Tag: pain

Common Oral Health Problems in Adolescents

Adolescents face many oral health problems which may require them to visit a dentist or any other healthcare professional. Irregular teeth growth is a common problem and adolescents with braces are a common sight. Another problem is wisdom teeth extraction or the removal of the third molar. Dental cavities are yet another common problem in adolescents.

Orthodontics is a specialty in dentistry which deals with correction, development and prevention of irregular teeth, jaw and bite. Orthodontics also helps to correct jaw disorders and facial abnormalities. If a general dentist feels abnormalities in the adolescent, he/she will refer the patient to an orthodontist. The American Dental Association suggests that every adolescent above the age of seven should get an orthodontic evaluation done. Problems which require orthodontic treatment are crowded or crooked teeth, extra teeth, missing teeth, under-bite, overbite, jaw joint disorder, and incorrect or misaligned jaw position.

To get braces or any other orthodontic treatments, the appropriate age is ten to fourteen years. But regardless of the age, the same physical and biological process is used in correcting and moving the teeth alignments. Braces are also known as fixed orthodontic appliances. There are three types of braces used to move and reposition the teeth. The first consists of brackets which are made out of plastic or metal. They are either of tooth color or clear and are bonded onto the teeth. The second type is the lingual type of brackets which are attached to the back teeth and cannot be seen while talking. The third type is a band. It is a metal band which covers the teeth and wraps around the last ones.

When adolescents wear braces they have to take certain precautions in order to avoid any more oral health complications. The most important precautionary measure is to brush the teeth regularly after every meal. Since the food can be easily lodged in braces, it is a good idea to brush carefully with soft bristles toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. In the morning, the adolescent must floss between the braces and teeth. Food stuffs which are sticky or hard must be avoided as they are very difficult to remove. Foods like caramel, chew candy, popcorn, and nuts must be avoided. Cleaning must be done by the orthodontist or general dentist, every five to six months.

The wisdom teeth or third molars can grow in people of the age fifteen to twenty five. These teeth cause problem, because most of the mouths are too small to adjust new teeth and hence they need to be removed. If the wisdom tooth has place to grow, without affecting other teeth, they can be left to themselves. But if the adolescent experiences pain, facial swelling, mouth infection and gum-line swelling, then they should be extracted immediately. They can also destroy the second molars and impact other tooth. Various gum and jaw diseases can be caused. There can be a tumor development; cysts development and plaque build up. Hence, a surgery is performed to remove the tooth or teeth. The gum tissue covering the wisdom tooth is removed and the connective tissue connecting the tooth to the bone is detached. The tooth is then removed and the opening is sutured. A general dentist can perform wisdom tooth surgery in the local office using anesthesia.

Five times common than asthma is tooth cavities. The tooth above the gum line is made up of enamel, the hardest tissue within the human body. The tooth below the gum-line comprise of nerves, roots and dentin. Dentin is another type of tissue and isnt as hard as the enamel. The acid which leads to tooth decay is produced by bacteria. These acids, along with dietary sugar, attach the enamel and eat away the minerals within the enamel, until a cavity is formed. This is known as tooth cavity. The biggest prevention against dental cavities is brushing teeth twice a day and even better, after every meal with fluoride toothpaste and soft bristle toothbrush. Carbonated drinks must be avoided strictly and must be replaced with fruit juices and sugary food must be avoided. Intake of fluoridated water also helps a lot or fluoride supplements can be used as replacement.

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Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthritis Science or Speculation

Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthritis Science or Speculation
Rusty Ford

Cetyl Myristoleate for ArthritisScience for SpeculationBy Rusty FordThere are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. Mine is one of them. There have been a number of articles published in little known journals or magazines. There have been four small booklets published. One making fantastic claims, all four filled with anecdotal evidence but offering no real research to back up the claims. There are a number of Doctors sharing the results they are having with their patients but so does every other wonder-working product. The question is, are there any scientific studies to back up any of these claims? The answer is yes. To date there are several patient studies and two double blind studies completed. I will mention the three most prominent below.Dr Len Sands of the San Diego Clinic completed the first human study on the effectiveness on Cetyl Myristoleate in 1995. There were 48 arthritis patients in this study. All but two showed significant improvement in articular mobility (80% or better) and reduction of pain (70% or better). Obviously the study had its flaws. One doctor conducted the study, there was no control group and the number of participants was small. Even so, it suggested to many that maybe there was some hope here and that more scientific studies should follow.The first double blind study followed two years later. Dr. H. Siemandi conducted a double blind study under the auspices of the Joint European Hospital Studies Program. There were 431 patients in the study, 106 who received cetyl myristoleate, 99 who received cetyl myristoleate, and glucosamine, sea cucumber, and hydrolyzed cartilage and 226 who received a placebo. Clinical assessment included radiological test and other studies. Results were 63% improvement for the cetyl myristoleate group, 87% for the cetyl myristoleate plus glucosamine group and 15% for the placebo group. In August of 2002, a double blind study was published in the Journal or Rheumatology. The study included sixty-four patients with chronic knee OA. Half of the patients received a cetyl myristoleate complex and half a placebo. Evaluations included physician assessment, knee range of motion with goniometry, and the Lequesne Algofunctional Index (LAI). The conclusion was that the CM group saw significant improvement while the placebo group saw little to none. In fact in their conclusion the state that CM may be an alternative to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of OA.Advanced Medical Systems & Design, Ltd completed the last study I would like to mention in Oct 2001. It was not a double blind study but the study included 1814 arthritis patients. The results showed that over 87% of the subjects had greater than 50% recovery and over 65% of those showed from 75% – 100% recovery following a sixteen day regimen. I know that this is not the most scientific study but a study this large does suggest that there could be a positive benefit to the use of CM in the treatment of arthritis.Conclusion: There is mounting evidence that CM can be effective in the treatment of many forms of arthritis. While it is true that the evidence from these three studies can not be considered conclusive, it is a beginning. It should challenge you to think out side the box and consider that just because it did not come from a drug company does not mean that it will not work. With over 10,000 people a year dying from Nsaids would it not be great to find a safer and more effective product. Especially with the cost of prescription treatments for arthritis costing into the hundreds and good Cetyl Myristoleate products can be found for between $20 and $40.Rusty Fordhttp://arthritis-symptom.com About the Author
Editor Arthritis-Symptom.com. Author of numerous articles on arthrits and natural health.

