Donnette

According to Dr. Nathan Wei, The hand and wrist are the mirrors of disease. While the cause of hand pain can be a localized problem, hand pain can also be the presenting sign for other diseases.

The wrist and hand are capable of power and precision. As a result, pain and swelling are often accompanied by weakness of grip in hand disorders. A careful history and a complete physical examination are important. The presence of symptoms elsewhere in the body is important to establish.

Two serious hand problems are:

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). This is caused by a disorder of the sympathetic nervous system. Typically, it is described as a burning pain. The precipitating factor may be trauma Color changes including purplish discoloration of the fingers may occur. The treatment involves a special procedure called stellate ganglion block. Usually performed by an anesthesiologist, this procedure is often very effective.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. The hand becomes swollen and painful. This picture occasionally occurs in patients with underlying cancers.

Other hand problems that point to other diseases:

Psoriasis may also cause pitting or lifting up (onycholysis) of the fingernails.

Abnormal blood vessel patterns near the fingernails may signify auto-immune diseases like lupus.

Raynaud's phenomenon... When fingers blanch (turn white) this may be a sign of an underlying autoimmune problem such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma.

Bumps, called nodules can develop as a result of osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Depuytrens contracture is a problem where the skin in the palm may become thickened and shortened. A cord of tissue develops and causes fingers to bend into the palm. Treatment for this problem may be steroid injection, splinting, and physical therapy. Surgery is often needed. This condition occurs with other medical diseases.

Virtually all types of arthritis can affect the wrist and hand.

Arthritis when untreated or poorly treated will lead to deformity. Tendonitis is another common problem in the wrist and hand. In the wrist, tendonitis usually causes pain and localized swelling. Tendonitis can be confused with arthritis.

Tendonitis in the hand is most common in the palm. This causes locking or triggering of the fingers. Steroid injection and physical therapy are usually effective treatments. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injection, splinting, and occasionally physical therapy.

Tips to make your hand pain better...

Wear splints if youre going to be doing a lot of repetitive motions

Use your whole arm instead of just your hand and wrist

Enlarge the handles on your tools. You can get kitchen utensils and writing implements with enlarges handles. Theyre worth it.

Make sure to take rest breaks.

Avoid repetitive movements when possible.

Carry objects with the palms open and flat. This will take the pressure off your wrists and fingers.

A common cause of hand pain is carpal tunnel syndrome

... pinching of the median nerve in the wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a symptom- much like fever... it is not a disease! It is the most common cause of tingling in the hands. Besides tingling, burning pain may also occur. Patients often have discomfort at night that is relieved by hanging the affected hand over the side of the bed or vigorously shaking the hands. The discomfort of carpal tunnel syndrome can also be brought on by holding up the newspaper while reading, or by driving. Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include arthritis, endocrine problems, pregnancy, trauma, infection, tumors, and overuse. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity. Mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome is treated with splinting, sometimes steroid injection, and avoidance of overuse. For patients with carpal tunnel syndrome that doesnt respond to conservative measures or where the carpal tunnel syndrome is severe, surgery is indicated.

Radial nerve damage leads to wrist drop. Radial nerve pressure in the wrist can occur as a result of repetitive motion, tight pressure (handcuffs, watchbands, bracelets), diabetes, and trauma. Ulnar nerve damage and compression in the wrist can cause a "claw hand." Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication, rest, splinting, injection, and sometimes surgery.

Treatment of hand disorders is entirely dependent on making an accurate and specific diagnosis.

Dr. Wei (pronounced way) is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: Arthritis Pain Relief

The scooter lift is an invention that enables elderly and handicapped individuals to enjoy further independence. Loss of mobility has made it increasingly difficult for them to move around; the use of mobility scooters has given them a large degree of independence, and a scooter lift helps them to take their independence around with them at home or on vehicles when travelling.

Buying a scooter lift should be looked upon as a long-term investment for these individuals. It is therefore important to appreciate the positive influence that the right scooter lift can have on such people and their families. The selection of an appropriate scooter lift is an essential part in achieving this objective.

For transporting a scooter, the lift can be attached behind a vehicle, a mobile home or a trailer for holding and carrying their mobility scooters with complete ease. This lift has the capacity to raise the scooter and to manoeuvre it into the correct position for the journey. A further advantage is that with a scooter lift, the mobility scooter being transported can be held in place outside the vehicle allowing more interior space for luggage and other accessories.

