can see a physical therapist directly, without a referral from a physician? Did you also know that physical therapy is a great alternative to pain medications?

Eliminating Pain without Medication

Many types of pain and inflammation, including low back pain, neck pain, bursitis, sciatica, arthritis, tennis elbow, and knee pain, can be reduced with the help of a physical therapist. Lower back pain is the #1 cause of missed work in the United States and affects up to 80 percent of Americans during their lifetime. Physical therapy that moves the spine along with specific exercises to stabilize your core can help alleviate the pain and can have long-lasting effects.

In one study manual physical therapy helped 92% of patients with low back pain.

The American Heart Association encourages people who are at risk of heart disease to see a physical therapist for the initial treatment of pain resulting from tendinitis, bursitis and arthritis, rather than use prescription pain medication. For musculoskeletal pain, treatment by a licensed and trained physical therapist is a great alternative to medication and surgery. Research shows that people who receive manual physical therapy experience larger improvements in function and decreased pain intensity.

No matter what part of your body hurts, neck, back, knee, hip, shoulder, arms, hands or head, a physical therapist can help you alleviate or manage pain without costly medication or other invasive methods such as surgery.

Finding a Physical Therapist

Direct Access is your freedom of choice to see a physical therapist without the need to first see your physician. In 44 states, including the District of Columbia, you can see a physical therapist directly and do not need a prescription, referral or script for physical therapy from your physician. Direct Access permits you to seek treatment for your condition today, spending less money, and start on your path to feeling better and returning to your daily routine and the activities you love.

Physical Therapists are licensed by the state in which they practice and have completed extensive and specialized, post graduate level, accredited physical therapist education programs. Physical Therapists are trained in identifying red flags (signs that your condition is not appropriate for physical therapy) and know when to refer you to the appropriate health care practitioner or physician.

Research has shown that people who received treatment by a manual physical therapist within 16 days of the onset of low back pain get better faster and have significantly less pain after only a few visits.

When patients have direct access to physical therapy the overall cost of treatment is less for both the patient and the health care industry. Most health insurance plans cover direct access. When a physical therapist is the primary provider for musculoskeletal pain or injuries, patients have fewer office visits and imaging, receive treatment for their condition faster, while freeing primary care physicians to see patients who are more in need.

When you visit the physical therapist of your choice, you will be provided care by a trusted health professional that uses the latest research and proven treatment techniques to help you reclaim your independence and improve your quality of life. You can search for a manual physical therapist online at www.apta.org and when you contact your preferred physical therapist, ask if they use hands-on manual physical therapy techniques. For more information on how a physical therapist can help you reduce pain, avoid surgery and feel great, visit www.moveforwardpt.com

Tags: alternative, Prescription, You Have Power

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This comment is valid if you are going to do the standard reference check. You know, the one that asks the same questions Moses asked when he checked references. Such as:

• Would you rehire them?
• Do they communicate well?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses?
• What are their technical skills?
• How would you compare them on a scale of 1 to 10 to their peers?

I’m sure you have different questions to ask, so please don’t reply to me with your favorite reference checking questions as that isn’t the purpose of this article. That may be another article for discussion.

This one is on the purpose for checking references, not the questions to ask. Why even conduct a reference check if the question in the first paragraph is valid? Why take the time since you know what the person is going to say?

Our contention is that the list of reference checking questions above are nice things to know, and these are not bad questions, but they don’t get to the heart of why one should conduct reference checks. Here’s why you should check references, “What percentage of candidates do you believe embellish or exaggerate during the hiring process?” If you immediately thought of a number higher than 10% then that is the reason for doing reference checking.

Reference checking should be used to validate that what the candidate told you during the interview was something they really did do and that they did it to the extent they described during the interview. That is what you want to obtain from a reference, because if the candidate is embellishing or misleading, all the other questions are irrelevant. You should not hire them. If they aren’t embellishing or misleading, then the other questions become relevant.

Reference checking is part of the validation step of a good hiring process (such as our Success Factor Methodology). Hiring managers need to validate that what candidates tell them during the interview is true. One way to do this is by talking to a reference and asking them about what the candidate told you during the interview. You can ask the reference, “Mary mentioned to me that she was the lead person implementing the new system in North America. Can you describe for me her role and what she accomplished in this implementation?” Does the reference’s story match up to what the candidate said? Do the time frames agree? Does the reference validate the outcome, the scope of the project, the scope of what Mary did, the budget, the challenges, etc?