Sports Medicine Ventures into Magnetic Therapy

As research all around the medical field continues to expand, the number of doctors who are looking closely at magnetic therapy continues to grow as well. With side ranges of benefits that can help those in pain without the use of medications, heat or ice this is starting to look like one of the best treatment options available to athletes regardless of the injury. While not everyone is suited to use magnetic therapy, those who have tried it so far have been highly successful and enjoyed the quick results.

Physicians in all medical fields have been studying the effects of magnets on pain, and now the sports medicine field is paying especially close attention. When studying how something can change the healing process sports medicine professionals are always looking at the athletes health first. Using magnets instead of medications has several benefits including the fact that there are no drugs used when treating injuries with magnets. This reduces the risk of detrimental side effects and also helps to ensure that the athlete is fully alert, rather than groggy from taking pain medications.

It is important however to note that the magnets that medical development is using, is not the standard magnet that you find on your refrigerator. Instead, medical technology is developing biomagnets that are much more effective, and offer the maximum benefits. In addition to treating simple sore areas from injuries, magnets are being used in research to determine their ability to help ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome as well. The potential benefits to pain treatment are incredible.

Through the continued research into magnets as well as sports medicine fields it seems that the use of magnets is highly anticipated. Doctors have suggested that using the appropriate magnet can reduce healing time for many injuries by as much as half. These types of results are simply phenomenal in a field where quick recovery can mean the difference between a sports career, and sitting on the sidelines watching.

At this time, the number of doctors actively involved in the research of biomagnets if relatively small, however with growing numbers appearing it is a trend that is expected to grow even more in the coming months and years. Many are hoping that the use of the biomagnets will replace all standard heat and ice treatments that athletes are forced to use currently to help speed healing to injuries. While the use of magnets at this point is highly limited, there are many who are carefully watching developments for encouraging signs.

Regardless of sport, magnetic therapy has proven to be a highly effective and versatile treatment option that doctors have to use. With magnets used in various methods, including bracelets and wraps there is almost no limit to the type of injury that is expected to be treatable using magnetic therapy. Sports medicine doctors particularly are looking at the research as highly encouraging because of the vast amount of injuries that they see yearly.

In the meantime, while research continues unfortunately most athletes are forced to continue using the methods of heat and ice to help promote faster healing for their injuries. Once the research is developed further, we can expect that it will be widely available to all athletes, as well as non-athletes alike. From start to finish, magnetic therapy has offered a peek at a much easier and smoother treatment option and while research continues to suggest it is right around the corner there are many who are anxiously awaiting.

For those who are able to see benefits of magnetic therapy now, the results are amazing and provide immediately lower pain levels regardless of whether the pain is from the knee, neck, arm, back, shoulder, or anywhere else. Using the small magnets is a wave from the future and the sports medicine field is anxiously awaiting to see what other great developments are unraveled as the research continues into this important pain relief treatment.

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Causes and Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis

Causes and Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis
James Hunt

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease. It is one
of the oldest and most commonly known types of arthritis. When a
person suffers from OA there is a breakdown of the joint’s
cartilage. Since cartilage itself is there to act as a cushion
between the bones, when this breakdown and wears away the bones
will begin rubbing together and this can cause some serious pain
as well as limitations in movement and in some cases loss of
movement completely.

What Causes Osteoartritis?

There are many factors affecting the onset of osteoarthritis.
Since it is more commonly found in middle to older aged people,
medical professionals had made the mistake of thinking that age
was a contributing factor. However, research has shown that age
is not a leading factor to the onset of Osteoarthritis. However,
doctors and medical professionals have found that being
overweight does have some effect. When a person is overweight or
obese, they are more likely to experience some pain in the knees
and in most cases will develop OA in these areas. People who
have experienced some kind of injury in the joints, either due
to playing sports or through work are more likely to develop OA.

There have been incidences of OA in people who have been born
with some kind of genetic condition that affects the joints in
some way. OA is most commonly found in the hands.

Treatment Options

Exercises to keep joints flexible and improve muscle strength

Many different medications are used to control pain, including
corticosteroids and NSAIDs. Glucocorticoids injected into joints
that are inflamed and not responsive to NSAIDS. For mild pain
without inflammation, acetaminophen may be used.

Heat/cold therapy for temporary pain relief

Joint protection to prevent strain or stress on painful joints

Surgery (sometimes) to relieve chronic pain in damaged joints

About the author:
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and
researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of
interest. Read more at www.osteoarthritis-
central.info