Newspaper Page Text
Page 14A,The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tips For Reducing Low Back Pain
(c) Monkey Business - Fotolia.com
Low back pain usually gets better after a few weeks of proper treatment.
Special to the Ledger
(StatePoint) Have an
aching back? You’re not
alone.
Low back pain (LBP) is
one of the most common
reasons people see physi
cians. About one in four
adults reported having
LBP lasting at least one
whole day in the past three
months. Most often, the
pain is caused by strain
on bones, muscles, or liga
ments.
While low back pain
usually gets better after a
few weeks of proper treat
ment, there are ways you
can reduce or avoid it.
Prevention begins with
lifting heavy objects
carefully, maintaining
a healthy weight, and
exercising regularly. If
you have pain, make an
appointment with your
physician to locate it and
rule out a serious problem.
Tell your physician if
you are having weight
loss, fevers, weakness or
loss of feeling in your legs,
or any other symptoms.
Treatment options for
LBP include medications,
heating pads, exercise, or
physical therapy. Remain
ing active is more effective
than bed rest. If you need
to have bed rest to allevi
ate severe pain, return to
normal activities as soon
as possible.
Doctors often order
diagnostic imaging tests
for patients with LBP that
is not associated with
any serious underlying
disease. But after review
ing the clinical evidence,
the American College
of Physicians (ACP) — a
national organization of
internal medicine physi
cians — says that doctors
should avoid this common
practice.
“In most patients without
serious underlying disor
ders, there is substantial
improvement within a
few days to a month with
exercise and medications,”
says Dr. Virginia Hood,
president of ACP.
ACP found that diag
nostic imaging tests such
as X-rays, MRIs, and CT
scans do not improve the
health of patients with
LBP that is due to strain
on muscles, bones, or liga
ments. About 85 percent
of patients fall into this
category.
Some evidence even sug
gested there are increased
risks for patients getting
unnecessary diagnostic
imaging tests. These tests
usually lead to further un
necessary tests, referrals,
follow ups, and interven
tions that have no positive
impact on the clinical
outcomes of patients.
Radiation exposure due
to imaging tests can even
increase risk for cancer
over time.
ACP recommends that
diagnostic imaging tests
be reserved for select
higher-risk patients who
have major risk factors
for or signs of spinal
conditions, such as spinal
stenosis, sciatica, vertebral
compression fracture, can
cer, or infection, or those
who are candidates for
invasive interventions. For
more information, visit
w w w.acponline .org.
ACP’s recommendations
are part of its High Value,
Cost-Conscious Care ini
tiative, which is designed
to help physicians provide
the best possible care to
their patients while reduc
ing unnecessary health
care costs without impact
ing patients’ health.
“Unnecessary diagnostic
imaging tests are all too
common and a significant
component of our nation’s
escalating health care
costs,” says Dr. Hood.
“More testing does not
mean better care. The best
way to maintain effec
tive care is to identify
and eliminate wasteful
practices that don’t help
patients or may even cause
harm.”
What We Can Learn From Pets And Wildlife
(c) CNImaging/Photoshot
Animals can teach us about love and friendship.
(StatePoint) As humans,
we’re social animals. We
need family, friends, and
regular social banter to be
happy.
But apparently, we’re not
the only social animals.
There are many things we
can learn from pets and
wildlife about friendships
and taking care of each
other. In fact new research
has shown that animals of
different species can even
develop deep friendships
with each other.
A new book titled
“Unlikely Friendships: 47
Remarkable Stories from
the Animal Kingdom” is
hitting the bestsellers’ lists
and showing the world
about the prevalent but
unique bonds between
different animal species
across the world.
“I expect that anyone
who loves animals, and
even those who don t,
can t help but be touched
by these unusual partner
ships,” says author and Na
tional Geographic writer
Jennifer Holland. “They
remind us that kindness
can rise above anything,
even instinct.”
For example, when Hur
ricane Katrina slammed
into New Orleans in 2005,
many pet owners were
forced to abandon their
pets as they rushed to high
ground. As domesticated
animals were forced to
fend for themselves, some
formed packs for protec
tion.