If it does, Mary didn’t embellish. If it doesn’t, then you have a decision to make.

You can obtain from our Web site our “8 Point Validation Reference Checking Matrix” to use the next time you or someone on your team needs to check a reference.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

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Leverage Your Abilities

MORE FAILURE RESULTS FROM INDECISION THAN WRONG CHOICES

Almost every one of us at some stage in our life has felt a need to change directions. May be they believe they have reach their limit where they are. Maybe a new opportunity has opened up. Maybe they are tired of doing the same thing day after day. Whatever the motivation, when that happens, consider these keys to focus on your strengths:

• Expect obstacles. Ask for criticism and feedback. If your convictions are strong enough, you will find ways to overcome any obstacles / difficulties / turmoil that may stand in your way like a rock of Gibraltar. Mark Gearan, an educator, chose to become the director of the Peace Corps at a time when government service wasn’t particularly popular. The job appealed to him, however, because he genuinely believed in the ability of government to help some people who are in need.

• Don’t expect miracles. When you start from a fresh beginning, realize that progress will take time. Stay focused on your eventual goal. Life has a way of teaching you. Get the basics right and strive ceaselessly taking one step at a time, withering the storms which come your way, leaving no stone undeterred, focusing and giving your best shot all the times, keeping your mind alert & agile, learning from people who have been successful in their paths, staying away from people who are negative, believing, understanding & leveraging your abilities to succeed in this world.

• Refuse to settle for less than your best. Seek responsibility. Success will come when you find a role that allows you to creatively utilize a combination of your abilities. Don’t avoid what you do best. Find a balance between your talents and your interests for your life to bloom.

Charles Kettering, founder of Delco and former Vice President of General Motors was a self-made inventor-mogul, topped only by Thomas Edison. Kettering, who held over 200 patents, was known for the electronic self-starter found in most car engines today. He was also a pioneer in the development of diesel engines, anti-knock gas, home air-conditioning units, and quick-drying paint for cars.

He had little time for traditional schooling and contended that, “Overly educated people were the ones least likely to make new discoveries because they were too intent on doing things the way they had been taught.”

Eye strain and health was a problem for Kettering, so his classmates read aloud to him, teaching him to rely on his own inner vision, giving him a better mental picture to draw from.

The said article has been written by Iyer Subramanian, working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. E Mail: iyerpdkgnm@yahoo.com

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Neck pain comes from a variety of sources, and understanding where it stems allows you to treat it properly. Whether your pain stems from arthritis, disc issues, whiplash or muscular strains, you need to address the underlying pathology to be successful in treatment. Each type of neck pain has specific treatment modalities, here you will find a primer on these options.

Whiplash
The most common source of whiplash injuries is a motor vehicle accident. When your car is struck by another vehicle, your neck is whipped back and forth, resulting in strains or tears to the muscles on the front of the spine as well as the rest of the neck. Symptoms can include stiffness, headaches, nausea, difficulty swallowing, paresthesis and shoulder and back pain.

Whiplash doesn’t always present immediately, it can creep up on you in the days, weeks and even months following the accident, which sometimes makes it difficult to make the connection.

Treatment usually includes NSAIDS, ice and heat, muscle relaxants and massage or physical therapy. If pain continues for more than a few weeks, x-rays are in order to check for spinal damage. Most people have a successful resolution.

Disc Issues
If you have a herniated disc in you neck you may experience numbness and tingling in your arms and hands as well as neck pain. The discs are gelatinous structures that provide cushioning between the vertebrae of the spine. When damaged they can protrude and put pressure on nerves that run through and near the spinal column.

A number of treatment options exist, and you and your doctor will come up with a plan that is best for you. Chiropractic treatment can help alleviate your symptoms with adjustments. Massage can ease the pain of straining muscles that try to maintain the appropriate spacing between vertebrae.

Over-the-counter medications and prescriptions can help manage the pain and inflammation and injections can work as well. Physical therapists can provide relief through a variety of techniques and exercises. A final option is surgery to relieve the pressure caused by the bulging or herniated disc.

