Healthy Fluids

A common predicament in both men and women is heel pain. Around one in ten people will have at least one episode of heel pain in their lifetime. This article discusses heel pain, its management, and the use of ESWT in plantar fasciitis.

The common home treatments for heel pain include resting the affected foot as much as possible or at least for seven days. In the first couple of days, applying ice to the painful area can help decrease inflammation. This should be done two to three times a day for 15 minutes at a time. To relieve pain and minimize swelling, over the counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be taken.

To protect the heels, shoe inserts or heel pads can be used. It is also important to wear proper-fitting shoes. If the pain does not get better in a couple of week after home treatments, see your podiatrist for a proper evaluation.

The podiatrist can recommend physical therapy. If any underlying foot abnormality is noted, orthotic devices can be prescribed to correct this. Cortisone injections are also sometimes given. Recently, extracorporal shock wave therapy, ESWT for heel pain has been an option in patients who do not get relief from conventional treatments.

The most common reason for heel pain is plantar fasciitis. This is heel pain felt at the first step in the morning that progresses as the day goes on. Pain is also aggravated when standing for extended periods of time. Sometimes, the pain becomes so severe that it feels like a stab in the heel of the foot. It can involve only one foot or can affect both feet at the same time. There are times when pain becomes so severe that it causes the patient to limp or unable to walk.

In the management of plantar fasciitis, the goals are to decrease inflammation and provide pain relief. The patient should ultimately be able to return to normal activities and not be debilitated by the condition.

There are several treatment options for plantar fasciitis. This includes the standard modalities such as icing, resting, and stretching exercises. Other alternatives are night splints, arch supports, custom orthotics, physical therapy, cortisone injections, shockwave therapy, and surgery.

Shockwave therapy is becoming one of the modern medical interventions for heel pain. Contrary to popular belief, a shockwave therapy is not the same as electric shock therapy.

The treatment is called ESWT or Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis. It can be passed for use in other conditions such as achilles tendinitis and shoulder tendinitis in the future.

It makes use of high-pressure sound waves that travel through the skin to target tendinopathies. In plantar fasciitis, for instance, the high vibrations cause slight injuries to the structures at the heel. As a result, these shockwaves increase the repairing properties in the heel area leading to improved healing response.

Shockwave therapy is suitable for people with long term heel pain that have not responded to conventional treatments modalities. The good thing about ESWT is that it is a relatively painless procedure, it is low risk, with almost no downtime to the patient.

You finally got your pearly whites back from the brink of becoming permanently yellowed and dull. You followed a good whitening procedure, and you love the results, but you know that you will need to work to make them last. Here are some tips for keeping your whitened teeth whiter. More information is available here.

The first and easiest step to follow is to make sure to brush your teeth twice each day. As simple as this may sound, keeping your teeth clean is going to help keep them whiter. Make sure to follow a brushing with a proper flossing. You can also use an antiseptic mouthwash to further combat plaque that causes tooth enamel to become dull. Since you have worked to get your teeth particularly white, you can maintain the whiteness by implementing the use of a whitening toothpaste again. Make sure you only use it once or twice each week. You want to take advantage of its abilities to remove any surface stains and prevent your teeth from yellowing again.

If you are a coffee, tea or wine drinker you might want to cut out drinking these beverages. If that does not appeal to you, you could make sure to follow up any indulgence by rinsing your mouth out with water. You could even try using a coffee stirrer to sip your beverage so your teeth are spared exposure to the dulling elements of coffee or tea. If you love wine, stick to white wine to further work to keep your newly brightened smile from dulling. Dont forget that dark colas are also bad for a white smile. Either drink these beverages sparingly through a straw or choose clear colas instead.

Many people enjoy drinking orange juice because of its nutritional value. But, orange juice is highly acidic and can wear your tooth enamel down and thereby increase the chances of yellowing your teeth again. When you drink orange juice or any other acidic fruit beverage, follow it with a swish of water to remove the acids from your mouth as quickly as you can. You probably know that when you do undergo a whitening procedure your teeth often can risk becoming dull or yellow after discontinuing that procedure. Chances are that if you follow the tips outlined above, you should be able to maintain your bright, white smile for a long time.

If you are concerned about your teeth becoming discolored after getting a professional whitening treatment or after using over-the-counter treatments, just be cautious about re-doing any further treatments. It can be tempting to stay on a get-white regimen, but too much use of whiteners of any kind can cause your teeth to become sensitive and painful. Your gums can also be affected by these treatments. You invested time and money in that beautiful smile, so take the time to do what it takes to keep your whitened teeth whiter. Your dentist can further help you if you have any questions or concerns.

The demand for physical therapy increases throughout the decade due to the growing population of the elderly. A career as a Dutch Physical Therapist assistant can be very rewarding as there are an abundance of physical therapist assistant jobs available today. But firstly, what exactly does a physical therapist assistant do? A physical therapist assistant works with a trained physical therapist, helping them with the rehabilitation exercises and therapies for the recovery of the injury or disability of a patient.

Working as an assistant rather than a physical therapist, like Ankit Suri, requires less years of college, and generally only needs an associate's degree to acquire a license. An associate's degree commonly takes two years to complete, and offers the necessary academic coursework and clinical experience. A physical therapist assistant in training will learn how to communicate with patients well and to take directions, as well as to work with others.

A physical therapist assistant works under the careful supervision of a physical therapist with the responsibility to provide treatment to patients with disabilities and injuries. Physical therapist assistant must provide the patients with massages, exercises, traction, ultrasound and many other various duties, and they are also in charge of monitoring and documenting a patient's treatment. Physical therapist assistants work to provide hands-on help that can change the lives of patients and help them to recover from their injuries.

As a physical therapist assistant, it helps to have plenty of patience and good communication. The job may also require physical exertion in lifting patients, thus a physical therapist assistant must be physically fit to handle the job. Physical therapist assistants normally work in clinics, hospitals or rehabilitation centers, and the working hours are often based on the patients' needs. The work can be both physically and emotionally demanding.

Currently, employment chances for a physical therapist assistant are quite high as the demand grows. The job prospects are also anticipated to continue growing, along with the earnings. Because of the changing lifestyle of the population, many people seek physical therapist services nowadays. Also, the aging population is causing an increased need for PTAs.

Physical therapists themselves also prefer to rely on physical therapist assistant to keep their service costs lower, and hiring physical therapist assistants will also mean being able to serve a larger amount of patients. If you're interested in a career of working as a physical therapist assistant, algebra, physiology and psychology are important areas to focus in when studying for a degree.