Among them were Bob
Cat, a male cat, and Bobbi,
a female dog, each with a
bobbed tail. The fact that
Bob Cat was fully blind
made the animals’ relation
ship all the more touching.
Bobbi the dog had been
keeping Bob Cat safe by
barking or nudging him in
the right direction.
But such strong bonds
are not seen only in do
mesticated animals.
In China, staff at a natu
ral reserve witnessed an
unusual bond between an
abandoned rhesus monkey
and white dove believed to
be part of a bird migration
study. For two months, the
macaque and dove shared a
space and snacked on corn
together. The monkey even
showed affection, hugging
the dove. If only the dove
had hands and arms with
which to hug back!
Of course, the most
surprising interspecies
bonds can sometimes
be between humans and
other animals, particularly
predators. When National
Geographic photographer
Paul Nicklen was assigned
to shoot leopard seals
in the Antarctic, he was
determined to shoot fast
and get out quick. Leopard
seals have been known to
attack humans.
But a 12-foot female took
a liking to Nicklen. The
seal hovered around him,
as if posing for the camera.
She then hunted and killed
a penguin -- the seal’s
usual prey — and offered
it to Nicklen repeatedly.
When the photographer
ignored her offering, the
seal then brought him live
penguins and blew bubbles
in his face, as if exasperat
ed with his passive nature.
For more stories of re
markable friendships in the
animal kingdom, check out
“LTnlikely Friendships.”
“If animals can do it,
humans can also learn to
accept their differences,
big and small, and believe
in the power of friendship,’
says Holland. “After all,
it’s in our nature.”
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Top of the class and
talk of the party: At
college with tablets
(ARA) - Whether it is
in the classroom or dorm
room, college students
strive to be ahead of the
curve.
With laptops, books,
smartphones and portable
music players weighing
students down as they trek
across campus, tablets
lighten the load and do
it all. Super portable,
but incredibly powerful,
tablets are not only a great
way to stay connected but
also keep today’s student
at the top of their game in
the classroom and around
campus. According to
Forrester, tablet purchases
are on the rise, with a pre
dicted 82 million tablets
reaching U.S. consumers
by 2015. Considering this
trend, here are a few ways
the tablet is a must-have
for your student at school
this fall:
* Keep in touch. Tablets
are packed with quick and
fun apps to connect with
family and friends back
home. Instant messaging
apps like BBM (Black-
Berry Messenger) for the
BlackBerry PlayBook
keep Mom and Dad up
to speed on college life
in real time, from any
location. Whether study
ing abroad, taking a quick
study break in the library
or filling everyone in on
the homecoming festivi
ties, keeping in touch with
family is fast and easy, and
won’t empty the bank ac
count. Looking for a face-
to-face
conversa
tion with
a sibling?
Video chat
apps let
students
and
families
easily en
gage with
each other
while catching up. To
make sure they’re in-the-
know with the high school
crew back home, Facebook
is optimized for tablets, so
that the college scholars
will never miss a beat.
* Take it everywhere.
Students get more done
and can be productive
while running from class
to class. Tablets are signif
icantly smaller and lighter
than laptops and heavy
books making them the
ultra-portable notebook,
ideal for note-taking and
carrying around campus.
With their e-book stores,
tablets simplify the back
pack (and save the back),
allowing students to com
bine all those heavy books
into a sleek one pound de
vice. Got some down time
between classes? Bring the
tablet from room-to-room
to share the latest YouTube
sensation with your floor
mates, play games, watch
movies and listen to music
when the studying is over.
* Fit the “mini” mold.
With tiny dorm rooms,
mini fridges and limited
storage, everything in col
lege is on a smaller scale.
Tablets with a 7 inch dis
play are large enough for
comfortable viewing and
sensibly fit into the minia
turized dorm lifestyle.
* Amplify the fun.
Tablets take the college
social experience to the
big screen. Easily hook up
tablets like the BlackBerry
PlayBook to an HDTV
using an HDMI cable to
make your movies, photos,
games, presentations and
music that much more
magnified. With applica
tions like Slacker Radio
and Need for Speed,
your tablet can serve as a
personal DJ, video player
and gaming unit whether
you’re hosting a party,
making a class presenta
tion more powerful with
video, or just having a few
friends over for movie
night.