Arthritis
Arthritis is defined as the inflammation of a joint. There are two causes of inflammation. In Osteoarthritis the cartilage between two bones has worn away causing an increase in friction. In Rheumatoid arthritis,, an autoimmune disease has attacked the joints. Early diagnosis of either of these conditions improves your odds of successful treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis needs to be treated aggressively. Specific drugs can help reduce the autoimmune response of the body. Other, biologic drugs are particularly effective in reducing the inflammation that RA produces. Each person’s response to the medications is unique, so treatment is a process of trial and error until the right combination is found.

With osteoarthritis anti-inflammatory medications, exercise, and massage are your best bets for continuing with a good quality of life. Since there are no options to replace joints in the neck surgery like that performed for the hip or knee isn’t available. Some supplements can help according to research studies. Things like Glucosamine may help relieve some of your discomfort.

Neck pain is, well, a pain in the neck. Proper treatment can help you resume normal levels of activity.

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I had the bad luck to get a rotator cuff tear towards the end of last year which really focused me on this group of muscles and not only how to fix them but also how to go about keeping them healthy. Some of what I found out quite surprised me and if I had known then what I now know about rotator cuff injury exercise I would definitely have gone about things differently.

So read along and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes.

If you have managed to damage your rotator cuff the first step on the road to health is stop using it. No, don’t put your arm in a sling but do avoid any movement that gives you pain. I know that is easier said than done. We use our arms constantly, we swing our arms when we walk or run. If you drop something, you instinctively reach out to catch it. We use our hands and consequently our arms to communicate. Resting our arms goes against our nature.

However, if you do not stop using your damaged shoulder, if you carry on doing the movements that cause you pain you will simply end up damaging your arm further. Trust me, I did it! You must change how you move and work for two or three weeks to allow the muscle to heal properly. This is because the rotator cuff can get pinched or impinged when it is inflamed. That impingement causes the tendons to fray and if you ignore it they will eventually snap which is extremely bad news.

So, while you are taking it easy, take anti-inflammatory drugs and use ice packs to bring down the inflammation.

I made the mistake of carrying on as normal with a rotator cuff injury and made it a lot worse. I had tries anti-inflammatory drugs but only half heartedly. It was only when I finally decided to rest my arm completely and maxed out on anti-inflammatories for about three weeks that I saw any improvement.

Do not play at treating the injury. Look after your shoulder properly. If you are following a doctor’s advice, follow it completely, don’t kid yourself.

Once you have managed to get the inflammation and pain calmed doen do not go straight back to using your shoulder exactly as pre-injury. You need to build up the rotator cuff and shoulder. This does not mean pushing weights and exercising the major muscles like the trapeziums. The rotator cuff is a group of relatively small muscles that are focused on keeping ball and socket joint pulled together.

We use them without thinking and any exercise to strengthen them will not involve large weights. Rotator cuff injury exercise tends to be more Pilates based exercises concentrating on flexibility and control rather than power. Get your rotator cuff up to strength and your whole shoulder will be stronger. Ignore it and you are likely to have another injury pretty soon.

So. Like I said before, learn from my mistakes. Treat a rotator cuff injury seriously. Rest it properly, no matter how inconvenient it is. Treat the inflammation and soreness for a few weeks, don’t stop as soon as it stops being painful, carry on for a bit. When you are ready to start exercising begin with gentle exercises that focus on the rotator cuff. And keep doing the exercises when it is better. You do not want a second rotator cuff injury.About the

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A recent question from a listener of my Art of Joyful Living radio show prompted this article. The question is: how do I stay on track throughout my day in terms of focusing on how I feel and what I truly want to manifest in my life? I love this question and it comes up often with my one on one clients, too. The key to changing a lifetime habit of default thinking is to become mindful (take notice of) what you are thinking on an ongoing basis. The more you do this, the more attuned you become to what you typically think so that you can choose to stick with those thoughts (if they’re working for you) or consciously choose to change them (if they’re not). As with learning any new habit, repetition is your secret to success. I use a variety of reminder techniques with my clients to help them “break into” their thoughts throughout their day so they can check in on what they are thinking and, consequently, what they are attracting. You can use these same simple techniques to revolutionize how you think.

Here are one dozen strategies for you. Choose your top three and give them a try.

