Cancer patients need custom exercise regime

Cancer patients, irrespective of their treatment type, must receive a custom exercise prescription to protect their heart, states a study. "Cancer patients are often less active than adults without cancer," said the author. "However, exercise is essential for patients diagnosed with cancer who are under treatment, irrespective of the type of treatment."

"Endurance training is more effective for improving cardiovascular performance and reducing inflammation, but resistance training may be a better starting point for frail cancer patients," explained the Dr. "Other types of exercise, such as inspiratory muscle training, are safe and effective, particularly in those with thoracic cancer; therefore, the specific exercise should be chosen based on individual characteristics," he continued.

Cardiovascular diseases are common side effects in patients with cancer. This is the result of cardio-toxicity, whereby cancer treatment impairs heart function and structure, or accelerated development of the cardiovascular disease, especially when risk factors such as high blood pressure are present.

Furthermore, cardiovascular diseases and cancer often share the same risk factors. Therefore, cancer patients are advised to eat healthily, quit smoking, control their weight, and exercise. The study  highlighted the importance of an individual exercise plan for each patient, taking into account personal history, cancer treatment, response to exercise, and personal preferences.

Exercise should start as soon as possible, even before starting treatment such as chemotherapy. A multidisciplinary team should be involved in formulating an exercise prescription, including oncologists, cardiologists, physical therapists, nurses, nutritionists, and psychologists.

Cardiac evaluation, with exercise testing (and particularly cardiopulmonary exercise testing or lactate testing) to determine response to exercise, is the starting point. The appropriate 'dose' of exercise (as usually done for a drug) can then be prescribed, including the intensity, type of training, and training volume (hours/minutes of training per week).

"Defining the intensity and volume of exercise is important for maximising the benefits of physical activity while avoiding muscular soreness, fatigue, and sleep disorders," said the Dr. Ongoing treatment is not a contraindication to exercise, but patients are urged to consult their doctor before starting a new activity. Specific guidance is provided: for example, patients with low haemoglobin levels should avoid high-intensity activities; those with low platelet levels (needed for blood clotting) should not do contact sports.

Activities that could increase the risk of fracture should be avoided in frail patients. Breathlessness or fatigue must be investigated but, after excluding associated health problems, exercise can help cope with fatigue, which is relatively common in cancer patients. 

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
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Treating Neck Pain: Seven Stage Method

Sitting in front of the computer at work? Surfing your smartphone while waiting in line or on public transport? Lying down at the end of a long day to watch your favorite shows? 
You may have not noticed this, but all these routine activities affect the health of your neck. In fact, about 45% of the population of working people in the world have complained at one point or another about neck stiffness and pain. Fortunately for us all, there are several solutions to these annoying pains. One of the best and healthiest ways is to use easy exercises you can do at home, and it will only take 5 minutes of your time. If you start using it today, most chances are you'll save yourselves future pain and treatments. 
Before starting the exercises, a few things to note:
Do all the stages here in order, one after another, and make sure you do them slowly, gently and without any sudden movements. The neck is a very tender place and you should be very careful when exercising it. If your pain gets worse, stop and consult a doctor before continuing. Good luck!
Stage 1: Releasing the neck muscles

A. Sit comfortably on a chair with your back straight.
B. Put both your hands on the base of your skull.
C. Let your chin fall towards your chest.
D. Gently put pressure on your head with your hands, meaning push it forward and downward, until you feel a stretch in the back of your neck. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds.

Stage 2: Improving the movement of your shoulders

A. Sit comfortably on a chair with your back straight.
B. Lift your left arm towards your left ear, and bend your elbow so your palm is turned towards your back.
C. Bend your right arm back from the elbow, so the back of your right hand is turned towards the back of your body.
D. Keep your back straight, push your chest forward and press your palms against each other behind your back.
E. Make sure you feel pressure on your arms and chest. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and then switch your hands and repeat the exercise for 30 more seconds.
Stage 3: Increasing the blood flow to the neck

A. Stand on the floor with your back straight, your arms at the sides of your body and your legs spread at shoulder width.
B. Keep your arms straight and gently pull your shoulders towards your ears. Hold your shoulders like this for several seconds.
C. Return your shoulders to their normal state, and repeat this exercise for 2 more times for 30 seconds each.
Stage 4: Releasing the arm muscles

A. Stand straight with the left side of your body turned towards a wall and your left leg ahead of your right leg.
B. Turn your head gently towards your left shoulder.
C. Slowly stretch your left arm behind your shoulder, turn your upper body and put your left palm against the wall at shoulder height.
D. Keep your left arm straight. Gently turn your head and look forward.
E. Gently stretch your chest until you feel a pull in your right shoulder muscles and chest. After 30 seconds, return to the starting position A, and repeat the exercise with the sides reversed, again for 30 seconds.