Scooter lifts are available in various makes and models with a large range of features. They don't weigh too much but can lift, hold and carry approximately 300 pounds of weight. They are affordable, easy to use and easy to maintain and clean. When not in use, scooter lifts can be disassembled for easy storage. Their dimensions vary according to the model being purchased; platform and jack-type models are available.

Most models offer steel construction, a protective coating finish, twelve volt DC motor with optional battery pack. Easy-to-use controls allow safe, simple and reliable operation. They are designed to provide ease of mobility and accessibility for the difficulties experienced by the disabled and elderly in their daily lives.

Gregory Hepburn is an online marketer and entrepreneur who specializes in content websites. His new website on Scooter Lift has been published. Please see http://www.scooter-store.org for more information.

How are exercise and anti aging benefits connected? As we age, certain changes in lifestyle and physical fitness are predictable, especially in Western cultures. We tend to become less active and begin to gain weight. The percentage of our body weight attributable to fat increases, while the percentage attributable to muscle decreases. A less active lifestyle results in a decreased ability to use oxygen as well. Though predictable, these changes are avoidable with a commitment to regular exercise - among the anti aging benefits of exercise are the ability to maintain a healthy body weight, physical strength and aerobic fitness long into our senior years.

Advice for anti aging exercise varies, with some experts advocating strength training, while others emphasize aerobic exercise or stress the importance of stretching. Many people turn to activities like qigong or yoga for a blend of therapeutic exercise of both body and mind. A combination of activities including all of these things in moderation probably provides the best anti aging benefits. Strength training will keep you strong and decrease your chances of joint or back injury, or muscle strain. Stretching also helps to avoid muscle strain, and increases flexibility. Aerobic exercise reinforces cardiovascular fitness and keeps your joints working.

The key to achieving the anti aging benefits of exercise is to exercise regularly. Again, you'll find many different variations of advice on when you should exercise and for how long. You should probably aim for a minimum of an hour of exercise, three to four times a week. If this seems too much at first, start with 15 minutes a day and work up to longer periods.

Choose an activity you enjoy: you'll be more likely to stick with it. Perhaps you like swimming, biking, walking or playing tennis. Gardening, raking, and even housework are all good forms of exercise. Walking to the store and taking the stairs instead of the elevator count as well. If the weather's bad, you could use a stationary bicycle and get your exercise while watching the news - there are lots of ways to sneak a little exercise into your day and achieve some anti aging benefits without much effort.

Many people are very busy and feel that they don't have time to set aside for exercise. If this is you, think seriously about trying harder to find time: it really is important, and the anti aging benefits of exercise mean that you can look forward to getting it all back and more - in years of good health added on your life.

R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. You can learn more about anti aging benefits of exercise on the AntiAging Information site.

A janitorial cleaning service is one of the best businesses for a hardworking, blue collar person to start from scratch. Every business and every building needs to be cleaned once in a while - in some cases, many times each day. With the overhead involved with hiring employees to provide janitorial services, it is convenient for a company to outsource to a commercial janitorial service provider.

This is where you step in!

If you are reading this article, you are probably looking for advice on how to start a janitorial service. Hopefully the following information and advice will get you moving in the right direction.

Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:

$500 and up

It is possible to get started with almost no investment, but you will be in a much better position if you have a few hundred dollars of basic equipment available. Equipment for a full-scale commercial janitorial service may run many thousands of dollars.

Writing a sound business plan describing how to start a janitorial service in your area - including detailed market research and plans for future growth - may help you to secure some of your initial funding from venture capitalists or angel investors.

Pricing Guidelines for Service:

Base your time at $20 to $50 per hour (before taxes and expenses) and price your services according to the time you expect to spend on each task.

Itemize the exact services you intend to provide. Charging by the hour tends to make clients comfortable asking you to do more and more work for the same money. Be clear that you provide certain services for a certain price. By charging a flat fee, you will continually earn a better hourly rate as you improve and become more efficient.

Advertising and Marketing:

Get listed in the yellow pages under all of the main services you provide. This is more expensive than one general listing, but you can't expect all of your potential clients to look under "Janitorial Services" when they are really looking for "Window Cleaners".

