Purpose of the American College of Sports Medicine

The American College of Sports Medicine is more than just a nifty name; they are the main organization that is working towards improving the entire field of sports medicine with the overall health of athletes in mind. By taking the ideas and advances in sports medicine and combining them together with the best training and developmental research, the American College of Sports Medicine aims to help as many people as possible regardless of location.

Developed in 1954, the ACSM has more than 20,000 members currently amongst its ranks with members coming from all around the world. The American College of Sports Medicine is working in several ways to help improve the overall treatment options that are available to athletes around the world, including the use of their certification programs that range from the type of specialty. It is always recommended to select a sports medicine professional who is certified in the area in which they practice to ensure they have received the best training possible.

In addition to the certification programs that are offered the ACSM offers several conferences through out the year in various locations that are geared towards specific specialties. Professionals who are associated with the ACSM are highly encouraged to attend these conferences to help them stay up to date on the latest developments in the field of sports medicine.

In addition to working with professionals who are already practicing a specialty in the sports medicine field, the ACSM also encourages students who are still in school and those involved in their residency to start getting involved to ensure they are expanding their education as much as possible. While some may think that the ACSM is useless, many also agree that there are numerous benefits of having a specific group responsible for giving the certifications.

Most patients prefer working with doctors who are well qualified, and the American College of Sports Medicine offers numerous benefits because of the continued research in the field as well as extensive developmental opportunities that it offers. In addition, the ACSM is dedicated to helping professionals develop as much as possible simply by making it convenient, with a mixture of campus and online programs offered there is almost no reason why every sports medicine professional cannot be involved in continuing their educational goals.

Athletes themselves find the ACSM to be a great resource to them. It provides them a way of measuring various sports medicine professionals to help them determine which is the best provider for their individual needs. By ensuring that a certification method is in place, it allows most athletes and coaches alike to separate the dedicated sports medicine providers from those who are not as experienced and knowledgeable in the field.

As each individual provider grows and expands their knowledge of the field, they are usually welcomed to join the ACSM and ensure that they continue to stay at the top of their field. Various methods are always in place for most fields to keep professionals well trained and the ACSM provides this for the sports medicine field. Despite continuous improvements in treatment options available, the American College of Sports Medicine encourages professionals to continue to be the best in their field.

However, important to note is that aside from the ACSM encouraging doctors and other sports medicine professionals to continuously further their education it also encourages advances in the field to help new treatment methods develop faster, as well as helping ensure that all treatment methods have the best interests of the athletes in mind whom they are designed to help.

Further helping the ACSM is the fact that there are so many resources that are used to help ensure that certified professionals in the sports medicine field stay up to date on all pressing technology changes and new developments. Rather than allowing, all of the professionals to allow their education to take a backseat to their practice professionals are highly encouraged to continue learning as much as possible.

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Arthritis Pain Relief : Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider

Arthritis Pain Relief : Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider
Priya Shah

Copyright 2005 Priya ShahA great place to begin taking charge of you arthritis pain relief and prevention planning is by making an appointment with your healthcare provider and finding out more about your condition and treatment options. Make sure to jot down questions ahead of time, and take them along in your journal or notebook, armed with a pencil to fill in his or her replies. Some questions to begin with may be centered around these:1. Do I have a form of arthritis? If not, what is wrong & what do I do next?2. If so, which type is it? And what can I expect short-term and long-term?3. What pain relief treatments are available? Which have side affects & what are they?4. What self-care solutions do you advise?5. Are there any limitations I should know about; i.e. special dietary issues, special activities to avoid, any OTC meds to NOT mix, etc.?6. What resources do you have to help with my diet and exercise planning?7. What other arthritic and other health resources do you have for my family and me?When you take in your questions, also take in a description of your symptoms so that your doctor can help better understand your situation and health. Make sure to note:- Where you have pain (same joint both limbs?)- When you feel pain – with certain activities, in the morning, when it rains, etc.- How long you have had the pain- If the pain increases or decreases, comes and goes, etc.- The type & intensity level of pain – stabbing, dull, cramping, stiffness – and low, mild or high pain- Note any limitations – can’t bend over too far without pain, can’t get out of car, etc.- Share any family history of arthritis- Tell about any OTC or prescription medications or other treatments you currently take or use.- Discuss any special diet you are on and exercise programs So try the different options available for arthritis pain relief and prevention.Give your joints a break as soon as possible from any excess weight they’re hauling around, even if it’s the weight of excess stress.Lighten up and make pain relief and prevention care part of your normal, everyday routine.For a comprehensive report on arthritis, visit Arthritis Remedies http://www.arthritisremedies.org About the Author
Priya Shah is the editor of
The Glutathione Report andHealth Naturale. This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.

Narcolepsy: The Sleeping Disease

There are over 3 million cases of narcolepsy and is estimated by medical reports that 200,000 Americans, but just under 50,000 are actually officially diagnosed by a doctor. It has been said that it’s widespread like the neurological disease Parkinson’s disorder. This condition is usually recognized in both men and women at any age, yet the symptoms are usually first noticed in teenagers and younger age adults usually in their 20s and early 30s.