Stage 5: Improving head stability

A. Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor, with your back straight, shoulders pushed a bit back and your head facing forward.
B. Take 2 fingers from the hand on the side of the neck pain (if your neck pain is on the left side, use your left hand) - and put them on your chin.
C. Pull your fingers up as much as you can, putting upwards pressure on the chin.
D. Gently press your chin with your fingers and take it as back as possible, until there is a "double chin" as shown in the image.
E. Stay like this for several seconds (5-10) and then repeat the exercise again for 30 seconds (you can "rest" for several seconds when you feel you need to).
Stage 6: Getting rid of muscle twitches

A. Sit in a comfortable position, with your back straight.
B. Raise your hands upwards, bend at your elbows and have your palms touch each other above your head.
C. Keep your lower jaw parallel to the floor, and turn your head to the left.
D. Stay like this for several seconds, and then slowly turn your head to the right.
E. Keep this position for several seconds and then turn your head to the left.
F. Continue switching sides every 5-10 seconds for 30 seconds.

Stage 7: Strengthen your shoulders

A. Stand on the floor with your legs spread at the width of your shoulders and your arms straight at your sides.
B. Raise your arms above your head, straighten the elbows and press your palms together.
C. Keep your arms straight, stretch your spine upwards and remain in this position for several seconds.
D. Slowly lower your arms, bend your elbows and bring them behind your back while trying to keep your shoulder blades as close to each other as possible.
E. Keep this stretch for several seconds and then straighten your arms again. Repeat this exercise for 1 minute.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                          FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                               FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Alzheimer’s memories could be switched back on with implant

Alzheimer’s sufferers could once again remember the faces of loved ones, or find their way back home, after scientists developed a way to boost memories.

In a groundbreaking pilot study,  researchers recorded memories as they were being formed and then later played them back into the brains of 10 patients.

They found that it increased memory performance by up to 37 per cent.
 
The study focused on improving episodic memory, which is the most common type of memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease, stroke and head injury.

Episodic memory is information that is new and useful for a short period of time, such as where you parked your car or left your keys.

“This is the first time scientists have been able to identify a patient's own brain cell code or pattern for memory and, in essence, write in that code to make existing memory work better, an important first step in potentially restoring memory loss,” said a professor of physiology/pharmacology and neurology.

“In the future, we hope to be able to help people hold onto specific memories, such as where they live or what their grandkids look like, when their overall memory begins to fail.”

"We envision this system being made into an implant to provide continuous support to a person’s ability to encode and store new memories.

"A patient would visit with a clinician periodically to ensure the system is working properly, but the closed-loop system is being designed to continuously read, analyze, and support the patient’s innate memory function." 

Around 850,000 people are suffering from dementia in Britain, and around two thirds have Alzheimer's diseasee, in which sticky amyloid plaques build up in the brain, preventing brain cells from communicating, and wiping out memory.

For the new study, researchers enrolled 10 epilepsy patients who were already participating in an separate experiment mapping their brains, and so already had electrodes implanted in their heads.

The participants were asked to study a simple image - such as a coloured block - while their brain activity was recorded. Scientists then blanked the screen and asked them to choose the correct image from five options.

They found that when they asked people to remember, while playing back the recorded memory into the hippocampus region of their brains, their performance improved by 37 per cent. The hippocampus is responsible for forming memories, and spatial recognition and is one of the first areas to be damaged in Alzheimer’s disease.

In a second test, participants were shown a highly distinctive photographic image, followed by a short delay, and asked to identify the photo out of four or five others on the screen 75 minutes later. They found that playing back the recorded memories boosted recall by 35 per cent.

“We showed that we could tap into a patient's own memory content, reinforce it and feed it back to the patient,” added the Dr.

"Even when a person's memory is impaired, it is possible to identify the neural firing patterns that indicate correct memory formation and separate them from the patterns that are incorrect.

“We can then feed in the correct patterns to assist the patient's brain in accurately forming new memories, not as a replacement for innate memory function, but as a boost to it.”

Commenting on the research, the experts said the study provided important ‘stepping stones’ into understanding how memories form, which could one day lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

The Dr. says: “Future tests using this method in people with Alzheimer’s could represent a vitally needed new form of treatment for dementia.

“With no new drug for dementia in the past 15 years, and one person developing the condition every three minutes, it’s more urgent than ever to find new ways to treat the condition.

“These kind of ‘first-in-human’ studies are important stepping stones to understanding how we make memories.”

The Dr. added: “People with Alzheimer’s disease often have difficulty recalling recent events, even while still being able to remember things that happened decades earlier.

"Techniques that boost a person’s ability to lay down new memories could potentially help tackle one of the most common symptoms affecting people with dementia.

“Complex technologies like this take years of research to hone, but improving life changing symptoms like memory loss is an urgent goal for dementia research. To accelerate progress towards new treatments we must see continued investment in research.”

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                           https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              

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