Face-to-face selling can go either way. Some managers and store owners like the fortitude of this very direct way of marketing, but others find it very annoying - especially if they get a lot of people coming in and asking to wash the windows. Always obey "No Soliciting" signs.

Walk around town and identify businesses which look like they really need your help. Send a professional-looking brochure to the general manager.

Essential Equipment:

A janitorial cleaning service can start very small and build up as it grows more popular. It is sometimes possible to start out by using the equipment of the client companies, buying your own equipment with that revenue.

Get a unique uniform - and unique does not mean outrageous! A uniform looks much more professional than jeans, and it can provide a marketing service for you, as well. When people recognize your janitorial cleaning service working at the company down the street, it lends credibility to you when you approach them for a contract.

Much of the following equipment will become useful as your business expands:

Safety Equipment:

As the number of two-income household increase, more and more working parents are depending on day care centers to take care their children while they go out for work in day time. Parents know that children always come with surprises and they only trust child care providers that are trained to anticipate those surprises. Hence, if you want to success in this business, you need to earn your child care credentials and online education is one way to supplement your knowledge and experience with children to gain the trust of your potential customers.

What You Learn In Child Care Online Degree?

There are different kinds of children care online degree programs available. It's range from early childhood education, children development to child study for grade 6 - 12 kids. Hence, you need to decide on one that best suit your child care business needs.

Basically, in children care related online degree programs, you will learn about education games, child growth and behaviors, child food nutrition, anticipation of children surprises and help children explore and learn about the world while developing relationships with peers and adults. If you are taking a degree related to business that focus on child care business, you will be taught on children management, activities planning and scheduling, socialization and much more.

Online Universities That Offer Child Care Online Degree Programs

There are a number of online universities that offer child care and children education related online degree programs. Among the online universities are:

• University Of Phoenix Online University of Phoenix offers Master in Education with a Specialization in Early Childhood Education

• Rasmussen College If you are interested to focus on children development, then Rasmussen College's children development online degree program should be able to suit your need.

Choose Your Child Care Online Degree

Beside that, there are other online universities that offer child care online degree program, you could get most of information from internet, make a request to those online universities to send you a more details information of the course that you are interested in; request information from as many online universities as you can to make a comparison purpose on their online degree programs, information requests are free of charge; hence make use of it.

Accreditation

There are a lot of diploma mills offering "fake" degree. Hence, it is important to consider "Accreditation" when you choose your child care online degree. Make sure your selected online degree program is properly accredited by an accreditation agency that is recognized by U.S Department Of Education. Many "fake" degree programs do have accreditation but it is accredited by a "fake" accreditation agency. Hence, watch it of the potential trap of diploma mill when you choose your child care online degree program.

Summary

Your child care career will only be success if you manage to gain trust from parents. And getting an education online is an important way to earn trust or credentials as a child care provider.

Amelia Turner is the author from http://www.your-online-degree.info. Visit her website if you want more FREE and detailed information on choosing the right Child Care Degree Online, accredited online colleges, and other online education information.

For most people, garage door installation is something they consider on two occasions: when they dont already have an electric garage door or when their current garage door is broken. In any case, in order to make sure that you have a garage door that is functioning for you, you need to consider the following tips about garage door installation. They just might save you time and money.
< When youre first considering garage door installation, you may want to think of your reasons behind the decision before you buy. If your current garage door is simply not working, you may be able to hire someone to come out and fix it instead of having to spend the money to have it replaced entirely. And if you simply want a newer model, you may be able to wait a while before buying that model if your current garage door is still functional or you can simply replace the motor and electrical equipment. Try to determine what you really need for your current garage door needs before making your final decision.
Garage Door Installation
Next, if youve decided that you need someone to install a new garage door, be sure to call around to several garage door installation companies to see what kinds of deals they can offer you. They should come out to your home and inspect the current garage door setup as well as recommend what might work for you. You may want to look at garage doors that you like which are already installed on houses in your neighborhood. If its possible to test the garage door first, thats the best way to make your choice. You may be able to see some options and test them at a showroom.
Another factor to consider in garage door installation is the maintenance and repairs that are included in the installation fees. Some companies will provide you with a certain time period in which they will fix your garage door at no extra charge or they will give you a full warranty on the product should there be a defect. You want to have a few different options for repairs and maintenance when youre not proficient at fixing the door yourself.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.