It’s been noted that there is a 15-year between the onset and actual diagnosis of the problem, which has contributed to the debilitating features of this particular disorder. Those who deal with narcolepsy have a plethora of cognitive, educational, occupational, and psychological issues that can arise from this problem. The presence of narcolepsy is 1 in 2000 people and is also found in people with diagnosed learning disabilities and currently the treatment options are very limited.

The studies that were conducted for this concluded that this problem is constantly under diagnosed in the general population in society. Some narcoleptics don’t show any signs visibly and the severity of the condition varies from person to person.

This is where medical science has its blunders because of the fact that this condition is so under diagnosed that it’s hard to really get a grasp of the severity of this problem, because it varies in levels from noticeable to barely obvious.

Polysonogram and Multiple Sleep Latency exams are the two tests that are done to give a formal and correct diagnostic approach to the condition and usually this is where the diagnosis presents the level of severity so that it’s properly noted by a specialist to ensure a proper treatment plan for that person. Tests are conducted in two-hour increments to allow the person to sleep and usually the polysonogram test does a continuous test of brain activity when it’s in REM sleep mode when sleep happens at night.

Usually most narcoleptics fall asleep in nighttime sleep mode fairly quickly. There are several methods of treatments for people with narcolepsy and usually it consists of anti-depressants and planned short-timed naps have also been helpful to lower the dependence on medicinal treatments and allowing the body to do what it should be doing naturally. Retraining the body to sleep at a reasonable time has helped those with narcolepsy to recognize sleeping at night and taking short naps during the day so that their body stays alert because a lot of narcoleptics have been putting themselves and others at risk when they fall asleep during their normal work day or even driving or operating machinery.

With the new wave of holistic medicine being readily available to help people with conditions from skin to psychological issues. Narcoleptics can also work with a treatment plan that includes a change in diet and incorporating exercise and taking nutritional supplements and formulas to give someone added nutrition if they’re not getting enough from the food they eat.

Narcolepsy is manageable if you follow the doctor’s instructions and taking medications when you’re supposed to and following therapy plans that are designed for that person to follow to the last detail.

Hair Loss Help

Long, lustrous and silky hair are trade mark of many, especially females. A female’s hair are her best natural accessories to carry and obviously show and even compete with her same sex friends. But if you are amongst those 60% of the females, who is suffering / with hair problems, then you know the shock of being less haired over your head. The major problem is that the hair loss in females is considered as a taboo in society and this adds to salt into bounds of the females suffering with hair loss or hair thinning problems.

Women themselves do not feel comfortable in openly discussing their problems, however, men can openly discuss openly and thus able to try on several treatment options including treatment of hair loss using medications, etc.

You are not the only woman, who is suffering with hair loss and feeling difficulty in openly discussing and finding resolution of hair problems. According to a clinical analysis, one in every four women is suffering with hair problems.

Females also keep worrying, why hair loss happens?

The causes of hair loss in woman can be any, like; harsh hair treatments, hormonal changes during pregnancy, or the menopause. Stress and unhealthy eating habits also lead to hair problems. Sometimes, hair thinning in females may be genetic. The hair thinning as a genetic factor normally occurs between 18 to 24 years of age.

The most common form of hair loss due to genetic or other medical factors is alopecia androgenecia. This is the sort of hair problem in which the hair becomes extremely thin so that one can see through it. Alopecia areta is another form of hair problem that normally starts as tiny bald patches but may result into total hair loss, if not taken care of.

If you can believe it, almost one quarter of the world population is suffering with some type of hair problems. And any sort of hair problems in females affect self confidence and sometimes, may even lead to anxiety and depression.

The first step in settling any sort of hair problems is, distinguishing the nature of hair loss you are suffering with. There are a number of treatment options available for treating hair problems, depending on the kind and severity of problems. Your doctor may suggest you some oil / cream / lotion to apply on your scalps.

If hair loss is due to hormonal or hereditary or due to some other serious health problems then your doctor may prescribe you a variety of medications.

Besides getting aid from a health professional, you also can take care of your hairs to avoid hair loss.
How??

Here are given some tips and tricks to prevent you from bad hair days.

1.Analyze your diet. Nutrition plays a vital role in keeping healthy tresses. Lack of essential vitamins and minerals and proteins etc may switch hair problems. Ask your doctor / nutritionist for help.

2.Opt for loose and comfortable hair style. Give up the hairstyle that introduces tensions in your hair follicles. For example; tight ponytails, chignons and plaits.

3.Avoid layered cuts as these create misapprehensions of more vigor.

4.Do not use in large the heated hair styling tools, such as; tongs and straightening irons, as these may create strain and breakage of hair.

5.Use wigs and hair extensions or use hats, scarves and funky jewellary to draw attention away from your hairs.

6.Ask your hair dresser to monitor your hair growth, but not become obsessed about it.

7.Stress is a major trigger to hair loss. Try to stay positive.