Thursday, October 1, 2009

Pain Relief Without Pills

Many athletes use over-the-counter topical pain relievers to treat muscle aches and pains. If you are suffering from muscle and lower back pain, even arthritis pain, there are pill-free options for you. Sometimes our "healthy lifestyle" of exercising and sports can cause us muscle strain and discomfort. Sore and achy muscles and joints may be caused by arthritis, backaches, sprains, strains and bruises. More than half of Americans live with chronic or recurrent pain, with large numbers saying it interferes with their activities, mood and enjoyment of life -- initiating a vast search for relief, from medication to bed rest, yoga or over the counter alternatives. Back and knee pain are most common forms of recurrent pain. Pain is much more frequent among older adults.

Question: What's the Best Pain Reliever for You? Answer:

  • Pills
    • Prescription for example Fioricet, Tramadol, Ultram, Soma and Imitrex
    • Over the counter
      • NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and ketoprofen (Orudis KT).
      • Acetaminophen (Tylenol and Panadol).

Topical pain medications

Question: What safe and effective topical ingredients help combat muscle aches and pains? Answer: Lidocaine - a local anesthetic, when applied to the skin produces pain relief by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin. Glucosamine - is a compound found naturally in the body, made from glucose and the amino acid glutamine. Since the body's natural glucosamine is used to make and repair joint cartilage, taking glucosamine is thought to help repair damaged cartilage. Capsaicin - is an ingredient in many topical skin preparations used to used to relieve pain. Capsaicin works by decreasing a certain natural substance in your body (substance P) that helps pass pain signals to the brain. Question: Is there a Topical pain medication that has generated consumer confidence? Answer:

  • Topical pain medications are those that are applied directly to the skin. They come in a variety of forms including creams, gels lotions and patches.

One Reason You Might Need CBC Blood Tests - Anemia

A commonly prescribed medical test used these days to decipher if you are sick, experiencing trouble, healthy or to better pinpoint a current internal, medical issue, such as anemia, is a blood test known as a Complete Blood Count Test, or more commonly, CBC, the acronym.

Anemia strikes and affects more than three million men and women each and every year, among the American population. In fact, Anemia, of all blood conditions is the most common.

Humans could not carry on unless we had blood flowing from top to bottom within our bodies. Thus it makes perfect sense it is one of the first tests ordered by your doctor when determining diagnosis. CBC blood tests are often shouted by doctors in t.v. dramas these days, but in actuality, it is a vital step in being sure what is normal and what is abnormal with you, internally.

In the case of Anemia, your doctor may prescribe a complete blood count test to detect is lacking the vital, red blood cells that all humans need in order to get and maintain an optimal amount of oxygen in your blood. Oxygen fuels each of your organs so that they may perform best: ensuring a healthy heart, lungs, brain, every major organ and all the minor organs in between depend on oxygen.

If your blood has too few red blood cells, another factor comes into play: low counts of hemoglobin, ultimately resulting in too little iron in your blood. A major and most common reason why individuals fall short of energy, constantly feel tired and fatigued

A CBC blood test can be prescribed by a doctor simply when you're are under the weather, chronically tired, or even if you simply have a common cold. You don't have to be inches from your death bed, nor obviously ill to have CBC blood tests ordered.

Next time you have an appointment with your doctor, physician or alternative practitioner for your yearly check-up, if your doctor doesn't order a CBC Blood Test, by all means, ask he or she does. It is the cheapest, most simple, maybe even life-saving thing you can do and should do at least once a year.

Your complete blood count test, or CBC represents your internal (which fuels your exterior) health and if there is something to worry about, odds are, warning signs will be found within your blood and its makeup. There are exceptions to the case, but be on the safe side, anyways. Many determining factors are researched with CBC Blood Tests: white blood cells and red blood cells or levels, the HCT (or Hematocrit, which basically is defined by the volume of space which your blood takes up), Hgb (or Hemoglobin which accounts for the oxygen inside your blood cells), and platelet counts which determines your blood's ability to clot.

Too many or too few of another essential part of your blood, depending on what numbers reveal themselves could be a alert that tells your medical team what is really happening inside you. While the diagnosis variations can be numerous and cover a wide spectrum, having your CBC Blood Test at least once per year, after visiting your doctor can hand you answers to most questions about your internal and external health, that physical touch, listening to your heart, checking your lungs and using a tongue depressor just can't do.

A CBC (Complete Blood Count) Test (or Tests) can provide you specific answers to why you're fatigued, not feeling 'normal', showing bruising for 'no reason', having chest pains, have an infection, are showing allergic reactions, plus a truck load of other potential issues. But, perhaps even more vital, these blood tests allow you the potentially life-saving, life stretching benefit of catching early alerts and signs of maybe hazardous and life shortening trouble if allowed to grow. Write this down now for both yourself and your family to consistently (at least annually) take part in a CBC Blood Test or Complete Blood Count Tests. Sure, may save your life, but even if nothing is terribly out of order, it is a simple way to boost the quality of your life.

Finding no b.s. health content and good for you information about the healthy lifestyle you want to achieve, doesn't require a Masters Degree in Physics. No matter your interest: from something as unusual and mainstream as having an Ultram allergy to how to really lose weight, you name it. Committing a healthy living is not sacrificial, or at all challenging if you don't want it to be, nor must you have to give up all the tastes, joy and adventure you now appreciate as is often the misconception.