Spine Surgery – Studies Showing Long Term Benefits

Addressing back pain and injuries surgically can be life-changing and may be life-extending as well. It was recently announced by Medtronic, Inc that results for a retrospective claims based data analysis suggests that a U.S. patient group who were treated with minimal invasive surgery for their spinal fractures had higher survival rates after treatment, up to 4 years, than a patient group who didn’t have surgery.

Getting back into the game after back surgery is possible even for high level football players whose spines are repeatedly punished and especially susceptible to degeneration and injury. A Northwestern Medicine study revealed that 80 per cent of NFL lineman who underwent herniated disc surgery during their careers returned to play an average of 33 games during the three years after the surgery. More than half of them attained the prestigious distinction as starters at their positions.

The prospect of herniated disc treatment and bulging disc treatment has changed drastically for 60 million back pain sufferers worldwide due to a revolutionary minimally invasive technology called SpineJet, which uses the power of water. The SpineJet HydroDiscectomy procedure takes around 20-30 minutes, typically requires only local anesthesia and often allows patients to return to work and reasonable activity after a week. Patients report 90-100% relief within 48 hours after the procedure, which is praised by surgeons, who find the high pressure water method very safe and effective in removing herniated disc tissue to relieve the pressure that causes back and leg pain.

Allergies And Their Symptoms

Allergies are the result from the overreaction by the body’s immune system when in contact with allergens, which are mainly harmless non-parasitic antigens. Allergens, for people suffering with allergies, cause hypersensitivity in the immune system. When the allergen is recognized by the immune system, histamines are created and released by the body in order to fight the allergen off.

The symptoms of allergies are due to the creation of histamines by the body. These include burning, itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, hives, skin rashes, headache, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. The combination of symptoms and intensity for allergic reactions is experienced differently for each person.

Allergens come in all sizes, shapes and environments. Both environmental and genetic can be the factors of allergies. The mother usually passes inherited allergies and if both parents have allergies, there is even a greater risk to inherit them. Some of the common allergens include, pollen, dust, pet dander and mold. You can also get allergic reactions from foods, spices, insect bites, drug interactions, cosmetics and jewelry. Usually allergens are inhaled through the nose, mouth or eyes as contact is through the air. Read more »

Benefits Of Using An Electric Toothbrush

More and more dentists are recommending electric toothbrushes because not only are they safe to use but they can offer better brushing of teeth especially for people who do not brush properly. It is integral to our well being to have healthy teeth and gums which can be achieved by maintaining good oral hygiene.

Electric toothbrushes have a slight advantage over manual toothbrushes in maintaining cleaner teeth since they minimize plaque build-up. Manual toothbrushes normally take around 300 strokes for 2 or 3 minutes of brushing whereby an electric toothbrush, for the same amount of time, can do between 600 to 900 strokes.

Not all toothbrushes are the same and the best electric toothbrush to use will depend on how its rapid motion effectively rotates onto the teeth in order to remove the build up of plaque and prevent gingivitis. Therefore choosing the right power toothbrush to get the job done is important.

There are many electric toothbrush products out there to choose from but one in particular which has shown to be the most effective is Oral B Triumph 5000. This rechargeable electric toothbrush has gotten rave reviews only because it removes stains more effectively, leaving your teeth super clean and feeling smooth. It is also great for kids as the bristles are gentle on their gums and soft on their teeth. The Oral B toothbrush is durable and dentist approved.

Electric toothbrushes offer many benefits for dental care that includes better brushing overall as gets in areas that are missed when teeth are manually brushed plus the end results can mean the elimination of plaque and  prevention of gingivitis.

Lucid Dreaming Techniques

Lucid dreaming is where you are aware that you are having a dream. While in a lucid dream state, you are able to actively play a role and change the direction of the dream events.

If you ever wanted to be able to dream at will, with lucid dreaming it is all possible by learning simple methods to do so. Some of the lucid dreaming techniques that are used include:

  • Preparing yourself mentally to have a lucid dream by keeping your mind clear and telling yourself while falling asleep that you will be aware you are dreaming and will remember what the dream is about
  • Learning to recall dreams by maintaining a dream journal and have it nearby your bed so you can write down your dream as soon as you remember it.
  • Keeping a regular sleep schedule and not taking medicine or alcohol before you sleep as it will prevent you from recalling your dreams.
  • Avoiding eating before sleeping because the body’s resources will be concentrating on digesting the food  and hindering the brain from remembering the dreams.
  • Waking up slowly by staying in bed while keeping your eyes closed and picturing the images in your dream.
  • Adjusting your sleep cycle to develop awareness in the later part of sleep phases, eg. waking up 1 1/2 hours earlier than your normal waking time.

Lucid dreaming can be an enjoyable experience since you have control over your dream. It’s  where you have the ability to make things happen and  be anything you want to be in your dream.

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