1. Set your cell phone/watch alarm for every 30, 60 or 90 minutes. When it chimes, stop and check in with yourself. What are you thinking? How do you feel?
2. Post reminder notes EVERYWHERE from your car dashboard to your bathroom mirror. Post-it notes are great for this. You can simply post the questions: “What am I thinking?” and “How do I feel?”
3. Enlist the help of your family/friends to call you on “backsliding” (very sweetly of course) when they hear you speaking in old patterns (this helps with your thought processes as our words come from our thoughts). You can also have them check in with you throughout the day (with a call or email if you’re not together) to ask you how it’s going.
4. Wear a talisman, like a specific bracelet, that you designate as your “behavior changing talisman” or “thought changer” so that every time you glance at it you are reminded of what you are doing.
5. If you’re an avid social networker, always include how you feel in your posts. Every time you Tweet throughout your day, no matter what it’s about, save a few spaces for “I feel _______.” In order to share it, you have to think about it.
6. If you check your email frequently during the day or your computer or phone, register at one of the reminder sites (like the birthday reminder sites) to receive emails/texts throughout the day to remind you to check in with what you think, how you feel, what you are doing, etc.
7. You can’t go wrong with mantras, keywords and affirmations
8. Create a series of daily habits that include processes for working on making this change automatic and authentic.
9. Track your thoughts, feelings and actions in a journal (which can be done throughout the day)
10. Get a buddy who is also working on making a change and keep each other on track (like a work out buddy).
11. Apply a personal reward system. Every time you catch yourself using your new language/habit/belief, you get a treat.
12. Make a game out of improving your life either in your own mind or literally create a card, dice or board game and have fun with the process.

These are just a dozen possible strategies. Use them as is or tweak them to fit you better. These can all be adapted for changing thoughts, beliefs, actions, habits, etc. For me, enacting change is all about making it fun, authentic and holistic so keep that in mind as you journey through whatever changes you are making.

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In order to be an outstanding physical therapist in medical field, there are 5 important areas that you need to focus on. These particular areas help you to develop yourself as a successful professional and you will be able to obtain satisfactory rewards.

1) Passion

No matter what line you are in, the most important thing you should have is the great passion in your work. You must have interest in what you are studying. Besides, you need to be compassionate and sincere in helping your patients when you start practicing in this line. A positive attitude in your study and your work is essential because it is the key determinant for success and failure.

2) Scientific background

Bear in mind, not everyone is born to be a therapist. This career is more suitable for people who have good scientific background. You need to accept the actual fact that there are a number of scientific subjects you must study and understand thoroughly throughout the whole course.

3) Formal Education

In order to be a qualified therapist, you need to complete your formal study at any university approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. You must obtain either a master degree or a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Besides, you must also pass the National Physical Therapy Examination provided by the Federation of State Boards.

4) Technical Based Skills and Soft Skills

In order to be competent in the real working environment, it is compulsory to equip yourself with all types of hands-on technical skills. At the same time, you are required to have good communication skills, both oral and written skills as you need to communicate well with your patients on their progress and treatment.

5) Experience

If you are a new comer in this field, you must expose yourself to as many cases as possible. This is to enable you to gain as much practical experience as you can.

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Health and Money – On Line Jobs Can Improve Your Health

It is terrible to see how many people suffer more and more each day because of money problems. Some have the tools to make it but don’t get a chance and others simply don’t have anything. ‘Money stress’ and ‘money anxiety’ are terrible factors for your health. If you don’t have a fixed income stress levels over money can easily escalate to cause most of the usual symptoms of anxiety.

These economic times are hard even for those that have a steady job; prizes escalate but salaries don’t…every thing gets more expensive and people have to do more and more to be able to provide for them self’s and their loved ones. Not to mention all those “extra” things you would love to have but that due to the economy you have to do with out. Sometimes they are merely luxury items but other times they can be health items; items that are a matter of life and death.

I spend many years working very hard as an engineer and even though I was earning a good salary I wasn’t able to save enough to provide for a healthy income for the future. I support a family of 7 and let me tell you, at the end of the month that check comes in very handy!

The thing is that when the end of the month comes around and you don’t have that check……oh boy, very bad news!. Thousands of people are in this situation and they are all suffering from anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety over phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and more. These stresses will seriously damage your health. Money problems are the major factor in stress and anxiety.

These disorders were the reason why I started looking into the internet for online jobs. It was very frustrating for several years, but the menace of these anxieties made me stick to it and work hard to find that door that could lead me to a healthy and constant income. Were there is a will, there is a way.

I must say however that if you’re looking for quick cash, you are better off buying a lottery ticket. It doesn’t work like the advertisers want you to think. If you have enough money to invest calmly and you know the market and the system very, very well, then there is a chance you might make allot of money really fast. But that generally is not the case; easy money 99% of the times comes at a great expense.

This is my testimonial, if you work hard and start off with the goal of providing some extra cash, you will do fine. Little by little you learn more new things that will open your mind. Then you might want to concentrate all you’re efforts and investment into just one or two systems that you can master. Every thing is so detailed that you are better off concentrating all you’re skills in a way that better suits your specific talents.

Don’t let the disorders of “money anxiety” affect you. The internet is the future employment agency. There is enough there for everybody to develop their own skills and earn a decent living. Working from home provides also a more relaxed atmosphere that allows you to work better and produce more. This not only helps to deter anxieties, but is also a psychological boost; you are connected to the world in a way you could never think of. You are connected to real people through a keyboard!

So cheer up if you are looking for an online job to work from home. Start little by little and then specialize in what you find that you can do best. It is very interesting, and when you find something you like you can make money having fun. That’s great for your health! The system I use is reliable most of all because of all the new strategies I learn, which together with the online coaching they offer helps me provide a healthy income. There are lots to learn if you’re serious about working at home.

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Health Insurance Companies are Obsolete

Morton Mintz sat on our panel for “Guaranteed Health Care For All,” a Forum that Progressives For Pennsylvania organized 9/18/08. He is a media critic, freelance journalist at this point in his long and illustrious (sixty year) career.

He was a reporter for two St. Louis newspapers, the Star-Times and Globe Democrat from 1946-1958; and at the Washingtom Post, 1958-1988.

Morton Mintz wrote the article, “Single Payer: Good For Business” for The Nation Magazine, November 15, 2005.

Jerry Policoff created a PA Business Healthcare Report based, in part, on this and another Morton Mintz piece, as well as articles about Single Payer in the New York Times, a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Pittsburgh Business Journal of Milwaukee and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Why is publicly-funded, privately-provided healthcare best for Business in Pennsylvania?

*Higher quality, comprehensive healthcare at less cost

*Saves 25% on administrative overhead for doctors, hospitals and patients

*Makes business budgeting and investing predictable and stable

*Ends nightmare negotiations with insurance carriers

*Generates strong job growth, starting with medical delivery industries

*Makes PA businesses more competitive in the national and global economies

*Leverages the Commonwealth’s buying power to cut prescription drug costs in half

*Shrinks property taxes, auto insurance and workman’s compensation

*Funded through an annual fairtax that replaces an unfair premium/ co-pay/deductible that far outstrips inflation

Single payer, defined as publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare for all, is a system which includes free choice of physicians and cuts taxes for employers. Employers would no longer have to pay for medical care under Workman’s Compensation which, in 2002, according to Morton Mintz’s resources, costs them more than 38 billion dollars.

Automobile insurance rates would fall for everyone because the carriers would no longer be liable for the medical and hospital bills of their injured or sick employees.

Why doesn’t Corporate America jump at this opportunity to embrace Single Payer health care delivery?

Many small business owners do understand the ramifications of continuing along the same reckless path of allowing Health Insurance providers to dictate American healthcare delivery.

This is what a few business owners in Pennsylvania have to say:

“This year, our premiums went up 74%, which our agent thought was a mistake. We have a woman who is terminally ill with cancer and the insurance company stated this had nothing to do with our increase. No company, large or small, can absorb that kind of cost or increase.

“So what? Drop our coverage? And how do you live with yourself?” Scott Tyson, MD, CEO, Pediatrics South Pittsburgh. PA (60 employees).

“We work with the system we have, but it is broken, and it seems like single payer is the way to go. We work very hard to try and insure our employees because we feel it is our obligation. Every year we sit down and look at our health plan. We make choices based on what should we cover; what should we not cover; what should the deductible be; how much should we charge employees when they go to the doctor’s office. We make all those decisions. Our employees end up going along for the ride. It’s not right but it’s the way it is. It’s my obligation to try and protect our plan and get the best, cheapest plan I can for our employees so I can continue to provide health insurance for them.” Alan Jacobs, President, Isaac’s Restaurant in South Central PA (700 employees).

“Our insurance rates have more than doubled in the last four years. We are paying over 20% over our existing payroll just for health coverage, and at budget time, you don’t know what to expect. When you’ve had 25% increases, you pretty much have to say we’re going to to expect an increase of 35%, or higher.

“We are a for-profit organization: we can’t afford to pay that and still make money. Under single payer we’d save at least $50,000 which I could use to hire more people. This past year we increased the deductible, and it was painful for us to do that. If we pass single payer, we’re going to attract business. There is no manufacturer that won’t want to locate to Pennsylvania because you can predict your expenses year after year. You would have stable costs.

“And everybody’s in and nobody’s out.” Charlie Crystal, Owner and CEO, Mission Research, a software firm in Lancaster, PA

“I believe it’s a moral obligation to provide healthcare for all employees. Six years ago I was paying $176 a month per employee for their health benefits. Last year it went up $577. This year it went up $627. They’re telling me next year it’s going up another 20 or 30%, and it’s not going to stop. It doesn’t make moral sense. It doesn’t make political sense. And it doesn’t make business sense.” Mike Stout, President, Steel Vally Printers of Pittsburgh PA (17 employees).

Morton Mintz interviewed Deborah Richter, a Vermont Physician, who believes publicly financed and privately delivered healthcare system can be enacted in every state. She believes that single payer should be conceived “as a public good, such as our roads, education, police and fire protection.”

She believes that if single payer is viewed as a practical issue as opposed to a moral issue, then support for Guaranteed Universal Healthcare would gain momentum overnight.

Doing well by doing good.

This is the reality that single payer would bring to all of us here in Pennsylvania.

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Cooperating In Our Health Care

Funny thing pain, if you’ve never had a severe pain then the suggestion of taking simple analgesia and resting the affected area all seems quite reasonable. I was reminded of this when I read recently of a doctor’s advice to someone who was suffering from sciatica. Having personally experienced sciatica, it’s a condition I would not recommend to anyone who wishes to walk, sit, laugh, sleep, or to just simply pull up your trousers. It’s a bit like a dentist drilling your teeth without an anaesthetic, but it affects your whole leg. In other words the pain is consuming, exhausting and without respite. Clinical studies do show that in the majority of cases the pain will eventually subside and surgery may not be necessary, but in the meantime the patient has to deal with the pain or deal with the medication required to dull the pain. Remember, pain-killers are not selective to the area affected. They affect the whole of the nervous system and elsewhere so there may be significant side-effects from these medications.

Dealing with severe pain can be a complex issue, but I suggest that you have to treat this sort of pain fairly aggressively as acute severe pain is relatively easier to treat than chronic severe pain. In the early stages of an injury or insult to an area of the body, most of the pathological processes are happening at the site of the injury or insult. Throughout time the brain begins to modulate this pain and so no only do you have the injured area to deal with, but you also have complex neural pathways within the brain to deal with as well. This often means a far more complex management plan and a far more protracted recovery time. Specialists are very skilled at dealing with these issues but they do rely heavily on the stories their patients give them. That means being honest in answering their questions and not being heroic with a grin and bear it grimace! Often the use of a pain scale is helpful with zero being no pain at all and a 10 being the worse pain you have ever experienced.

Another health issue we commonly down play is influenza. Over the years I have frequently heard people say that they would not have the flu vaccine because either they never get the flu or that they had it last week for a couple of days and then it was all over! Influenza is a serious debilitating disease that will usually last from 10 days to two weeks and often leave you flat on your back exhausted. It’s not a happy 10 days either as patients do not have the energy to read a magazine or even watch a DVD. You will literally feel ancient with every movement being a real challenge and that doesn’t include the aching all over or the fevers and sleepless nights. The influenza virus is also extremely contagious and most people are unaware that if you spread it to someone who is more frail than yourself that you may actually be putting their life at risk.

With the ‘flu the big challenge is to vaccinate as many people in the community as possible, including children, those employed and unemployed, the elderly and the infirm, to reduce the chance of an epidemic occurring. Recent research has also showed that vaccinating pregnant women in the last trimester of their pregnancy will help protect their new born infants born during the ‘flu season.

Medicine has evolved over the last 40 years, but the change has been fairly slow with doctors by nature being very cautious and conservative people. But we can’t leave the doctors to take all the initiatives. As patients we need to be good listeners in our approach to health by heeding all the great health messages that keep being given to us about vaccinations, smoking, alcohol, exercise and healthy eating. We also need to be good communicators and tell our doctors how we are feeling with conditions such as pain. If the team treating you doesn’t have the best information then it may be that you will not end up getting the best treatment!

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